Connecticut Green Living

If you haven't gotten the memo, our ocean - and yes, it is one ocean - is being choked with plastic. As the inimitable Dr. Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue - which provides marine-protected areas around the globe - reminds us, our very life here on Earth depends upon this ocean. The plastic, such as in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Gyre, contributes to altering the ocean's chemistry by absorbing C02. This causes what is called acidification, and this inhibits the ability of marine life to consume necessary nutrients, while eating away at calcium carbonate in their shells. This is Plastic Free July, a movement to draw awareness to the danger of plastic - not only for we humans but for our animal friends and most importantly the planet and our future Earth. Businesses, non-profits and individuals seem to be stepping up this year in a way I cannot remember in previous years. It's not just the storied young who care, either. Earle is in her eighties, for example. Ther...

Five million plastic straws are thrown away in the U.S. every day, according to GoSili, a brand promoting reusable silicone drinkware in its "Ocean Collection". Moreover, they cite that 100 bilion disposable cups go into landfills annually; the average person consumes 1,769 particles of plastic every week just from drinking water (ugh!); and by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish. This Earth Day, April 22, let’s make a commitment to helping the planet. And the plastic in the ocean is a smashing start. I have written before about reusable straws , which I wholeheartedly endorse. Straws are helpful for many of us who have dental issues and don't want juice or soda to stain our teeth. Sometimes they help older people with more sensitive digestive systems or young children drink their milk - so I am not anti-straw. This brand is sustainable and fun - I received artsy blue and seagreen “Arctic” and “Indian” Ocean 20-oz reusable cups. One perc...