Particularly plastic waste in the oceans has become an international environmental problem. About 70 % of the earth’s surface is covered by water. At the moment you can count tens of thousands pieces of plastic waste in every square mile of the sea. German media compares the extent of refuse with the size of Central or Western Europe.
To let the facts speak for themselves.
Seabirds die in agony from plastic. For example cell phone parts and plastic bags are found in a turtle body, fish confuse tiny parts of plastic with plankton. 60 % of the waste is plastic. 70 % of the waste sink to the ocean floor, 15 % float on the water surface and 15 % are being washed up on the beaches.
The plastic waste is being transported by ships. Wether it be accidentally or on purpose. –An additional problem is the disposal of municipal waste into the rivers which flow into the ocean.
Environmental awareness and self-help
Waves bring back the waste to the land again. So happened a week ago at the Beach of Buena Vista, near Samara in Costa Rica.
Volunteers in the area congregated quickly and collected a total of 200 bags of plastic waste. The waste then was disposed by the munipalicidad of Nicoya. Where the trash ended up then is a question nobody can answer. Nobody even asks.
Comment by Amy:
Have you ever tried the plastic wrap of your chocolate bar?
Of course, we remove the packaging before enjoying our chocolate bar. But do we really get rid of it? The plastic wrap will have a long and interesting journey before it will reveal to us in another way.
We grade garbage into different shapes and colors. For a moment it feels like as if we organized the turmoil. In fact, we create a multi-colored soup of waste which floats tranquil on the water surface of our planet. Every year we extend this carpet about 15,000 tons. It gets bigger and more colorful with time. Once in a while we recognize it, when fractions reach us at landside. Suddenly outraged we ask ourselves: How could this happen?
Dumpster is not the terminal. That is what we are reminded of in these moments. We only see a small part of the entire, the greater whole. Enough to hit us hard. We have to do something. Thus we start collecting the rubbish and bring it to the dumpster, its origin. Short term solution, mission completed.
While we feel relieved the waste, with the ace of a continent, continues floating on the sea. It will remind us at another point that the problem was not solved. It is required to have a look at what is not visible at first glance here.
Not only is it sad to see what garbage appeals to animals and the beautiful beaches. It is sad to remember how we treat ourselves. We do not want to eat rubbish and yet we allow fine plastic dust attain our nourishments. What an unpleasant thought, in particular, it is unhealthy. On its way through the sea the fine dust collects diverse toxic chemicals. A healthy fish, that´s where we find the carcinogenic substances at the end of the day. Just remember there was a chocolate bar to begin with.
We try to fix the problem as fast as we can. There might be fast way to get to the answer. While we hurry we walk past the gist of the matter. Ideas yet exist to alter circumstances. What about an recycled island made from plastic? Strange to imagine, but we gathered enough waste until now. It is a dreamful perception, though it considers the core of the problem.
To start at itself usually seems trite and ineffective. As a matter of fact it is obvious and simple to begin with. Still, if you know what you want it pays to do something for. Who wants a beach decorated from washed up plastic waste? Who wants to see animals suffer from packaging? Who wants to eat garbage? As no one is conscious troubles moves on.
Each cycle will be completed and there is always a connection to the outset. The inception will be the question : What do I really want to change?
later we went back to the Hotel Costa Rica in Samara
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