Recently in the Santa Barbara News-Press, I came across an article written about Michael Balaban, a trial lawyer who worked under Robert F. Kennedy as assistant United States Attorney in 1963 and co-founder of the Federal Public Defenders office in Los Angeles. Disseminating his humanitarian efforts in many ways, his life motto was “Think globally and act locally.”
This motto reminded me a lot about why I chose this issue to be the focus of my Girl Scout Gold Award project. Plastic pollution is a global issue. Over the past 50 years, the global production of plastic has doubled. This means that more and more plastic is entering our oceans annually. By keeping this motto in mind, my goal is to act on this global issue in a local way. By educating the public about Mylar balloons, it is my hope that fewer Mylar balloons will enter our local Santa Barbara Channel and cause environmental harm.
In the meantime, here are 7 simple ways that YOU can make an impact on this global issue of plastic pollution in the ocean.
- Reduce, repurpose or recycle Mylar balloons!
- Reduce your use of other single-use plastics (straws, bags, utensils etc…) and instead use their reusable counterparts.
- Participate in, or organize your own beach/river clean-up.
- Stop buying water! Over 20 million single-use plastic bottles are thrown away annually. Instead, consider purchasing a reusable water filter.
- Cook more. Not only is it healthier, but cooking your own food means that no takeout containers or plastic utensils are involved.
- Buy in bulk. Single serving items such as yogurts, packages of nuts or even toiletries have a small product-to-packaging ratio. Consider buying items with larger quantities and less packaging. In addition, bring your own eco-friendly containers to purchase items in the “bulk” section of the grocery store.
- Spread the word. Tell your family, friends, and neighbors about how they can be a part of the solution. Help make other people aware of the problem.