THE GREAT GLOBAL CLEANUP

“The Great Global Cleanup” embraces this year’s theme (‘Restore Our Earth‘) by encouraging both young and old alike to take part in cleanups in their area of the country or the world. In this way individuals will feel that they have contributed to saving wildlife by removing harmful plastics and other rubbish on the ground. Carelessly tossed garbage not only destroys  habitats  but the animals themselves as they are likely to ingest it as they are foraging for food or become entwined in it leading to their deaths.

In Africa and Asia our elephants are vulnerable when mistaking plastics for food as elephant herds have been known to invade easily accessible landfills .

 

 

 

ELEPHANTS DIE AFTER EATING PLASTIC BAGS 

 

 

 

“EFFECTS OF PLASTIC ON ANIMALS LIFE :  PLASTIC THE KILLER OF ALL CREATURES”

“Eight million tons* of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year which means 8,000,000,000 Kilograms.

In a year over 100 million marine creatures are dying because of plastics waste created by us. Plastic kills all the creatures in water; the most vulnerable are dolphins, sea turtles, seals, sea lions, sea birds, whales. Plastic wastes kills by causing suffocation, starvation, drowning to the sea animals. It also affects land animals.

 

Plastic takes 1000 years for decomposition. But the world is producing 300 million tons of plastic waste in a year.  A study says one shopping plastic bag can kill numerous animals because it never breaks down but passes to many lives.

Most of the animals are not able to distinguish food from plastics. For example, turtles view plastics as floating jelly fish.

For elephants, plastic blocks the gastro intestinal tract. It starves them with huge prolonged pain and the elephant dies early.

 

Human beings are the only reason for all of this, causing and affecting other innocent living beings on the planet.  We have only one planet which is for all the creatures. We are responsible for all this plastic wastages.

Avoid buying items packaged in plastic and use only cloth bags…  Use bottled water only if necessary.  Avoid synthetic and wear clothing from natural materials. Do not buy electronic items made by plastic unless it is very much required. Cook food on your own or else carry (lunch) box to the hotel. Sign petition to government for ban of plastic usage.

 

Love yourself. Love animals. Love nature. Love earth. By Nimal Sundar” Transcribed from effects of plastic on animals life by Nimalan

* In 2020 – Accounting for a 13% recycling rate, “…73.96 million tons of plastics pollute our environment and overflow our landfills each year.”  Source:  https://www.earthday.org/plastic-packaging-is-just-pollution-waiting-to-happen/

 

Images: Earth Day posters; by CC Wiki Asian elephant in Sri Lanka overlooking a mound of garbage in a landfill  & Asian elephants in Sri Lanka eating from a landfill including harmful plastics

 

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