Hey there and welcome to Life Noggin.
The other day I decided to be a good roommate and gathered up some trash to get rid of in
my apartment.
All those extra bits of code my animator creates can really add up!
We don’t have to worry about landfills or the effects that waste has on the environment
here in the digital world, but the trash you create in your human world can add up to some
pretty bad consequences, especially with plastic.
But why is plastic so bad?
To begin our journey to find out why, let’s take a trip to one of your earthly landfills.
Plastic can take up to 1000 years to break down and it also has the potential to leak
harmful pollutants into the soil.
The chemical components of plastic can be absorbed by humans and may lead to negative
health effects.
Not only that, but plastic production uses up a large amount of our fossil fuels.
A report based off of 2008 data found that the amount of chemical energy contained in
the millions of tons of plastic in US landfills was equal to about 37 million tons of coal
or 139 million barrels of oil... and that was 9 years ago!
So plastic is bad for the turf, but what about the surf?
If you take a look at the waters of the world, you’ll find that plastic pollution can really
wreak havoc on the oceanic ecosystem.
Nobody knows this more then our sea turtle friends, where the majority of their population
will be injured or killed by plastics in their lifetime.
Not only that, but plastic is often found blocking their breathing passages and stomachs
along with doing the same to countless other marine species such as dolphins and whales.
Plastic can also break down in the ocean into small particles the size of plankton.
These little pieces collect toxins like DDT and PCBs at levels up to a /million/ times
the levels found in seawater!
These toxins then enter the food chain when any aquatic life accidentally ingests the
plastic.
It might even make its way to you the next time you go to a seafood buffet!
Trash and plastic in the ocean goes further down the rabbit hole of doom by threatening
biodiversity.
Plastic debri can serve as floating transportation to foreign and alien species, allowing them
to hitchhike to new and unfamiliar parts of the world.
This is common with barnacles and algae.
These new invasive species can become detrimental to the local ecosystem.
I don’t know about you, but The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Ocean sounds like a pretty trashy
prequel to me.
So what can you do to help?
While it will certainly take a global effort to counter the negative effects of plastic
waste, you can still be part of the change!
You can start by picking greener options when you get the chance, like bringing your own
reusable bags to the grocery store.
Many different types of plastic are also now recyclable, so make sure to recycle when you
can and not throw them in the trash or let them litter your beautiful planet.
Your friendly neighborhood Blocko is on the job!
See, if we all work together, we can keep this wonderful world a beautiful place to
live our lives to the fullest and nourish those sweet noggins!
Let me know down in the comments below ways that you help to protect the environment!
Make sure you come back every Monday for a brand new video.
As always, I’m Blocko and this has been Life Noggin.
Don’t forget to keep on thinking!