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There’s a good chance that you watch one of these shows. So why are you still sporting that single-use bottle and using those plastic bags? Do you need more reasons to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution?
Here it is. Plastic and all it brings to the table has started to enter the food chain. Plastic is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water but it absorbs toxins like pesticides and hydrocarbons. International Pellet Watch found that it can have a pollutant concentration up to 1 million times higher than the surrounding ocean.
In some cases plastic already contains its
own harmful agent. Bisphenol A (BPA), found
in shatter-proof plastics and epoxy resins,
has hormone mimicking properties that could
lead to endocrine system problems. In
January, the FDA issued a statement
concerning BPA’s possible negative affect on
childrens’ development.
As plastic breaks down, marine animals and
birds confuse it for food and eat it and
absorb those toxins. If they do not die
immediately, then the next predator will eat
that tainted animal and so on up the food
chain until it reaches the top: humans! More
alarming, a recent Wired article that cites
BPA could possibly be a bioaccumulate like
mercury, meaning that as it moves up the
food chain it can increase in toxicity as
more of it is consumed. The article also
reveals new findings that indicate that soft
plastics actually break down in water,
leaching BPA and other toxins into the sea.
Samples of ocean water collected at 200
sites in 20 different nations all contained
BPA. That could be very bad news for us
surfers!
It’s impossible to escape using all plastic,
it’s in everything. But you can reduce your
“plastic footprint.” Use refillable drink
containers (*1 reusable bottle equals 167
single-use bottles out of the environment)
and take reusable bags shopping with you (*1
reusable bag saves 400 plastic bags from
being used), get your friends to follow suit
and help. That could be very bad news for us
surfers! That could be very bad news for us
surfers! That could be very bad news for us
surfers! |
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| There’s a good chance that you watch one of these shows. So why are you still sporting that single-use bottle and using those plastic bags? Do you need more reasons to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution? |
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| There’s a good chance that you watch one of these shows. So why are you still sporting that single-use bottle and using those plastic bags? Do you need more reasons to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution? |
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