Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Our polluted planet
The photo is one I took this weekend. The leaves are turning brown and dropping off, too quickly. I hadn't heard of "Dead Zones" in the oceans, but after reading this article, I am saddened for what we've managed to do to our wonderful planet. How do we fix this?
Marine Scientists Report Massive "Dead Zones"
...In many developing countries, between 80 percent and nearly 90 percent of sewage entering the coastal zones is estimated to be raw and untreated. These wastes contain bacteria and viruses that can contaminate marine species such as shellfish that are consumed by people, Nuttall said....
...Plastic is an even more visible environmental concern, killing more than a million seabirds and 100,000 mammals and sea turtles each year, according to previous U.N. reports.
Plastic bags, bottle tops and polystyrene foam coffee cups are often found in the stomachs of dead sea lions, dolphins, sea turtles and birds. Seagulls in the North Sea had an average of 30 pieces of plastic in their stomachs, according to a Dutch study in 2004...
