I am deeply concerned about the future of our planet, not just for myself, but for the generations yet to come. The accumulation of plastic pollution is a crisis that we can no longer ignore. Climate change has been used as a political platform for too long. The debate has been ongoing for four decades with very little outcome. It's time we shift our focus and resources from climate change debates to tackling this tangible and immediate threat.

Plastic Pollution: Key Facts

• Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans, equivalent to five grocery bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world 
  (Source: Ocean Conservancy). 

• Research states that, by 2050, plastic will likely outweigh all fish in the sea.
• In the last ten years, we have produced more plastic products than in the previous century.
• The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has stated that basically 100% of all plastics human beings have ever created are still in existence.
• Plastic generally takes between 500 and 1000 years to degrade. Even then, it becomes microplastics, without fully degrading.
• Currently, there are about 50-75 trillion pieces of plastic and microplastics in the ocean.
• This plastic either breaks down into microplastic particles (see below), or floats around and ends up forming garbage patches.
  (Source: Unesco)

• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) - It is predicted at least 79 (45–129) thousand tonnes of ocean plastic are floating inside an area of 1.6 million km2; a figure four to sixteen times higher than previously reported. Over three-quarters of the GPGP mass was carried by debris larger than 5 cm and at least 46% was comprised of fishing nets.
  (Source: Nature.com)

Stopping the use of all single-use plastic should be top of the agenda. This includes packaging materials, drink bottles and bags.
Secondly, commercial fishing vessels need to be held accountable and all gear they carry registered - nothing gets discarded or left behind.

The money spent on addressing climate change should be redirected towards creating innovative solutions and incentives for using the plastics we currently have. A couple of simple solutions are recycling plastic into building materials or converting it back into usable fuel. A tax on any single use plastic would also go a long way to ensuring environmentally friendly alternatives are used or developed.
These are practical steps that can make a significant difference right now.

It's time we stop debating about what might happen in future due to climate changes and start acting on what is happening right now - the devastating accumulation of plastics. Let us unite in shifting global attention towards this pressing concern before it’s too late. Please sign this petition today!