Posts Tagged "harmful plastics"

Reuse, REDUCE, Recycle!!

Posted by Pat Stewart on Aug 24, 2012 in My Blog, Think About This | 0 comments

Nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts aren’t the only ones who can do something about saving our environment…which, by the way, we borrow from inhabitants of the wild.  It is estimated that a single American throws out 7.1 pounds of trash a day…and not always in a trash recepticle!  At this rate, we are on track to produce 102 tons of trash in a lifetime.  Staggering, isn’t it? Pete…the Plastic Pelican is on display at Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant, NC to raise awareness among the thousands of visitors, who visit that wonderfully quaint and beautiful area, that so easily it could all go away before we know it.  The “sculpture” is made of plastics tossed by humans most likely without a thought about the trash’s impact on our wildlife and our environment as a whole.  Too many sea turtles, pelicans, and other shore birds die each year with a belly full of our needless garbage.  While enjoying a walk on the boardwalk at Shem Creek and soaking up the beauty of God’s creation, I noticed something white far out in the marsh.  I had been photographing beautiful egrets and herons earlier so I zoomed out to capture a photo.  To my surprise, it was a white styrofoam cup…way out there!  How in the heck did it get there in the lovely & rich green marsh?  That started me thinking about what would happen to that cup.  Styrofoam cannot totally biodegrade.  It only breaks down into smaller plastics over many years.  Over the years, the particles can become tiny and blow with the wind and humans and animals can breathe that in.  Not a good thing and potentially very dangerous. So, what can we do? First, don’t litter. Limit our use of single-use, disposable containers. INTENTIONALLY use re-usable products like cups, water bottles & shopping bags. As the town of Mt. Pleasant says, “Reuse, REDUCE,...