You can see the swirling mass in the distance. Is it coming closer? You watch it invade your home. You swim towards it, curiosity nagging at you. Suddenly something snags your throat. It's clear and thin. You fight to break loose, but it's too late. As you take your final breath questions soar through your mind. Who did this? Why would someone do this? How did this happen? Is there any way to stop it.
Take a second
and imagine you were in that situation. How would you feel? Would you ask the
same questions? I would. I'd wonder what I had done to deserve that. The truth
is nothing. Innocent aquatic animals die every day due to our carelessness and
unconcern. It's not often you would put yourself in the shoes of something so
much "less" than you. Honestly, how many people really think about
what will happen if they don't pick up something they might have dropped on the
beach? Do they consider the fact that they could be killing an animal that
didn't deserve it? I bet not. They assume it's harmless. They're not really
thinking. You would never want to trick a friend into eating something
poisonous, but you walk around guilt free doing it to animals. It's not that
the animals are stupid, they just don't know better.
In the Pacific Ocean there is a "garbage
patch" which really isn't much of a patch at all. It is a huge area of
plastic. Bottles, toys, bags, it has everything. Plastic is basically not
biodegradable, so this patch of trash will never dissolve. It is killing many
birds and sea animals as you are reading this. The bigger plastic pieces can
trap, suffocate, or drown an animal. The smaller pieces are digested by animals
and they cause choking, which leads to death. In some cases, the plastic can
actually starve the animal. The plastic will make the animal feel full, when it
hasn't had any real food yet. Therefore, the animal unwittingly dies from lack
of nutrients. When the animal dies, the plastic will still remain because
plastic is indigestible. It will still be in the ocean to cheat yet another
innocent animal into death. It is a never ending cycle of harm.
So, what can you do to help? Unfortunately,
the damage is irreversible. However, you can stop doing more harm to the
innocent animals of the sea with a few steps. First, recycle as much as you
can, just like Echo the Squirrel. Use your own bags at the grocery store, and
reuse plastic water bottles (or have a reusable stainless steel one). You can
also make sure you always pick up your trash. Don't assume someone else will
pick it up for you, do it on your own. You can help make the earth a better
place along with Echo the Squirrel by using these simple steps to save sea
life.
