October 2020 www.womanthismonth.com 6 LIFESTYLE | opinion Are we becoming plastic? Victoria Teo Reflects on the Fight Against Plastic Pollution In Bahrain Throughout my time here as an expat in Bahrain, and before the pandemic hit the nation, my visits to various beaches around the island unveiled an unwelcome surprise – plastic pollution. So, what is plastic pollution? Simply put, it’s the accumulation of litter, such as plastic bottles, plastic bags and waste that has been disposed of negligently. Unfortunately, this is all too common, not only in Bahrain, but worldwide. Did you know that a great garbage patch of plastic, three times the size of France is floating in the Pacific Ocean alone? The rise in plastic pollution is a problem that we cannot afford to ignore any longer. Throughout recent years, scientists have proven time and time again that this issue is increasing at an unprecedented rate. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. What’s more disturbing is the fact that on average, human beings are now consuming roughly 5 grams of plastic each week, which is about the weight of a credit card, according to researchers. The long-term impacts of the consumption of microplastics is still unknown. I see fishermen and many locals go fishing here in Bahrain, yet, little do they know their catch of the day has probably ingested plastics. This issue is getting out of hand because marine wildlife suffers directly from the public’s irresponsible disposal of trash. It is estimated that the ramifications of plastic pollution, such as entanglement, ingestion, intoxication and starvation, affects up to 96% of aquatic biodiversity worldwide.
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