Cold, shiny, hard, PLASTIC

This week I read about the three plastic islands that exist in the Pacific Ocean. I want to start by saying that this is something out of WALL-E. Are we seriously having to worry about mounds of plastic larger than Texas floating around, disturbing aquatic environments? Very sad and low energy is you ask me. Materials like Styrofoam even absorb other toxic chemicals on their journey to the ocean floor. Then they get ingested by the same fish we buy from the Fresh Market section at HEB. Cool. How do they get there? Well, many ships drop the trash off on accident, but about 80% comes from litter being blown into the ocean. And that crap doesn't even break down either. That bag of sun-chips you were too lazy to stop from blowing away on the beach can kill sea turtles that aren't even born yet.

In class, we watched an episode of VICE that went over a similar situation in the rivers of India. People have no regard for sanitation and bather, dink, and fish in the same river where their shit and trash also visibly inhabits. Not only is that totally disgusting, but it's very deadly. Cholera and other diseases are a major issues in India, especially for children. The fish and other plants existing downstream also get a literal taste of their waste and suffer from it. More toilets and better hygiene education is necessary if we want the people to stop living this disgusting stereotype.

I have a question about crime and liter in the water. Are people charged for what ends up in the ocean? people obviously don't care about the ocean or fish suffocating on bottle openers. How can the legal system better incentive people to not litter on the beach or dump anything in the water? Felony punishment? May see, harsh, but I think I have a right as a human to clean water, and people across the world are infringing on my right.