One thing you could do to help protect the oceans…

Hello ocean explorers!

Today, I’d like to share with you my one thing I would love for you all to do to help to protect the oceans.  You’re never too small to make a difference.  You may be one person but you really can make a positive change, share it with others, and push that change forward for future generations!

Many of you may already do what I’m about to suggest (as I’ve noticed those of you on the MOOC are particularly passionate about ocean conservation)… If so, perhaps have a look at this list (you’ll need to scroll down to it), to see if there’s another one thing you could try for yourself!

My ‘one thing’ for ocean explorers…

The one thing I would love all of the ocean explorers to do, if they don’t already, is to re-use and recycle their plastic bags (or swap to fabric or biodegradable ones).  This one thing may sound simple, but it can make a world of difference to ocean life.

 

Why now?

On Monday 5th October 2015, England joined the rest of the UK in legally forcing companies with more than 250 employees (all large supermarkets and stores) to charge 5p per single-use plastic bag.  For those of you from other countries, or already re-using your bags when shopping, this may not sound like a big deal.  However, visiting the shops this week has opened my eyes to the difference this can make!  I’ve seen people rummaging in pockets to recycle their plastic bags, people buying bags for life, people modelling beautiful multiple use bags with pride, and people taking to the web to discuss the new levy.  By introducing a small charge per single-use plastic bag, English shoppers now have to make a conscious decision as to whether to buy (and use) one.

 

Problems with plastic bags

Plastic bags can end up at our beaches and in our seas, where they then entangle animals or end up in their stomachs when they mistake them for food.  And it’s not just a problem for the marine life we know well, like whales and turtles, but also for creatures far beyond our view.  In the picture above, you can see a plastic bag found 2,500 metres below the sea surface in the Arctic Ocean.  Now imagine what lurks beneath the waves near dense populations of people!

I remember starting to think more about my use of plastic bags (and how to dispose of them) when I visited Bournemouth’s Oceanarium to see the turtles…

 

The scientist talking to the public about the turtles explained that turtles like to eat jellyfish and turtles sometimes eat plastic bags as they mistake them for food.  She then proceeded to explain that, even if we really wanted to continue to use plastic bags and then dispose of them, there was one thing we could do… Tie a knot in each bag.  This stops the bag floating around the oceans and looking like a jellyfish and can reduce the chance that a turtle mistakes your bag for lunch!  Some other ideas are shown on the clever poster below (that maybe you could share with your friends, if you’re already pretty good at this one thing)…

 

This one thing that the lady shared with me at the Oceanarium made me think.  Knotting bags is easy.  Really easy.

And so is reusing them or choosing more sturdy ones for longer term use instead.  You can even start to think about how shop, to choose items with less plastic packaging and to start sending a message to shops about our buying choices, so they stop stocking plastic-heavy products.

To learn more about how changing how you use bags can benefit ocean life, see these websites:

http://www.seeturtles.org/ocean-plastic/

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/plehner/bag_bans_will_keep_harmful_pla.html

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5565

Oh, and one more thing…

… please share your one thing in the comments section below.  I’d love to be inspired by and learn from the things you do to save our seas.