Family Traveler

(Jacob Rumans) #1

25Hawaii,isolatedinthemiddleofthePacific,shouldbeaworldawayfromtheenvironmentalchallengesfacingtherestoftheplanet.Theparadiseislandsboaststunninglandscapesandperfectsurf.ButIhadtheshockofmylifewhenalocalconservationisttookmetoaremotebeachcoveredinhundredsoftonsofplasticrubbish.Diggingintothesand,Icouldseeendlesstinyflecksofplasticamongthegrains.Irealisedthesandybeachwasgraduallybecomingaplasticbeach...andIfeltachilldownmyspine.Plasticpollutionisacolossalproblemfacingouroceansandentiremarineenvironment.Plasticshoes,bottles,pellets,fibres,andtoothbrusheslitterseasandshoresaroundtheplanet.Inowfindithardtowalkalongbeachesanywherewithoutendlesslytutting,swearingandspendingagesfillingpocketsandsackswithwhateverIcancollectandremove.I’veturnedbeachclean-upsinBritainandDenmarkintoacompetitionwithJake,myfive-year-oldson,andhehasbeendevelopinghisownchoiceviewsonthepeopleresponsible.‘Whoonearthhasputthishere?!’hesays,mimickingmyexasperation.Thetruthis:weallhave.Theplasticrubbishfloodingintoourseasandwashingontoourbeachesistheproductofourplasticworld.Beachesandoceansarestuffedwithtrillionsof‘nurdles’–the``````minutepelletsofrawmaterialformedandshapedtomaketheplasticproductsthatfillourlives–alongwithtinyplasticfibresfromnylonclothes.Otherplastichasbeendumped,washedoverboardshipsorfloodedoutofstormdrains.Onmytravels,I’veseenafewhopefulexamplesofcommunityaction.InBangladesh,plasticbagsarebanned,replacedwithnaturaljutebags.OnthesmallKenyanislandofKiwayu,acommunityprojectisturningplastictrashintocash.Local``````womencollectflip-flopswasheduponbeachesandtransformthemintocolourfulsouvenirs.Buttheproblemissomuchbigger.Theworldisaddictedtoplastic,andcompaniescan’tseemtostopstuffingitintoproductsweconsume.Plastic‘microbeads’arenowaddedtomanycosmetics,soapsandeventoothpastesfortheirabrasivequalities.They’resotiny,theywashthroughfilteringsystemsandoutintothesea.Plasticdoesn’tbiodegrade,itjustbreaksdownintosmallerandsmaller100 MILLIONTONSOFPLASTICISSLOSHINGAROUNDTHEOCEANS,POLLUTINGTHEFOODCHAINparticles,creatinganimpossibleclean-upproblem.Thequantitiesaregobsmacking:atleast 100 milliontonsofplasticissloshingaroundoceans,pollutingthefoodchainandleachingchemicalsintothewater.InsomeareasofthePacific,therearesixtimesmoreplasticbitsthanplankton.Tinyplasticfragmentslooklikefood,andareeatenbysmallfish,whichinturnaregobbledbylargerfish,whichareeatenbyus.Astonishingnumbersofseaturtles,whalesandothermarinemammals,andmorethanamillionseabirds,dieeachyearafteringestingmarinedebris- mostofitplastic–orafterbecomingentangledinplasticnets. Mostoftheplasticinouroceansisoutofsightandoutofmind.Upto70%isthoughttosinktotheseabed.Theonlyanswerisforustogetangry,banmicrobeads,usealternativestoplastic,andstopdumpingwasteinourseas.Weoweittoourchildren.nToreadmoreofSimon’scolumns,visitfamilytraveller.com/authors``````SimonReeveisoneofBritishTV’smostadventuroustravellers.Simonhastravelledextensivelyinmorethan120 countriesandpresentedmultipleaward-winningBBCTVseries,includingAustralia,SacredRivers,TropicofCancer,IndianOceanandCaribbean.HislatestseriesisGreece.simonreeve.co.ukThere’sonlysomuchplasticouroceanscantake–andit’stimeforustogetangryaboutitSIMON REEVEPOINTOFVIEW

Free download pdf