Ocean trash ranks as one of the serious pollution problems choking our planet. Far more than an eyesore, a rising tide of marine debris threatens human health, wildlife, communities and economies around the world.
A living ocean is critically important to every one of us. It creates countless jobs and fuels prosperity; it provides us with food to eat, water to drink, and oxygen to breathe; and it regulates our climate. Whether we live on a beach or far from the coastline, we all have a profound stake in an ocean that is healthy and abundant. Yet we are trashing our planet’s life-support system. Year after year, the glut of items polluting our seas extends to the most remote corners of the globe, choking economies, killing wildlife, and impacting communities and human health.
Trash is a problem the public understands. Polling consistently indicates that people view ocean trash as one of the biggest threats to marine health. Voters feel the impact of ocean trash on local economies when it deters tourism, inhibits transportation and recreation, and generates steep removal bills. Under the banner of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, hundreds of thousands of people turn out every year to do their part to turn the tide. In the last quarter of a century, on just one day every September, almost nine million people have picked up some 144 million pounds of trash in more than 150 countries and locations.
But people also know that cleanups alone can’t solve this problem. Public emotions increasingly run high when it comes to plastic bags and other single-use items. When people see photographs of animals like endangered sea turtles or whales eating or entangled in debris, they demand action. In growing numbers, they are calling for government and industry leaders to pioneer a different future.
Ocean Conservancy believes that it’s time for bold action. Over the last 25 years, the International Coastal Cleanup has grown into a remarkable alliance of individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and governments. But now we must redouble our efforts. Together, we must use the next 25 years to secure a more enduring goal: a future in which the concentration of debris in our ocean is consigned to the trash can of history.
I think that is very important! :)
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