Monday, June 4, 2018

BeatPlasticPollution - World Environment Day 2018

          United Nations Environment Programme has chosen India as the host country of  World Environment Day 2018 with the theme #BeatPlasticPollution. I am proud to be an Indian to host this year's WED events. To me this theme gives immense pleasure and pride as I am fighting silently through actions against plastic pollution for about 15 years. 

           It is stunning that 1 million plastic water bottles are sold out in the world in every minute. It is sure that half of these bottles will be thrown to earth and will reach oceans soon. Added to this about 5 trillion plastic carry bags are used annually by the world. Through all these 300 million ton plastic wastes are produced in earth. This weighs equal to the weight of world population !! Also it is estimated that the present plastic wastes on earth can cover the whole earth by three times!!!So the theme #BeatPlasticPollution is the need of the hour.

             After the Okhi storm the coastal area of Mumbai was fully deposited by the plastic wastes from the sea. The sea was accepting these for years without any resistance and one day it returned the whole "wealth" back to man. It took months to remove it from there. If current rate of ocean pollution continues by 2050 the oceans will have more plastic wastes than the fish wealth !! 

             Almost all the developed and developing countries are donating to plastic pollution. So #BeatPlasticPollution is to be started from those countries. US, Japan, and European countries are managing the wastes almost very well.It is estimated that the oceans are pollutted mostly by the plastic wastes from China, Indonatia, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. As the country develops the consumerism also goes high. Then use of plastics increases and plastic pollution rockets. India is also a developing nation. So it is high time to start a campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.

             It is the individual to start fighting against the plastic pollution to #BeatPlasticPollution. I have been protesting through actions for the last 15 years. I always carry a cloth bag in my hand to use it whenever required. All the shopkeepers in my town gives things to me in paper wrappers. They realised that I will not take things in plastic carry bags. So they will ask me the bag or if not will cover it well in papers. So our action is required to #BeatPlasticPollution.

           So take a simple step. Ensure that I will #BeatPlasticPollution this day onwards by using cloth bags and requesting things in paper wrappers. Let us regain the earth for our future generations.