Microplastics... What Are We Doing To Our Oceans?
I love the ocean, and ocean creatures. I don't know why I feel so connected to it, as Libra is supposed to be connected to air. In fact, with asthma I can guess that air is my sign's connection, but perhaps water is my soul. There is nothing better than recharging myself at the ocean, or a lake, a river, a giant bath tub.
It's complicated for most people to understand the contamination in the ocean. It looks gorgeous, but it's bad, my friends. This summer I walked with my friends around the local Jetty Island and we picked up so much plastic that was probably mostly from the boats in the marine. We know that turtles and other animals are being damaged by those plastic six-pack plastics, and that plastic bags are often thought to be jellyfish. I know that most you even know about the floating bacterial plastic island out in the middle of the ocean. The damage isn't just floating above the water, and it isn't just destroying the ocean...
Did you know that the damage is coming home to you and your family as well through microplastics.
Microplastics are these tiny beads that get added to so many items we use. They are in everything from beauty products, to toothpaste, powders, pellets, but especially from our clothing when they're washed (especially in our sportswear). It's been found in the last year in our tap water, sea salt, and even in fish. Heavy metals and other contaminants can accumulate in seafood, and now plastics. In January researchers in Canada tagged 3,000 fish to study in the waters off British Columbia. This after in 2015 researchers at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory captured zooplankton eating microplastic and after finding high levels of microplastics in Canadian rivers and lakes.
These microplastics can cause fish to die before they are old enough to reproduce. What will they do to us? I know a lot of those that follow our lifestyle, and we cook with sea salt and Himilayan salt, even just adding it to our water to drink. I do, but I have switched to Icelandic salt in hopes to reduce the risk of microplastics in the salt that I use. I also switched my daughter from regular Omegas, even though we've always used the best quality. I don't want her to be at risk from using fish oil, especially when we have done everything we can do use non-gmo and organic since she was born. However I do want her to get complete omegas, and so I looked for a complete plant based omega and sustainability rather than continuing with ocean based.
We all need to address what we're doing, and I am really trying to work through the emotional hurdles I have in order to really get serious about creating a more minimal existence in my living choices. I realize that I have to become more serious about what I'm buying, that could be contaminated or could be a part of the problem. A great website that I found you should follow to stay up to date with the current state of our oceans. They've also found microplastics in German beer, sugar, salt, seafood, animal feed and even honey. The chances that you are ingesting microplastics is pretty high no matter if you are paleo vegan, paleo vegetarian or paleo pescatarian.
I see minimalism as being as important for our future as eating more plant based foods. I see it as something bigger happening by looking deeper at the problems in our worl. I'm one of the #metoo... and I love seeing that impact with so many sharing their #iwill ... This self gratification by taking advantage of others is big, and when we look globally it's so sad. So how can we change, how can we improve, and how can we be a part of those things that will make changes that make this world a better place for the next generation. I see change on our horizon in so many areas. I have hope, because hope is a spark, a spark we need.
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