[upflyingwords]

[eartharchives]

'Zero tolerance' plan for plastic pollution

A plan to drastically cut plastic pollution of the oceans may be agreed at a UN summit.

Governments are being asked to move towards a legal treaty banning plastic waste from entering the sea.

[eartharchives]

UN signals 'end' of throwaway plastic

The end of the era of throwaway plastic has been signalled by UN environment ministers meeting in Kenya.

They signed off a document stating that the flow of plastic into the ocean must be stopped.

[grandboute]

Jorge Gamboa - MEXICO Bienal del Cartel Bolivia BICeBé 2017 #bicebe2017 #vivalabicebe

[typhlonectes]

[nowthisnews]

A Tasty Solution 

Saltwater Brewery created an answer to floating plastic six pack rings harming the ocean environment and its creatures. Their rings are edible and made from wheat and barley leftover from the beer making process. It’s a great way for the brewery to cut back on waste product and provides a snack for fish and other sea dwelling animals. If more companies recycled like this maybe we could cut down on the amount of garbage polluting our waters daily.

Kudos, Saltwater Brewery.

[marine-conservation]

France becomes the first country to ban plastic plates and cutlery

The ban, to take effect in 2020, is part of a program aimed at making France a model for reducing environmental waste.

Another great step in the right direction to reduce single-use plastics and plastic pollution in the ocean!

[todropscience]

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

Other ways you can help:

- Reduce the use of plastic

- Avoid purchasing products with excess plastic packaging or those that contain micro-plastics

- Avoid releasing plastic balloons and lanters

- Participate in clean-up days

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

In 2050..

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has estimated there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean if we don’t work on solving the issue now!

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

Effect of turtle population on ecosystem #2

During the Summer nesting season, sea turtles lay eggs on beaches and dunes. Around 100 eggs are laid in each nest, with each female turtle laying 3 to 7 nests during the season! Unfortunately, not all eggs hatch and not all baby turtles make it out of the nest to sea. These unhatched eggs and stranded hatchlings provide nutrients for beach and sand dune vegetation, nutrients that these environments would otherwise not have access to. Healthy vegetation is essential for the entire beach and dune ecosystem, which helps protect the beach from erosion!

[neaq]

Sea Turtle Week was last week. But, really, we celebrate these amazing ladies in the Giant Ocean Tank all year long. Meet Myrtle, Retread, and Carolina.

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

Effects of turtle population on ecosystem #1

Sea turtles love eating sea grass. For sea grass to remain healthy, it needs to be constantly kept short. Sea turtles are one of few animals that eat sea grass and are therefore vital to keeping the sea grass beds healthy and growing. Sea grass provide breeding grounds for fish and crustaceans. Without this bed, there would be a decline in all species dependent on the sea grass beds for survival and development of their young.     

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

Sea turtles, as well as other marine animals mistaken plastic bags and other waste as food such as jellyfish and consume the waste. This leads to blockages in their digestive system.

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

How is plastic pollution affecting marine wildlife?

100, 000 mammals die EVERY YEAR due to ingesting plastic pollution in the ocean. This consumption can lead to:

- Starvation

- Suffocation

- Drowning

- Entanglement

- Infection

It can also cause failure in the reproductive systems of animals, lowering their chances of producing offspring.

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

How does plastic reach the ocean?

- Plastic such as plastic bags, balloons, bottles etc can be picked up by the wind and washed out to sea from streets, overflowing bins or landfills and straight into the ocean.

- It can also be due to abandoned or lost fishing gear out at sea

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

PLASTIC POLLUTION HAS IMPACTED OVER 260 MARINE SPECIES WORLDWIDE

Including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species!

[thetinyturtleblog-blog]

Why is plastic an issue?

Plastic is made from a synthetic material. It’s light, yet strong. Easily shaped, yet durable. It is these properties that make plastic so useful to man kind. However, plastic is also non-biodegradable, meaning a substance that is unable to be broken down into it’s base compounds through biological processes - micro organisms.

Micro-plastics are the result of pieces of plastic slowly degrading over a period.