DON BOSCO CHURCH VADODARA

– The 12-minute video published by ABC Science talks about how important it is for us to stop single use plastics.

– Plastics don’t biodegrade, but over many years, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces until they are so small, they are hard to see. These tiny pieces are so small, they can be ingested by organisms as small as plankton, that is where plastics meet their maker.

– It is estimated that 3.5 million pieces of new plastic enter the world's oceans daily. Carried by global currents, they accumulate in huge circulating chunks, causing countless injuries to marine life along the way.

– Over 270 species worldwide are known to be affected by marine debris, including nearly half of all seabird species.

– Plastic contains a wide range of chemicals used in its manufacturing. When the plastic is put out into the marine environment, it floats around in the ocean for 10 or 40 years. When a marine animal ingests that plastic, the plastic contaminants leach out into the bloodstream and is then incorporated into the tissues.

– The flesh-footed shearwater is officially the world's most heavily contaminated sea bird. The toxic threshold for birds that is widely regarded around the world is 4.3 ppm. Flesh-footed shearwaters are between 1000 and 3000 ppm.

– In some developed cities, the government has introduced some covers over the river mouths to stop rubbish from moving to the oceans and can be dealt with accordingly, thus, forming management decisions at relevant scales.

– Taking our own bottles to a coffee shop instead of using the single use cups the cafe offers; using metal straws instead of the plastic ones; carrying our own paper bags instead of the single use plastics that the supermarket offers are few of the many possible alternatives that could make a difference to the environment, and ultimately, our own well-being.