Today’s Kindness Counts is something near and dear to my heart, mainly because my son is so passionate about this topic, saving the oceans from plastic pollution.
There are now eleven ocean garbage patches in oceans around the world, destroying our environment and killing marine life. The biggest is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is 270,000 square miles, approximately the size of Texas.
The plastic breaks down into tiny pieces, which the animals mistake for food. Five species are in danger of dying out, due to this plastic overload (2):
- Sea Turtles
- Seals and Sea Lions
- Sea Birds
- Fish
- Whales and Dolphins
Here’s today’s Kindness Counts Act and quote:
Reflections:
“Sometimes the little things are the big things. Isn’t it wonderful that a simple positive action has the potential to become something impactful? You matter because your actions matter regardless of how trivial they seem sometimes. Own it and soon you’ll see just how big the small things are.” ~ Orly Wahba – Kindness Boomerang (1)
Closing Thoughts:
Did you know, if you use just 1 reusable grocery bag, you save 6 plastic bags from getting into the environment? That equates to 22,176 bags in a lifetime. If just 20% of the people in our country would do this, we would save 1,330,560,000,000 bags over our lifetime.
“But I recycle my plastic bags!” I hear many people say. Did you know that only 1% of our plastic bags are recycled AND it costs more to recycle plastic bags, than it does to make new ones? Watch this short video (3:46) for more info/facts on plastic pollution.
Orly is absolutely right. Using a cloth grocery bag may be a very small gesture in the grand scheme of life, but these little gestures add up, especially if we all work together. In closing, I’d like to share this song with you called PLASTIC OCEAN. ENJOY!
Sources:
- Wahba, Orly. Kindness Boomerang: How to Save the World (and Yourself) Through 365 Daily Acts (p. 342). Flatiron Books. Kindle Edition.
- http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/marine-animals-are-dying-because-of-our-plastic-trash/u
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wow! I am very passionate about this subject too!
In Hawaii, they have banned plastic bags and we all use the re-usable bags. Your statistic about that made me feel good to know we are making a difference each trip to the grocery store! I used to grumble about it (even though I hated the thought of what the bags do). But, once you get in the habit of packing your bags (or, I just leave them in the car) it is a very simple step we can take to saving these animals and ultimately ourselves by protecting our earth!
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I leave them in the trunk of my car, but am HORRIBLE about remembering to use them. I must be better. I know in Hawaii, they are out-lawed, is that correct?
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Yes they are! We can only use reusable bags. There is a type of plastic bag some places offer but you have to pay for each bag you use!
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In our small town, small shops don’t give out plastic bags at all and in the supermarkets you have to pay if you need one but most people take reusable bags.
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That’s wonderful! A great example for everyone. I know in Hawaii, and a few other places here in the states, they have similar rules. Thanks for sharing! I hope this post encourages people to get rid of plastic bags.
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I really love this post. Thank you for making people aware! Wildlife of all kinds need to be treasured. I hope this wakes people up to the dangers of what we do every day, without even thinking of the consequences.
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Thank you, I appreciate that. My son is the one who has brought this into our lives. He loves all marine life and everything about the ocean. He has hopes of studying marine biology or oceanography someday. People need to understand that what they do daily has an impact on the planet. Small changes can help, if enough people take part. Thanks for commenting and visiting my blog.
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Agreed. That is a really great career choice! I hope he goes for it.
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Thank you for raising this issue. I do my best for the environment by buying and using less plastic, creating less waste and recycling. I use canvas bags, don’t buy takeaways (luckily I don’t like coffee), and am more conscious of what I consume and throw away. But it’s not easy, I’m old enough to remember a time when food was wrapped in paper, not plastic. I think packaging and labelling controls should be stricter; the fat/sugar/salt/calorie content on foods should be displayed on the front of packaging alongside the recycling information, with companies given a deadline of when to make all packaging recyclable.
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You’re welcome. I agree with everything you’ve said here. What really irritates me is when they package produce, such as peppers or zucchini! I’m not talking about chopped stuff, but perfectly good whole produce. Why?!! I don’t understand that at all. Such a waste.
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Thank you for addressing a very important topic. We use the reusable bags as much as we can.
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You’re welcome. It’s a big issue in our home. I have reusable bags with me in my car at all times. 👍
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Reblogged this on Blue Life and commented:
Wow! This is a great post. It gives direct and clear message about menace of plastics in our oceans. It also gives suggestions on what one can do to reduce this harm. Added visuals makes it more effective.
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