Plastic pollution is everywhere—in waterways and oceans, in food chains and the atmosphere, and even in our own bodies.
The Ocean Conservancy confirms that single-use plastic consumption is on the rise, growing at an estimated 2.7% per year, and the advocacy group Beyond Plastics says this rise is intentional. Fossil fuel companies are ramping up production of plastics, to counter wider use of renewable energy and electric vehicles. “Plastics is Plan B for the fossil fuel industry,” says Judith Enck, founder and president of Beyond Plastics.
If we don’t counter this push and reduce demand, the result would be nearly six billion metric tons of single-use plastic between now and 2050.
This enormous amount of trash is a huge problem for both people and planet. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), current trends indicate that by 2040, we will see a 50% increase in macroplastics leakage, one of the leading causes of water pollution (30 million tons per year)... and we're a coastal state!
Humans ingest plastic pollutants in the form of microplastics—tiny particles of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size—from contaminated seafood, tap and bottled water, salt, and even the air we breathe. And plastics production alone accounts for more than 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (1.8 billion tons, and set to more than double by 2060).
What is more, recycling remains an imperfect solution for dealing with plastic waste—one that the plastics industry promotes, while knowing that many plastic products cannot (or will not) be recycled. Different municipalities have adopted various systems of recycling, making it complicated for the average person to effectively recycle their waste. Instead, most plastic ends up in landfills or in the ocean and takes years to degrade while leaking microplastics and toxins into our water and food.
Today, make the decision to stop using single use plastic bottles. If not now, when?
Our Episcopal Church wants us to stop!
A General Convention Resolution was passed in 2009! Mississippi passed our Resolution in 2024.
Make today the day.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Join DioMS Creation Care Task Force member Julia Weaver of St. Johns, Ocean Springs, for an informative Zoom presentation with more ideas to help your home and parish participate.
Topic: DioMS Creation Care Ministry: Plastic Free July with Julia Weaver
Time: June 4, 2024 at 5:30pm Central
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9773107710?omn=85747119951
Meeting ID: 977 310 7710
Please have at least one representative from every parish attending
