Plastics – Stop Littering – We need to make a change !

by S. Oram (new blogger)

Where do you throw your plastics and trash when you are done with it?   I would hope you say you RECYCLE ! Because just throwing that container away by mixing it with the normal trash or discarding out the window creates problems.  Part of this problem is POLLUTION.  This pollution creates visual aesthetic issues, but also damages habitat and threatens the land, air, and sea animals.  Did you ever stop and think about how these things can affect the animals outside?   Most plastic waste comes from third world countries especially in China, but we can still make a difference.

https://goo.gl/images/38xfsv   Online Source – 

In the 1970s, the National Academy of Sciences estimated about 45,000 tons of garbage and waste was being tossed and thrown in the ocean.   Since initial estimate, it has gotten even worse. Many people throw things in the ocean and don’t think about the animals in it or the other uses downstream.  The materials can get wrapped around the animals or some of the animals eat.  The animals become hurt, sick, and die. Littering can kill marine life and destroy habits.  Some people don’t stop to think about the animals and their safety.  Over 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million sea birds are killed each year from plastic pollution and  6 million tons of debris, i.e., a ton is 200 lbs , enters the ocean each year.  It is time to say – Enough!

Sad there is no reason to create this type of pain and suffering.

Did you know it can take up to 450 years for plastic bottles to decompose?  This does not appear to be true.  “Scientists Thought It Took Thousands of Years for Plastic to Decompose – It May Only Be Decades” and “A more recent study revealed that PET degrades more rapidly than previously thought in ocean water due to the presence of metal ions in the water. Fifty percent degradation was said to occur in 4.5 years and 100% degradation in 72 years.”

Where is most of this plastic?  (Operation Seanet)

Here is a list of wastes that go in the ocean and how long it takes to decompose.

Foam cups and tin cans – up to 50 years.
Plastic bottles depending on type and environment could be up to 450 years  (Source)
Fine fishing net up to 600 years (much longer for heavier nets).
Cigarette butts- 1 – 5 years.
Plastic bags- 10 – 20 years (Some putting this debris in a plastic bag is not good enough) .  The bags breakdown and this it may take 100s of years for the content to decompose.

SO – Simply Bagging the Trash is Not a Solution and Putting the Plastic in a Landfill is the Wrong Choice.  We must make every effort to recycle, reuse, and then put our young minds together and help to clean up our oceans, beaches, and landscapes and develop better solutions.

My call to action:

1. Please think twice before littering and think twice before throwing stuff away, especially plastic bottles.
2. Try Going Bottleless  –We tried and we saved money.
3. Pick up litter and Recycle – Participate in local clean up events.
4.  Try to kick the plastic habit.
5. Check out Operation – Seanet

other Articles

PFAS Cycle – https://shop.knowyourh2o.com/blogs/news/pfas-and-forever-chemicals-a-new-man-made-cycle-the-pfas-cycle-that-must-be-broken

Plastics and the Environment – Debunking Myths and Responsible Practices

Wildlife and Lead Poisoning – Lead is not Just a Problem for Humans

Do Birds Eat Plastic?

Sources:
http://www.perseus-net.eu/site/content.php?locale=1&sel=517&artid=565
https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/marine/marine-parks-wa
http://www.bluebird-electric.net/oceanography/Ocean_Plastic_International_Rescue/Logistics_Recycling_Plastic_Ocean_Cleanup_Cargo_Operations.htm

Keystone Clean Water Team – Groundwater Foundation Library – Links to Educational Webinars – Groundwater Guardians Pennsylvania

“The Groundwater Foundation’s library of FREE educational webinars, available on-demand.”

The Keystone Clean Water Team (KCWT) -Carbon County Groundwater Guardian Program (CCGG) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer, environmental education organization which provides homeowners with information on private wells, water quality and quantity, and septic systems. We are dedicated to protecting private well owners from illnesses caused by our drinking water. We advance good groundwater stewardship by raising awareness on a variety of groundwater issues that affects everyone with a private water supply. We can help you get your water tested at the lab of your choice and explain the test results.

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Click on the webinar title for a description, presenter information, length, and link to view.

Our Educational Booklet on Groundwater

Looking for a speaker related to Well Issues, Septic Systems, or Groundwater in Pennsylvania – contact:  http://www.pacleanwater.org

Sexual Harassment Claims – Background Checks and Training a Must

Little off normal topic, but important.

“Sexual Harassment claims have seen a tremendous uptick, thanks in part to Hollywood! But, can you weed out potential offenders with a background check? Is there something to help you determine if the people you hire are going to be the ones you need to fire later? The answer is yes… and no…

As a part of your screening process, conducting background checks is very important. The General Duty Clause from OSHA states, in part, that you have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace for your employees and even customers that come in to your workspace. The courts have interpreted that to mean you should do background checks because you “should have known” about someone’s bad behavior!”

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From Hiring Insights News – More on this subject.

Training

Staff Training
Management Team

News Releases: Water Quality Association Perfluroinated Chemicals PFCs, PFOS, and PFOA

Geologists uncover Antarctica’s fossil forests

“Prehistoric polar forests were built for survival, but were not hardy enough to live in ultra-high concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. A geologist is studying the tree fossil record in Antarctica from a mass extinction 250 million years ago, looking for clues to how greenhouse gases affected plants — then and now.”

By the trip’s end, the geologists had found fossil fragments of 13 trees. The discovered fossils reveal that the trees are over 260 million years old, meaning that this forest grew at the end of the Permian Period, before the first dinosaurs.

“People have known about the fossils in Antarctica since the 1910-12 Robert Falcon Scott expedition,” said Gulbranson, a paleoecologist and visiting assistant professor in UWM’s Department of Geosciences. “However, most of Antarctica is still unexplored. Sometimes, you might be the first person to ever climb a particular mountain.”

Learn More – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Erik Gulbranson,

Featured Course – Restoring Urban Ecosystems

“The geologic record shows us the beginning, middle and end of climate change events,” Gulbranson said. “With further study, we can better understand how greenhouse gases and climate change affect life on Earth.”   (Question- Does his statement put the cart before the horse?)