Give information on effect of plastic on soil, animal,water
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Much is made of plastic’s impact on our marine environments. And rightly so given the massive destruction that plastics can wreak on our oceans. With 80 percent of marine garbage being land-based, 90 percent of that is estimated to be plastic. Unlike other materials, plastic never truly decomposes, it simply breaks into smaller bits that will remain in the oceans forever as a sort of microscopic plastic soup. And that plastic soup the ocean is becoming has had a prominent effect on marine wildlife. But what of the plastic waste that never reaches the ocean and is instead confined to land? Are plastics a danger to terrestrial animals too?
The answer is a resounding “yes!” Plastic waste that never makes its way to the ocean still ends up being very dangerous to both wild animals and domesticated ones. And the impacts felt by these animals closely mirrors their marine brethren. They can suffer from various forms of entanglements as well as accidental consumption which may be deadly. This can be a heartbreaking topic, but it’s important to address for the sake of animals everywhere.
1. Plastics Can Cause a Headache….
You may have seen viral videos of an animal likes a dog or raccoon walking around with a peanut butter jar or the like stuck on its head. While some may find this comical, the end result for many animals is actually no laughing matter. Food containers were generally made for knives or spoons to be dipped into them, or to have their contents poured out. They certainly weren’t made for serving up tasty morsels to hungry animals. An animal with its head stuck in a plastic food container may suffer from overheating, suffocation, dehydration, starvation, and eventual death from these elements. It is also not equipped to defend itself from a threat.
2. …And a Bellyache, for That Matter
Christina Welsh/Flickr
Plastics don’t belong in a lot of places and a belly is one of them! Animals may mistake plastic for food, or they may consume plastic in the process of eating the leftover food it contains. Either way, it does no good for a tummy that belongs to a dog, a crow, or a cow. Plastic stands to cause intestinal blockages in an animal that consumes it. Death is the ultimate tragedy for animals that consume plastic and this is a sad fate that both wild and domestic animals alike can face.
3. Plastic Paws
Have you tried walking around with plastic wrapped around your legs or a food container stuck on your feet? It probably isn’t very easy. In an addition to being flat-out uncomfortable, it can also be dangerous. An animal that can’t walk also can’t get away from predators or an oncoming car. It will also have a difficult time getting to food or water sources. Plastic can also cause terrible wounds to an animal, even resulting in loss of limbs. The Humane Society of the United States says that for them, raccoons stuck in plastic ring beverage holders is a common injury with the animals slicing up their bodies on the plastic. Ouch!
4. Plastics Don’t Fly With Birds
MrTinDC/Flickr
Similar to plastics hurting animals that walk, birds also stand to be impacted by plastic when it impedes their ability to fly. For example, if they end up with plastic soda rings around their body or a plastic bag gets wrapped around their wings it can be a serious problem. Staying close to their flock, getting up into a tree or nest for safety, or migrating isn’t possible without wings! Additionally, birds may even endanger their young accidentally by using plastic nesting materials that stand to hurt the next generation.
5. Oh, Deer!
This last one is a tragic tale shared by a professor at Mississippi State University. A friend of his spotted a buck with a full set of antlers on a trail camera. Wrapped around the buck’s antlers was a piece of plastic twine used for bailing hay. Two weeks after the trail camera sighting, the man found the same buck, dead and entangled with another dead buck’s antlers with the plastic twine. Bucks often spar with
The answer is a resounding “yes!” Plastic waste that never makes its way to the ocean still ends up being very dangerous to both wild animals and domesticated ones. And the impacts felt by these animals closely mirrors their marine brethren. They can suffer from various forms of entanglements as well as accidental consumption which may be deadly. This can be a heartbreaking topic, but it’s important to address for the sake of animals everywhere.
1. Plastics Can Cause a Headache….
You may have seen viral videos of an animal likes a dog or raccoon walking around with a peanut butter jar or the like stuck on its head. While some may find this comical, the end result for many animals is actually no laughing matter. Food containers were generally made for knives or spoons to be dipped into them, or to have their contents poured out. They certainly weren’t made for serving up tasty morsels to hungry animals. An animal with its head stuck in a plastic food container may suffer from overheating, suffocation, dehydration, starvation, and eventual death from these elements. It is also not equipped to defend itself from a threat.
2. …And a Bellyache, for That Matter
Christina Welsh/Flickr
Plastics don’t belong in a lot of places and a belly is one of them! Animals may mistake plastic for food, or they may consume plastic in the process of eating the leftover food it contains. Either way, it does no good for a tummy that belongs to a dog, a crow, or a cow. Plastic stands to cause intestinal blockages in an animal that consumes it. Death is the ultimate tragedy for animals that consume plastic and this is a sad fate that both wild and domestic animals alike can face.
3. Plastic Paws
Have you tried walking around with plastic wrapped around your legs or a food container stuck on your feet? It probably isn’t very easy. In an addition to being flat-out uncomfortable, it can also be dangerous. An animal that can’t walk also can’t get away from predators or an oncoming car. It will also have a difficult time getting to food or water sources. Plastic can also cause terrible wounds to an animal, even resulting in loss of limbs. The Humane Society of the United States says that for them, raccoons stuck in plastic ring beverage holders is a common injury with the animals slicing up their bodies on the plastic. Ouch!
4. Plastics Don’t Fly With Birds
MrTinDC/Flickr
Similar to plastics hurting animals that walk, birds also stand to be impacted by plastic when it impedes their ability to fly. For example, if they end up with plastic soda rings around their body or a plastic bag gets wrapped around their wings it can be a serious problem. Staying close to their flock, getting up into a tree or nest for safety, or migrating isn’t possible without wings! Additionally, birds may even endanger their young accidentally by using plastic nesting materials that stand to hurt the next generation.
5. Oh, Deer!
This last one is a tragic tale shared by a professor at Mississippi State University. A friend of his spotted a buck with a full set of antlers on a trail camera. Wrapped around the buck’s antlers was a piece of plastic twine used for bailing hay. Two weeks after the trail camera sighting, the man found the same buck, dead and entangled with another dead buck’s antlers with the plastic twine. Bucks often spar with
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