Engagement @ Dunman high school
“In today’s world, everyone is aware of the need to be eco conscious and make sustainable choices in our lives. We all know only too well the harm that is being done to our environment. Though we are aware, rarely do we put these thoughts into practice as we are accustomed to the convenient nature of plastic usage. This poster exhibition was useful not only on informing the students the detriments of plastic usage but provided suggestions on apt alternatives which the students were receptive to. This experience was enriching as through interaction with the students, I was better able to understand the common queries of students. The students at Dunman High School were affable which made the experience a pleasant one and look forward to being engaged in more school engagement sessions.”
About 8 million tonnes of plastic enters the sea every year and at this rate we face a future with more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050!
We are turning our beautiful ocean into a plastic soup.
Our plastic addiction and waste mismanagement is condemning countless marine birds and animals to death by entanglement or poisoning, and even leading to chemical contamination of the seafood we consume. The vast swirls of plastic rubbish visible on the sea surface horrifying as they are, represent just the tip of the iceberg. What lies beneath are masses of microbeads and broken down particles of plastic that are easily ingested by sea creatures, and impossible to remove.
The urgent needed solution calls for a combination of enhanced awareness, reduced single use plastic usage, and massively improved waste management. The most effective way to have less plastic in the ocean is to use less plastic in the first place!
Students from Dunman High School had similar visions as they were equally eager to participate in this process of reviving the earth. The students approached us with enthusiasm and motivation to acquire of plastic free- friendly habits they would follow in their regular lifestyles. This initiative by the students to educate themselves was gratifying and we hope that students will be able to influence their loved ones and friends to follow suit.
We only have one Earth, with limited resources and limited space. Given the amount of plastic waste we generate and how long it stays around without perishing, it's easy to see why environmentally-minded citizens are important to reduce our plastic waste as much as possible.