Dr Uma (seventh left) and Gavin (fifth left) join members of the ‘Plastic Patrol’ and other volunteers in a group photo.
MIRI: The present daily catch from the sea could eventually become super-luxury food by 2050, if people continued to take the environment for granted and ignore the ‘Saying No to Plastics’ campaign.
Litter Busters of Miri initiator Dr Uma Devi said as one of the biggest threats to the environment, plastic items dumped into the ocean would hurt marine life and thus, by 2050, seafood might become affordable only to a very small segment of the population.
This, plus the pollution of drains and rivers, would also hurt the fishermen’s survival because the fishing industry would become costlier, she pointed out.
Most recently, a woman in Indonesia found a horrifying amount of plastic items inside the gut of a fish that was being prepared for a meal. The items included a spoon that was still intact, a candy-bar wrapper, a deodoriser’s cap, and a long plastic strap.
“Plastic pollution is an ongoing issue and it is our responsibility to keep our environment plastic-free, because these plastics are not only causing harm to marine life, but to other animals and human beings as well.
“It is found that micro-plastics – tiny pieces, from 5mm down to 100 nanometres in diameter – are filling the seas and working their way into the creatures that live in the seas. This means that these micro-plastics are entering the food chain and, ultimately, into our bodies,” she told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Plastic bags remain a big threat to Planet Earth in that a single plastic bag would take at least 1,000 hours to break down into micro-plastics which in turn, take a much longer time to break down completely.
This is because they are made of petrochemicals, which are non-renewable materials.
Adding on, Dr Uma believed that ‘educating young minds’ would be the key to keeping the environment safe, but ‘one must first educate oneself about the problem’.
“By being aware of the issue, we would be able to spread our knowledge and get people in the same boat.
“That being said, I am thankful to the members of the ‘Plastic Patrol’, who took the time to come forward and help with the rubbish picking at Marina Parkcity in Miri last weekend.
“I hope more parties would come forward for our future activities — there is still a far way to go.”
Dr Uma also expressed her appreciation to Gavin Ghia Mattu of Warmonger Gym for his efforts, as well as to all the other volunteers coming from various backgrounds, including a four-year-old girl.