Seal Sleeping on a Water Bottle

The first plastic product that was ever created was based on a synthetic polymer made

from phenol and formaldehyde, with the first viable and cheap synthesis methods invented in 1907, by Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a Belgian-born American living in New York state. We doubt that Baekeland had any inkling as to how ubiquitous plastic would become in society or more importantly, the magnitude of the destruction that would be caused by it. In case you haven’t heard, we have a huge plastic problem on our hands. While, yes, of course, plastic is incredibly convenient, versatile, and low-cost, it is also incredibly damaging to our environment. Unlike other materials, plastic never truly goes away, instead breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces over time. Long before it breaks down into these particles, however, it floats around in the ocean. In fact, 8.8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans ever year.

In addition to polluting the oceans, these plastic materials pose a serious threat for hundreds of marine animals, in fact, around 700 marine species are in danger of extinction thanks to our plastic habit. These animals are threatened by entanglement, ingestion, and toxin exposure – and if nothing is done to lessen the amount of plastic in the oceans, this problem will only persist and increase. When animals are not being harmed by plastic, they are becoming startlingly accustomed to it. We’ve seen a crab use discarded plastic as a makeshift shell, a bird cozy up in a plastic container as if it was a nest, and a deer play with plastic as if it was a toy.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/seal-sleeping-on-a-water-bottle/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=a715a3e17f-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-a715a3e17f-106919241