Plastic
Once considered fantastic
Is having a drastic effect
On our environment
You can read all the gory details here
Disclaimer
It will probably cause you fear
And rightly so...
This epidemic is here to stay unless
We on this Earth Day
Change the way we behave
Change starts with me
So it's paper bags when I go to the grocery
As a matter of fact
I'll bring my own reusable shopping bags
They don't cost much
They're practically free and
Help reduce pollution out there at sea
The pollution that is making its way...
Back into our bodies
Through the water flowing to our sinks
Through this cup of water that I drink
You see
Plastic doesn't decay or biodegrade
It just gets smaller and smaller
Becoming micro-plastics that stick around and
Consequently can be found in everything...
That grilled fish on your plate
Could be contaminated
With dangerous chemicals called phthalates
Hiding in straws you sip drinks through...
If only more people knew
Disposable cups filled with...
The coffee and tea you're consuming
Grooming daily with polypropylene and polyethylene
Hanging out of toothpaste and face wash
Wish swash all the while assuming
The waste will be picked up and discarded
In its rightful place
But if we stop to think...
What place could that possibly be?
A landfill or out in the sea
Wherever we throw our trash
It just comes floating back to you and me
Increasing the risk of obesity and early puberty
Chromosomal and reproductive abnormalities,
Diabetes, Cancer and increasing resistance to chemotherapy
That's why it's reusable bottles of water for me
And filling my thermos with homemade tea
I'm sure you will agree
I don't absolutely need a straw since
We can easily see how it could end up
As washed-up debris
I'll also continue to recycle everything I can and
Donate what I can no longer use and
Spend sometime on YouTube learning how to better
Reduce and reuse
Of course when strolling down the isles
I'll read the labels and
Avoid the above mentioned chemicals
So what about you...
What one thing can you do?
Give Mother Earth back her due
Every little bit helps
So pick one and
Do your best to follow through
It may not seem like much, but
You never know how many people you can touch with
Small acts of kindness, like these... like little ripples
Floating out to sea
You can help change the tide of our humanity