By Amy Massack In an age when the destruction of our natural world has become commonplace, it’s not surprising that organizations have risen in hopes of changing our environment for the better. With mass pollution, such as litter scattering the coastlines, many would view this goliathan task of undoing years of damage impossible. However, one particular organization, Planet Love Life, is taking the oceans by storm. Why ocean pollution is a large-scale issue According to Planet Love Life, marine debris is defined as “any manufactured or processed persistent solid material that is directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment.” Currently speaking, there is no ocean that isn’t contaminated with some type of pollutant. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that billions of pounds of trash are dumped into the world’s oceans each year, including the most remote and/or pristine places on Earth. That staggering amount is comparable to a garbage truck of waste being discarded into our planet’s oceans every year! Death to the ocean’s wildlife is another harmful persistent problem. Thousands of miles of rope and fishing nets, commonly known as “ghost nets,” silently snare and kill millions of unsuspecting marine organisms per year. According to the 2013 Convention on Biological Diversity report, the fatal entanglement and death of sea life has increased by 40% in the last decade. While the British newspaper The Independent, also states an estimated 100,000 sea turtles, dolphins, seals and whales die each year from deadly traps caused by fishing lines, nets, ropes and other discarded fishing equipment. According to Fondriest, if these issues persist, acidity levels will increase in the world’s water sources due to the toxicity of degrading plastic waste and cause adverse health effects. Not only will poisoned water kill wildlife within the oceans, it is also toxic to terrestrial life. As more water sources become heavily polluted, we risk losing safe drinking places. Talk about a lose/lose situation! How does Planet Love Life propose to tackle these problems? Planet Love Life is a philanthropic society dedicated to the collection of plastic debris and ‘ghost nets’ ensnaring ocean life throughout the world. They began their admirable pursuit in 2014 and have since educated thousands of young people of the hazardous consequences that plastics can have on our environment, with the most deadly being fishing nets. The team’s founding members, Rob and Melody Webster, remove fishing nets from beaches and create sustainable jewelry (such as bracelets and rings) from the remains. These fashion pieces serve as a reminder to recycle, as well as to spread marine debris awareness. Each bracelet is adjustable using a lobster clasp, extends from about 6”-7.5”, and has a Planet Love Life symbol on a charm, which represents love and respect for life on the planet. While a ghost net’s durability poses substantial risk for ocean life, as a fashion piece it is waterproof and corrosion-resistant. Talk about turning a negative into a positive! Why support Planet Love Life? Not only can you feel great about keeping fishing lines out of the oceans and away from sea creatures, but your money goes directly to supporting a good cause: removal of plastic pollution. Overall, 15% of the company’s net proceeds go to Earth’s Oceans Foundation, a California-based non-profit dedicated to the repurposing of plastic waste. Want your own bracelet? Visit planetlovelife.com to check out these handmade alternatives to regular fashion pieces and learn about the movement. Not only is this a great way to give back to a deserving cause, but you’re also saving our environment with one fashion forward step at a time! As always, thank you for reading, and comment below to tell us about your favorite ways to preserve the environment! Disclaimer: All thoughts/opinions expressed herein are my own (the writer), and not influenced by the company or affiliates in any way. Scientista receives no proceeds for publishing this article. References: Conserve Energy Future, (2019). What is Ocean Pollution. [Online]. Available from: https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/various-ocean-pollution-facts.php. [Accessed: 17 August 2019]. Fondriest Environmental, Inc. “pH of Water.” Fundamentals of Environmental Measurements. 19 Nov. 2013. Web. < https://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/water-quality/ph/ >. The Independent, (2018). Seafood giants ‘let thousands of whales, dolphins, and seals die in agony each year from discarded fishing equipment’. [Online]. Available from: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/seafood-firms-discarded-lost-fishing-equipment-thousands-whales-dolphins-seals-die-plastic-pollution-a8244181.html. [Accessed: 1 October 2019]. “Planet Love Life.” Planet Love Life, https://www.planetlovelife.com/ About the Author
Amy Massack recently completed her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania this past May. Her undergraduate research primarily focused on molecular cell regulation, however, (upon entering the job market) she has stepped into an Industrial Chemist role. When she's not working or learning new things on the job, you can find her either reading, knitting/beading or exploring the great outdoors.
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