My students and I witnessed a particularly shocking rape of a sea lion in the Galápagos. We were standing on the shore of Española Island looking at small fishes in an upshore tidal pool. Suddenly behind us, there was a big commotion in the waves
In the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy, it explained that around 50% of ocean plastic pollution comes from commercial fishing vessels (used gear, nets, etc.) We should all use less plastic but it seems even more important to eat less seafood.
Speaking of Galapagos... _______ Famed Darwin's Arch collapses due to erosion in Galapagos https://www.cbsnews.com/news/darwins-arch-galapagos-islands-collapses-erosion/
That's not even close to being remotely true. Around 80% of oceanic garbage comes from land (rivers and coastal areas). China, the Philippines and Indonesia are the the worst offenders. Then you've got all the stuff that comes off of container ships in bad weather, plus the fishing industry. Everyone should eat less of the wrong kinds of seafood, for sure, but for different reasons.
Lets not forget to include the US (and Europe) who send all their plastics to those countries knowing what is likely to happen. I say tax plastic and require single use plastic to meet recycling requirements. Why can we make soda and water bottles that are more easily recycled, but the same not be true about the clam shell containers and cups?
There was, for a time, a small grocery store in Austin called in.gredients. An old friend of mine started it. It was completely package free (at first) and zero waste. Unfortunately, the rental rates on Manor Rd. got to be too much and they had to close it in 2018. It was the first of it's kind. Shame they couldn't make it.
