Everyday more and more people are becoming aware of the effects pollution has on our planet, especially when it comes to plastic waste.
[](http://www.tv3.ie/xpose/article/lifestyle/255869/As-Blue-Planet-II-raises-the-issue-of-plastic-in-our-oceans-heres-how-to-food-shop-plastic-free)
Unfortunately sights like this has become a reality in places all over the world. "Of the 260 million tons of plastic the world produces each year, about 10 percent ends up in the Ocean" according to a Greenpeace report. I don't care where you are from, if seeing and hearing things like this doesn't bother you even a tiny bit then I don't know if hope exists anymore.
Plastic waste in our oceans is a huge problem that effects us all! ["Threats from Marine Debris. The Problem: Over 100 million marine animals are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean. Currently, it is estimated that there are 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world."](https://conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-threats-marine-debris/)
Plastic is especially dangerous to some turtle species. Some turtles feed mostly of jellyfish and when a plastic bag is underwater it would be easy for a turtle to confuse it for a jellyfish.
[](http://www.elyomnew.com/news/inside/2017/07/10/72738)
[](http://www.elyomnew.com/news/inside/2017/07/10/72738)
This huge environmental problem is not going to disappear by ignoring it or looking the other way. We need to realize that this is not a problem for certain people to take care of. We are all part of this and we need to wake up and help rid the oceans of plastic debris. There are so many ways in which we can all contribute to help fix the problem. The very first thing we need to do is to stop buying products that are unnecessarily packaged with plastic. Recycling contributes largely to the re purposing of plastic which keeps it out of our oceans where it is slowly killing our planet. We can turn clean up projects into fun scavenger hunting for our kids, companies can promote community clean up projects which in turn will also promote their company and it can be turned into team building events etc.
We need to do everything in our power to stop things like this from happening!
[](https://creators.vice.com/en_au/article/ev4bkm/kids-playing-dead-whale-philippines)
We need to realize that Earth is our only home and we need to start taking action to ensure the survival of our beautiful blue planet and the human race. Without Earth we cannot exist, so why are we destroying it? Why are we deliberately dumping all sorts of garbage and shit in our oceans and rivers? We as a species are smarter than this, we should know by now that everything we do has consequences, yet we still decide to destroy the only home we have.
This needs to stop! People should take a stand against this! In some countries, mostly in Europe, it has already started. People are starting to wake up to the reality of what we have done to our planet and they are trying to make a difference. Even the smallest act can make a big difference. I made a habit of picking up garbage when I see it laying around, unfortunately in Asia people are not really that bothered about garbage laying around so I pick up a lot of garbage on a daily basis. I try to make a difference not only in picking up the garbage but also trying to raise awareness, speaking to people I see littering and trying to help them realize that it is in everybody's best interest including theirs to rather hold on to it and throw it in a bin when they see one.
So in an effort to help rid the world of garbage, we here at [PIDS](http://pidsthailand.com/) have regular clean up projects. Our next clean up is a beach clean up on the 8th of April. We will start at [Hacienda Beach Resort](https://www.google.co.th/search?q=hacienda+beach+resort+koh+phangan&rlz=1C1CHBF_enTH770TH770&oq=Hacienda+beach+resort+&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.4870j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) and work our way down the beach picking up all the garbage we can get our hands on. This is only a small drop in the bucket but every bit helps keep our planet alive.
[](https://www.facebook.com/events/153572295323885/permalink/154248905256224/?notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic¬if_id=1522492628530132)
Imagine a world where everybody picks up 1 or 2 pieces garbage everyday, where marine life can go about their lives without eating something that will kill them. Let's all stand together and help save our planet from ourselves. What are you doing to help rid the world of this garbage plague?
