Tag Archives: environment

Earth Day | Plastic Pollution

On the 22nd April 1970, millions of US citizens united to celebrate the first ever “Earth Day“. This brought together people from all walks of life and political backgrounds who each had one thing in common – they cared about the environment. The fight to keep environmental protection on the global agenda and to push for change becomes ever more urgent as we face imminent threats from pollution and climate change. Today, billions of people from around the world are using Earth Day to try and galvanize a global movement towards ending environmental destruction and tackling crises such as climate change and plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution, the focus of 2018’s Earth Day, is an issue that has exploded into prominence over the past couple of years. Relative to human history, plastic has been around for an incredibly short amount of time – around 60 years – and yet, in that time, we have produced over 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic, nearly all of which still exists on earth in one form or another – predominantly as waste, either in landfill or the natural environment.

Only a small percentage of plastic, under 9%, ever gets recycled, meaning that tonnes of virgin plastic continues to be produced all of the time. An estimated 300 million tonnes of plastic now litters the oceans, posing a threat to marine ecosystems and wildlife. At the rate plastic is making it’s way into the sea, it will outweigh fish by 2050.

A study, led by Newcastle University’s Dr Alan Jamieson in 2017 uncovered evidence that not only have plastics now reached the deepest chasms of our oceans but they are being ingested by the animals that live there. Using deep sea landers to bring samples to the surface, the research team examined 90 individual animals and found ingestion of plastic ranged from 50% in the New Hebrides Trench to 100% at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

This type of work requires a great deal of contamination control, but that the results were undeniable, with instances where synthetic fibres could actually be seen in the stomach contents of the specimen as they were being removed. Dr Jamieson explains that this finding likely means that there is not a single marine ecosystem left that is not impacted by anthropogenic debris.

“The fact that we found such extraordinary levels of these pollutants in one of the most remote and inaccessible habitats on earth really brings home the long term, devastating impact that mankind is having on the planet,” says Dr Jamieson.

“It’s not a great legacy that we’re leaving behind.”

Litter is not the only plastic problem; plastic is a petroleum product and it is estimated that plastic products account for around 8% of global oil production.

“The drilling of oil and processing into plastic releases harmful gas emissions into the environment including carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, ozone, benzene, and methane (a greenhouse gas that causes a greater warming effect than carbon dioxide) according to the Plastic Pollution Coalition. The EPA estimated that five ounces of carbon dioxide are emitted for every ounce of Polyethylene Terephthalate produced.” (Earth Day Network)

Plastic is undoubtedly having a hugely negative impact on our planet and it’s inhabitants, but it is a problem that can be solved. As research, such as that from Newcastle University, brings the extent of the problem to the forefront, more and more people begin to take notice. As individuals begin to realise that everyday actions have wider consequences for the environment, we can start to implement change.

We can each take responsibility for our choices and choose to make simple changes in our lives that will cut the demand for single use plastic, such as swapping out plastic drinks bottles for reusable ones and remembering to take reusable shopping bags with us to the supermarket. Changes are also starting to come around on a larger scale, as governments become more informed on the plastic problem, they can create more widespread change; for example, the UK government have proposed a ban on plastic straws and cotton buds and are discussing plastic bottle return schemes.

The scale of the issue can make it seem as though any small changes we make will not be enough, but just as scientific research continues to uncover the dangers of plastic pollution, it can also work towards solutions.

Find out more about the impact of Newcastle University’s research here.

#WorldWildlifeDay – Big Cats: predators under threat

World Wildlife day aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild plants and animals. The theme for this year is Big Cats: predators under threat and aims to highlight the ecological importance of charismatic creatures such as cheetahs, jaguars, leopards and lions and promote their conservation and survival in the wild.

Humans have always been fascinated by these animals as is made clear by their influence on high fashion, fast cars and sports teams the world over. However they are becoming increasingly rare due to human-led activity such as poaching and deforestation. Conflict often occurs between humans and big cats due to lack of prey such as deer for the animals. This can cause the big cats, such as tigers, to predate on livestock, causing humans to poach in retaliation to protect their livelihoods.

Collectively, big cats are under threat and many species are classified on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as being endangered or critically endangered, meaning the range they inhabit in the wild is getting smaller and their population sizes are rapidly declining.

Many efforts exist for conserving these animals, including breeding programmes in captivity, maintaining protected areas to prevent poaching, and projects such as World Wildlife Day increasing awareness of the threats to populations.

For more information, check out the World Wildlife Day website!

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

The United Nations marks today, the 16th September, as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. In the 1970’s scientists discovered that the ozone layer was under threat from certain gases, such as chlorine and bromine, which had accumulated in the atmosphere. Then, in the 1980’s, a “hole” was discovered in the ozone layer above Antarctica – the region of the earth’s atmosphere which had suffered the severest ozone depletion. Read our fact sheet below for more information on the ozone layer and why the 16th September is such an important date.

Visit www.ozoneheroes.org to learn more about the ozone layer and become an ozone hero!

Earth Day 2017

It’s the planet that we live on and home to 7 billion people as well as billions of plants and animals. But with climate change and other issues such as pollution, we need to do more to look after our home. Earth Day gives the opportunity to come together and work toward a greener future, showing support for the environment. earth-day

Why is it important?

Humans are using resources at an alarmingly fast rate, currently using more resources than the Earth can produce. Today humans use 1.5 planets’ worth of resources every year!

Climate change is a huge problem for the future of our planet. It will lead to things like increased sea level and flooding, drought, and a rise in temperature. This will make it more difficult for plants and animals to survive and hence humans. Scientists agree that we can reduce the impacts of climate change, but we need to act as fast as we can.

There are lots of other environmental issues such as deforestation, pollution and ocean acidification that are affecting the environment.  These problems can lead to a loss in the number of animal and plant species causing the Earth to have reduced biodiversity (the number of species). Lots of plants and animals are interlinked in food chains, so losing one can have a knock on effect on other species. Biodiversity is vital to our survival, for supporting the ecosystem, finding things like new medicines and for providing humans with lots of raw materials.

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How can we help?

There are lots of things we can do to reduce our footprint on the Earth. These are just some things you could try and do:

  1. Shop for locally sourced produce
  2. Eat food that is in season
  3. Eat less meat
  4. Bring your own shopping bags
  5. Use a reusable water bottle rather than bottled water
  6. Don’t drive if there is an alternative
  7. Take holidays closer to home
  8. Recycle
  9. Use energy saving lights
  10. Unplug your electronics when not in use
  11. Plant a tree
  12. Use a reusable coffee cup

 

The Great British Beach Clean

This weekend it’s time for the UK’s biggest beach-based litter-picking event – the Great British Beach Clean! Organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) the event takes place each year to make beaches cleaner and safer places for wildlife.

43859Not only are thousands of marine species under threat from litter, the waste is also dangerous for humans too and damages tourism and the fishing industry. The beach clean helps lower the threat and raise awareness of the problem at hand.

As well as clearing the sand and rock pools, the event is also vital for marine research. Last year’s data identified wet wipes and balloons as two of the major threats to marine life. Animals may swallow and choke on burst balloon pieces and wildlife can also become entangled in the string. Dolphins, whales, turtles and sea birds have all been killed by balloons so hold on tight next time you have a balloon by the sea side!

If you live locally to a beach and want to get involved the Great British Beach Clean, click here to find an event near you.

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