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The PAW Patrol team works together to protect the shoreside community of Adventure Bay. They have saved baby sea turtles and beached whales, but today it was Robo-Dog who needed rescuing from the surf. 🐶 #litterati #shoresweep #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #trashtag #plasticpollution #marinedebris #pawpatrol #robodog #plasticpollutesI am posting this again in recognition of World Turtle Day, which began in 2000 as a way to raise awareness for the need to protect the habitats of turtles and tortoises. Sadly, more than half of the world’s sea turtles have ingested plastic, and they are especially susceptible to its harmful effects. 🐢 According to Sea Turtle Conservancy, their anatomy prohibits the regurgitation of debris, and the accumulation of plastic in their stomachs not only disrupts digestion, it can lead to “bubble butt syndrome.“ One way this occurs is when the decomposition of debris in a sea turtle’s stomach causes the development of an air pocket of trapped gas. The trapped gas can inhibit the animal’s ability to dive, and a sea turtle that is unable to dive will not be able to thrive. 🐢 The tiny bits filling up this toy turtle are microplastics, which are plastics that are less than 5mm. The colorful pieces are the result of the photo-degradation of larger plastics, which fragment into smaller and smaller toxic bits. The opaque rounded pellets are nurdles, which are “primary source microplastics.” In other words, they were originally produced to be 5mm or smaller. Nurdles are preproduction plastics used to make other plastic products. They are often spilled during manufacturing and transportation, and when they enter waterways, they can be swept out to sea. Watch the short animated TED-Ed video called "Nurdles Quest for Domination" for more information. 🐢 #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #plasticorplanet #marinedebris #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #justgrabbits #shoresweep #nurdles #microplastics #seaturtles #endangered #worldturtleday #shoresweepLittersbugs (scientific name: plasticada pacificus detritus) created by 2nd graders. . #litterbug #litterbugs #litterbugsme #shoresweep #onlyloserslitter #litterati #litter #itsrubbish #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #marinedebris #plasticpollution #artivism #trashtag #dontbealitterbug #planetorplasticFight on, eco-warriors! I’m in this battle with you until we win. . #flotsamarmy #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #plasticpollution #marinedebris #savingplasticryan“All that glitters is not gold.” -Shakespeare . #balloonsblow #goldballoon #allthatglittersisnotgold #litterati #take3forthesea #2minutebeachclean #shoresweep #marinedebris #plasticpollutionOne million plastic bottles are opened every minute around the world, and it is estimated that “In California, five billion plastic caps end up polluting the environment annually.” As anyone who cleans beaches knows, caps are one of the most commonly found items during shoreline cleanups. Sadly, I picked up this pile of 163 plastic caps during my last couple of beach walks. . The beverage industry shirks responsibility and is unwilling to do anything to help solve the problem. In fact, industry lobbyists fiercely fought California’s Assembly Bill 2779, which would have mandated cap tethering. They argued that the technology doesn’t exist to meet the requirements; however, Crystal Geyser already manufactures water bottles with tethered caps. Unfortunately, industry tactics worked, and AB 2779 didn’t gain enough support on the Assembly floor. Of course, the ultimate solution is to refuse all single-use items, including water bottles, but AB 2779 definitely would have helped solve the enormous plastic cap problem. . Hopefully, similar legislation will be successful in the near future. Meanwhile, confusion exists as to whether or not caps should be left on plastic bottles when put in the recycling bin. In most municipalities, it’s best to put the cap back on the bottle, but everyone should check with their city’s waste hauler to find out if local exceptions exist. . #connectthecap #choosereusables #choosetoreuse #refusesingleuse #bottlecaps #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #plasticwaterbottle #singleusewaterbottle #shoresweepEven reindeer rubber duckies aren’t made of rubber; they are petroleum-based plastic products. You can learn about the history of rubber duckies and watch a video about how they are made in a bizarre bi-weekly feature called “Petroleum Product of the Week” published in Petroleum Service Company’s Industrial Outpost Newsletter (linked in my profile). . “Petroleum Product of the Week” is described as “a series exploring the many ways in which petroleum enters our lives through everyday objects.” They have found a way to put a positive spin on everything from latex balloons to Styrofoam. There’s even an article about elastic underwear that states, “Tighty whities, boxers, g-strings, boxer briefs, hipsters...short of going commando, chances are you have some petroleum products below the belt.” . #litterati #take3forthesea #2minutebeachclean #shoresweep #rubberducky #rubberduckies #petroleumpollutes #plasticpollutes #marinedebris #stopplasticpollutionMay the fourth be with you! (A planet-killing Death Star will never blow up Earth with a single blast from a superlaser, but we are doing a pretty good job of destroying it ourselves.) #deathstar #starwarsday #starwars #maythefourthbewithyou #litterati #2minutebeachclean #take3forthesea #shoresweep #marinedebris #plasticpollutes #revengeofthefifthRecent Comments
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Acknowledgements
Beach plastic has been contributed by the following beach cleaners from around the world: Judith Selby Lang—Kehoe Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, California Richard Lang—Kehoe Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, California Anna Kaufmann @anna.kauffman—Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California Don Elwing—Ocean View, … Continue reading
