Growing up in western europe really is a privilege. We have quite a good and working system in which almost everything is taken care of. Most live their lives carefree without experiencing big environmental impacts. Although I did have my worries about where our beautiful blue planet is heading, my personal story as an environmentalist really hit another level when I was travelling. This opened my eyes in so many ways. Of course I was struck by the beauty of nature and the diversity of all those amazing cultures. But I was also hit in my face, quite literally, with the plastic, not so fantastic, crisis we have on this earth.
While I was surfing and diving in one of the most beautiful places in Indonesia, I saw in awe more plastic in the ocean than I’ve ever experienced in my entire life! When one day, a diaper got washed into my face this was (even though I closed my eyes in disgust) a real eye opener. From then on I decided something HAS to change! NOW!
I sat down by the ocean, crying. I have always been very passionate about the ocean and witnessing this made me unbelievably sad. The way we treat this beautiful planet and dump our trash with complete indifference is indescribably despairing. It’s time to act now! We must do everything in our power to speed up solutions to this plastics crisis. So much single use plastic ends up in our oceans. To be more specific, according to recent research a staggering eight million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year. Scientific models even show that by 2050 there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the oceans. We must collectively think bigger and act faster, as OUR problem keeps on growing faster and faster.
Believe it or not but doing YOUR bit does make a BIG difference! Avoid plastic by simply saying no and picking up that shit when you see it in nature. Refuse, re-use and pick up. My goal is to help people reconnect with nature and the beauty the world holds for us. I want to spread the word, that every single person on this earth has a responsibility to keep our world clean, safe and beautiful. It’s time to take action! You in?
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Written by Jana, Clean Ocean Activist