Pulled out to Sea 3: taking Action

by sarah k grundy

A new study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology says that humans may be consuming anywhere from 39,000 to 52,000 micro-plastic particles a year. With how much micro-plastic might be inhaled, that number is more than 74,000.

Around 9% of what we put out to recycle actually gets recycled and the rest is now in landfills, our oceans, our air, and our current food supply—putting our days seeing snowfall, a clear sky, our breath, health, our ocean, and the planet we rely on for life as we know it, currently in crisis. That’s where we’re at currently, crisis-fighting for survival. Yet, until last Earth Day, a major metropolitan city like Philadelphia was still burning garbage.

What can each one of us do?

Aim to consume less, yes, make lifestyle changes that consider what’s good for the planet and your health, horde glass jars until you figure out how to reuse them, yes, but REGENERATIVE is the word for 2020.

Compost: We have a highly non-sophisticated system which the squirrels and birds in our neighborhood appreciate. A giant pot of soil that once grew gorgeous squash seeds is currently what we use for compost. We put food waste, paper, coffee grinds, pizza boxes, and anything that counts as organic material anything except meat, fish... Then we churn it (mostly poke it with a big stick) as much as we can & throw leaves on top! It’s a start and our soil this year was rich!

Plant seeds: Heirloom seeds, trees, and herbs, all grow great in the winter, fruits, and veggies. Once you taste the food you’ve grown in your yard, or windowsill, there’s no turning back.

Use your legs and bike, when it’s an option, rather than drive. Take a train, even planes & shipping do less harm than driving to our air supply. The air has got to have a fighting chance to recover if we want to continue breathing. Fossil fuels are burning at an alarming rate, and need to stay in the ground. CO2 is 147% higher than pre-industrial levels, it’s the highest in 3 million years. A typical passenger car emits 4.6 metric tons of CO2 (choke) per year according to the EPA.

Sources: EPA, Kona Compost, Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, City Hall Philadelphia