14/05/2021
Malherbiet
Thursday, 13 May 2021
Keep our earth young
By: Meagan Wasserman
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
We have many environmental challenges that negatively impact us on our planet. When looking at the causes of these challenges, many of them are caused by humans. A good example of these negative factors is pollution.
Pollution refers to any substance that negatively impacts the environment and organisms within that environment. We get five major different types of pollution; this includes air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, light pollution, and lastly, noise pollution.
Air and water pollution are the major causes of why many organisms are killed. Over the years air pollution has been mainly caused by fossil fuel-based power plants, exhaust from industrial plants and factories and by vehicle exhaust fumes. Water pollution is caused by vehicle emissions, landfill leakages and littering.
Roughly 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone. One hundred thousand marine animals die from getting entangled in plastic yearly and that number only represents the creatures that were found.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit South Africa and we were put on a nationwide lockdown, the air pollution decreased immensely due to factories and businesses having to be closed, fewer vehicles on the road and grounded flights. However, the amount of water pollution increased drastically because of people littering masks. This has contributed to the killing of more marine life.
This is highly ironic if you think that the masks—used in order to protect humans from the virus—kill marine life when irresponsibly dumped.
When we do dispose of our masks the best is that we cut the strings that go over our ears so that if the masks do land up in the ocean, no marine life such as turtles and small fish, can get entangled in the masks and die.
In every dark situation there is light. Studies shown by the Engineers at RMIT in Australian universities, making roads to stop air and water pollution, say that face masks can be recycled too.
In our DF community we can also do our part to contribute to the reducing of air and water pollution. It doesn’t mean that we have to come up with new innovative ideas. It could simply be just cutting the strings of our masks to prevent the death of more marine life.
If change isn’t made soon, it could be too late to make a change at all. All of us can try to make our earth young again by simply just doing our part to prevent pollution.
Without change, all of our marine life could go extinct and our children won't be able to show our grandchildren what a dolphin is.
If change should be made, make it now before its too late.