Let's talk trash (seriously!)

 Today, Clean Air Cab's blog has the pleasure of having a guest writer from Arizona State University. Danielle Barrs is a junior in Earth and Environmental Studies with a minor in Sustainability. She just transferred to ASU this past August from a University in Montreal, Canada. Danielle was born in the United States but grew up in Canada, and in so doing, was blessed with dual citizenship. Her most recent accomplishment was volunteering for the World Wildlife Fund of Canada doing business outreach for Sweater Day and Earth Hour. She did a blog post concerning her volunteering experience that you can read here. Currently She is working with Environmental Health and Safety at ASU on a project called Green Labs/Green Offices which encourages labs and offices across campus to become "green certified" and more sustainable, through a checklist of accomplishments and regulations. Without further ado, I give you Danielle's thoughts on the plastic Island, recycling, and our part in it all...

We all know that ocean currents are responsible for climate change phenomena like El Nino and La Nina (well if you didn’t before, you do now), but did you know that it is also responsible for an island of floating debris in the middle of the Pacific Ocean called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Of course, the currents can’t shoulder all of the responsibility, now can they? In the United State alone, approximately 65 lbs. of plastic per person is dumped into landfills every year, and only 5% of that ever gets recycled.

            The ocean is especially vulnerable to plastic pollution for many reasons. Because most plastic floats near the surface, it is often mistaken for food by birds and fish. Oceanographer Charles J. Moore recently discovered a fourth month old albatross chick (below) with a full stomach of cigarette lighters, bottle caps, and other trash on a Northwestern Hawaiian Island called Kure Atoll.

Also, plastic - like diamonds - are forever! Traditional plastics do not biodegrade, meaning organisms cannot break them down. Sunlight breaks the material down as far as specs of plastic dust, but it still persists in the environment.

            There are plenty of corporates that aren’t helping these types of environmental tragedies either. Just last month, Coca Cola was blamed for halting plans to ban the sale of plastic water bottles in the Grand Canyon, probably due to their role as a Dasani bottled water manufacturer and distributor. Need I bring up the Exxon-Valdez and BP Oil Spills or The Love Canal chemical waste dump?
            Are these events unfortunate? Yes. Are they irreversible? Maybe. Are they uncontrollable? No. The good news is, there are plenty of things that we as individuals can do on a daily basis to help control, regulate, and manage all kinds of environmental pollutants. Need some ideas? Well that’s what I’m here for!

1. Make smart consumer choices! Opt for a stainless steel canteen instead of the conventional plastic water bottle. For avid hikers, attach a carabiner to hook on to your bag for extra portability.

2. Join a great cause! Every September The World Wildlife Fund assembles The Great Shoreline Cleanup to encourage shoreline rehabilitation areas through annual litter cleanups.

3. Get involved with your school! Arizona State University has recently launched a Green Labs/Green Offices program aimed at encouraging labs and offices across campus to become "green certified" and more sustainable through a checklist of guidelines and accomplishments.

4. Give back! Treasures 4 Teachers is an organization that collects unwanted (but reusable) materials and makes them available to teachers at  little to no cost, relying on the generosity of the community to continue to do so.

5. Stay informed! Environmental blogs such as TreeHugger, Planet Forward, and EnviroLite provide great mediums to stay connected with environmental current events.

Become Part of the Solution.