Wait no stop pls stop
What if we didn't make jokes and normalize microplastics like we did with our privacy & FBI/NSA agent.
What if we were actually really mad and stayed mad and screamed at these companies instead of making memes like microplastics in dirt and blood and water is funny and not horrifying.
What if instead of making them think they're just giving us new meme content and that they don't have anything to change cuz we're too apathetic about them destroying the planet... What if we talked shit and insistently called for the shutdown of every company who isn't investing in minimizing plastic use or plastic products. What if we refused to normalize and make light of it.
What if we made them realize Exactly how serious it is and that we aren't just gonna lie down and take it this time.
We don't need it. Not everything used to be in plastic.
Pls do not make this another thing that only activists are trying to stop. Don't make this another thing everyone just accepts so correcting it becomes an uphill battle.
Don't fucking do that to all of us, please.
Don't just accept this.
Hi I researched microplastics (though it kinda covers nanoplastics as well) for a speech class last year and they're terrifying. Here are the cliff notes, along with the sources I used. Sorry about not everything having a little note about the source I used for it, I was grabbing this from my speech outline and I didn't cite every source for it. All of those sources should have at least one of the things I'm talking about though, I just didn't want to dig through all of them at the moment because mobile browser tumblr is so hard to deal with.
•There's billions of pounds of trash in the oceans, and five trash islands
•They are found everywhere. Nowhere is safe /srs. They've been found on top of mountains, in the mariana trench, in the dirt, in the plants, in the animals, and in the air.
•Many marine species are impacted, a lot of people know this, but they can choke/suffocate small animals, cause irritation, starvation, inflammation, and abrasion in ALL animals. Including you, or your dog, or your cat, or maybe a hamster/bird/horse/etc. (1.)
•They have been linked to cancer, infertility, metabolism changes, changes in your blood, and changes in gene expression. (4.)
•They have slowed down photosynthesis in algae, and brought on oxidative stress/cell damage. (3.)
•In a small test done on 22 healthy people, 17 people had microplastics in their blood. (5.)
•They did a test on pregnant rats, and microplastics ended up in the heart and brain (and most organs) of the fetuses.
Sources:
- Cole, Matthew, et al. “Microplastics as Contaminants in the Marine Environment: A Review.” Marine Pollution Bulletin, Pergamon, 14 Oct. 2011, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X11005133#!
- "Human Health Impacts of Microplastics and Nanoplastics.” New Jersey Science Advisory Board, 30 Dec. 2015, https://www.nj.gov/dep/sab/NJDEP-SAB-PHSC-final-2016.pdf.
- Lusher, Amy. “Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Distribution, Interactions and Effects.” SpringerLink, Springer International Publishing, 1 Jan. 1970, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-16510-3_10#auth-Amy-Lusher.
- "Methods for Microplastics, Nanoplastics and Plastic Monomer Detection and Reporting in Human Tissues.” American Chemical Society, 17 Aug. 2020, https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2020/august/micro-and-nanoplastics-detectable-in-human-tissues.html.
- "Microplastics Found in Human Blood for First Time.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 Mar. 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/microplastics-found-in-human-blood-for-first-time.
- Saley, Alisha M, et al. “Microplastic Accumulation and Biomagnification in a Coastal Marine Reserve Situated in a Sparsely Populated Area.” Marine Pollution Bulletin, 25 June 2019, https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8w42s80j.
Back again to add ways that you could help limit plastic waste. Before I start I would like to mention that I am aware that some people may not be able to do some or all of these things for a variety of reasons, be it financial, geographical, medical, etc, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You are one person in several billion, the world is not in your hands, do what you need to do to get through life. There are no decent people who would blame you for using plastic straws when you have a disability, or for buying bottled water if the water in your area isn't safe to drink.
Also, please be aware that I am coming up with these ideas on my own, with very little extra research. Mostly just based on things I've heard others recommend.
---
• Alright, so, according to a diagram on statista.com (1), 14 and 12% of the plastic pollution is caused by plastic bags and bottles respectively.
Some options:
Buy reusable bags, in my state all big groceries sell them. Walmart sells some for $2 each, though they are laminated (2). The ones we own are pretty strong, though they're fabric, and I've used them for things other than groceries. You could also purchase cotton ones, which I'm sure would be washable if you want to.
Use paper bags. While they are going to be more expensive in the long run, it is an option. Paper bags should be biodegradable.
Use bags you already have. Ex, backpack, duffle bag, plastic bags from your plastic bag bag. While the first two may not be sanitary for food, it is still an option for anyone who might want to use that.
Purchase a nice metal or plastic water bottle. As long as it works for you and you will reuse it, it will work.
You could also reuse your plastic bottles, just make sure you clean them. Water can grow mold.
While a very niche use: I have seen some people repurpose water bottles to use as filiment in 3D printers.
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• Up next: Food containers/cutlery at 9.4% of plastic waste, and wrappers at 9.1%. For anyone curious, a google search informed me that styrofoam is plastic, which is likely why it's so common.
Some options:
This may be something that is only an issue in my family, but stop using single use cutlery at get togethers. If you have metal forks/knives/spoons, you should let people use them. It might also prevent people from eating plastic shards if a fork or something breaks (which happens at least once a year).
See if a local resturant you're going to is alright with you bringing in your own food containers to use instead of styrofoam. It could also prevent your food from sticking to the styrofoam and you eating some of it.
Wrappers are hard to not use. Everything uses wrappers, even when they don't need to. However, one thing that may count as a wrapper is cling wrap/plastic wrap. I personally would recommend replacing cling wrap with beeswax wraps. You can make them yourself with fabric, beeswax, and an oven. You can also buy them online. They function the same as wax paper, and are reusable and washable.
Note that aluminium foil supposedly contains some plastic, and requires more energy to process causing more carbon emissions, which is why I didn't include it as a replacement for cling wrap.
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• Synthetic rope (7.9%) and fishing items (7.6%). If I remember correctly, these are most commonly from large fishing companies. Synthetic rope being used in nets, and fishing items being fishing items. I have a MASSIVE bone to pick with the fishing industry. They are overfishing (some species are thought to be 10% of their historical size, not to mention that some species are under-researched and have unknown ages of maturity. The one fish that takes ~200 years to grow to adulthood comes to mind), dumping all sorts of plastic pollution, not always catching the wrong species at times (ex, blobfish), and whatever oily mess they're likely leaving behind. Ugh.
Solution:
Stop eating fish. The only exceptions being if you are the one who caught it/a local fisherman caught it, or if there is a good reason for it (ex, allergy to other protein sources, no other protein for you to eat (for any reason, be it financial or just a complete lack of other options, or any other reason). Not to mention all the microplastics they've been eating. Remember, if they aren't making money, they don't have money to waste on fishing nets.
Other protein sources: Other meats, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, ham, etc. Eggs. Nuts. Mushrooms. Legumes (beans, lentils, peas, tofu, etc). Dairy. Some seeds and grains (oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, and some others)
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• That's all I can do for tonight. For anyone curious, that is 60% of the pollution in the oceans according to (1). Feel free to add on with some ideas of your own!
Also!! Microfiber cloths are made from plastic and they shed microplastics every time you wash them.
---
Sources:
(1) https://www.statista.com/chart/amp/25056/waste-items-polluting-oceans/
(2) https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reusable-Multi-Functional-Wide-Grocery-Bag-Blue-and-Yellow-Abstract-Design/468087360?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1642&adid=22222222278468087360_117755028669_12420145346&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-294505072980&wl5=9017241&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=468087360&wl13=1642&veh=sem_LIA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7NfCpbb4_AIV6cmUCR28EgiDEAQYASABEgJXzvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
And remember:
If the ozone hole is healing, marine life is thriving in places that were once too toxic and polluted for anything to live, and gasoline and paint are no longer full of lead, WE CAN FIX THIS TOO.
Found a link (with more links) about turning plastic bottles into 3D printing materials.
WE CAN FIX THIS TOO
the monterey bay aquarium has resources on sustainable seafood
