Our Blue Orb, Plastic Waste And Our Oceans
This photograph, EarthRise, is the most influential environmental image ever taken. It encouraged people to take part in the modern environmental movement. EarthRise was a motivator, the catalyst and impetus of ecological awareness and EcoActivism. We can no longer ignore the growing environmental crisis of Earth. We look to science and nature for answers to ensure Our Blue Orb’s viability. We must cherish, preserve and protect our natural resources to prolong sustainability of the Earth, to improve the ecosystems and the habitats of all of our planet’s creatures. Blue oceans cover 70% of Earth, holding 97% of all our planet’s water, so essential to the existence of life. Our oceans’ saltwater is effectively the life blood of the planet. Virtually every living creature on this Earth depends somehow on our oceans’ bounty for sustenance or survival. Ocean ecosystems’ sustainability and health are our most crucial natural resources and must be preserved. The year after the 1968 Apollo 8 mission when astronaut Bill Anders shot EarthRise, twenty million Americans took to the streets, in cities and on college campuses to participate in the first Earth Day’s teach-ins, rallies, marches and protests to demand environmental reform. Earth Day was not organized as a protest, but the April 22, 1970 Earth Day encouraged & fueled worldwide ecological awareness. Our Blue Orb echoes Earth Day messages to continue struggles to improve our environment & sustainability. sr+
Please take time to watch these videos to understand the gravity of the situation.
Plastic Waste Is Everywhere!
Plastic Pollution is the global crisis that must be dealt with, 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean, "Of that mass, 269,000 tons float on the surface, while some four billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer litter the deep sea." Plastic waste devastates every aquatic ecosystem… polluting lakes, rivers and ultimately our oceans. Plastic pollution alters ecosystems' habitat biodiversity and natural resources and processes, reducing ecosystems' ability to adapt to its overwhelming onslaught. Many countries around Our Blue Orb are trying to stem the tide and this flood by enacting laws to help limit plastic waste and single use plastic packaging.
Canada has enacted laws to reduce plastic waste but is being held hostage and is being sued by petrochemical corporations and plastic manufacturers that have joined together to fight to overturn this legislation.
Oceana, the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation, has published this video about the problem. "Plastic pollution is killing wildlife and devasting the ocean...
