Ethiopian entertainment Globalization environment
One critical issue is our misuse of the environment, particularly the widespread reliance on single-use plastics. These plastics pollute our land, oceans, and air, posing a severe threat to the Earth’s ecosystems and the well-being of future generations.
Plastic is one of the environmental issues , maybe a threat… faced in today’s world since the 1950s.Its concerning how people misuse and degrade the environment without realising the external costs …..
It may seem harmless as all we do is just use it once and throw it away without knowing the consequences.For instance: straws,plastic bags,cups, water bottles and even food wrappers .
In the 1950 , only 9 %of plastic was being recycled and 8.3 billion tons of plastic were produced!
This essay explores the issue on how to address the single plastic use crisis, the problems faced by misusing plastics and factual examples ,statistics of plastics implemented .
HISTORY OF PLASTICS
Plastics originate from fossil fuels like oil,coal and natural gas these fuels are broken down into small molecules called monomers , these then go through a process of polymerization where they are linked together in a long chain , the plastic is then made ready to be shaped and molded .In 1863 an american, John wesley Hayte was the one who invented celluloid , he used cellulose made from plants and camphor which then resulted into a celluloid it was the first synthetic plastic in the world that could be molded and turned into different shapes he made celluloid as a substitute for ivory as that time it was very rare !
Today,solving the plastic crisis is a difficult challenge however if we all come together we will be able to solve the issue.5.25 trillion pieces of plastic contaminates the sea ….While some countries impose strict regulations on plastic others focus on economic interest countries like Japan , Germany,Canada , Australia etc focus on circumventing plastic at all mean from charging tax to limiting PFAS chemicals in food packaging along with ensuring all packaging is reusable, recyclable .To be honest Governments are struggling to address the single use of plastic issue .
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Although plastics are handy because they are portable , useful for packaging and items can be stored for instance elastic demand (luxury products)and others, however we also have to consider the problems and big issues it carries . Firstly, it harms the aquatic and wildlife for examples turtles ,around 100000 marine animals and 1 million seabirds( a year )have died due to ocean debris In the case of the white bloop, the marine animals believe it to be jellyfish and devour it this causes loss of life .Affirming plastic tends to show up in stomach of the animals like zebras , elephant ,tigers,camels ;Around 2 million plastic bags are used around the world with 5.25 trillion plastic in the ocean as a result of increase by 13 million metric tons of plastic every year. Apart from that , 500 billion bags are used per year along with 150 bags used per person .
Further recalling ,Plastic usually originates from the past remains fossil fuels , these can create air pollution and destroy the environment along with harming public health ( asthma , lung cancer)not only this but also products that are made from plastic usually have Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)it’s mostly in food packaging . Large amounts of greenhouse gases can be produced in the process of producing plastics this will result in too much proportion of toxins to the air .Moreover some plastics take a lot of time to biodegrade so this results in plastics not being efficient -something to be replaced!According to NOAA micro plastics are found in every food chain this can harm our health as what if the the quality of the product is poor??
Similarly, in October 2024, Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, accusing them of contributing significantly to plastic pollution. The lawsuit highlights how these companies misled the public about the recyclability of their plastic products. This case serves as a clear example of the need to address the harmful impact of single-use plastics and the role of corporations in perpetuating the problem.
In contrast, there are examples of positive change. Countries like Tanzania have shown that progress is possible. On June 1, 2019, Tanzania implemented a ban on plastic bags to protect its environment, wildlife, and public health. This initiative demonstrates how committed action can safeguard the planet and inspire others to follow suit.
CONCLUSION
We can solve this issue by recycling varieties of products and creating awareness by campaigns and freedom of speech on plastics. On the other hand creating a non profit organization on plastic has many benefits from conserving the planet to people building social skills. where people can participate and volunteer it not only emphasis on protecting the earth but also build increase social skills where by people get to interact with each other in the process of cleaning .There can also be an an online organization that focuses on solving challenging crisis across the world which can happen around the world where different people across the globe come up together to solve, share ideas , thoughts and opinion as everyone has different perspective so an online organization would help ! Apart from that if we all come together we can solve this issue, let us not be lazy and avoid littering. It’s time to protect mama earth and not to destroy it .Let us all not forget at last that team work makes a dream work !
By: Aafreen Abdulrahman
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