The Effects of Littering
Cigarettes: The cigarette butts seep toxic carcinogens and chemicals into the surrounding environment. They’re poisonous to wildlife and can contaminate water sources. And they rank number one on the most littered items list for US roadways. For more information, watch this video.
Animal Abuse
“Marine litter items travel widely, over long distances, with ocean currents and winds.
Marine litter travels around sea areas and between oceans. It is found not only in the water, on sea-beds or on the beaches of densely populated regions, but also in remote places far away from obvious sources.
Marine litter is long-lived and active for decades, directly and indirectly. It consists to a very great extent of plastics, and of metal and glass - materials that do not break down easily or quickly. Plastic litter is a source of persistent organic substances being spread in the marine environment.
Marine litter is a visible threat to wildlife, but also an invisible one. It is found in horrendous quantities on the seabed, where it kills and injures out of our sight. 'Ghost fishing' by discarded or lost fishing nets is just one of several examples of that.
Marine litter is a vicious killer of marine mammals, sea birds and many other life forms in the marine and coastal environment. Marine litter injures and causes physical pain and suffering to a wide range of animals, from the largest to the smallest of creatures.
Medical and sanitary waste, and pieces of broken glass or metal, constitute a health hazard and can seriously injure people, directly or indirectly. Discarded fishing nets can be a safety risk to boaters and divers.
Marine litter also threatens marine and coastal biological diversity by destroying coastal 'nurseries', where new life would otherwise emerge. And litter items can function as means of transport for invasive species between sea areas. “
This information is from http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris/toolkit/files/trash_that_kills508.pdf.
As you can tell, littering is a selfish and completely preventable problem that should be eliminated. Humans are having a negative impact on the environment and it's inhabitants out of our sheer laziness. Littering causes pain to numerous animals every day and often kills them. It's not fair to the animals and it's completely preventable, so let's STOP IT. Littering is not only a local issue in Chattanooga, but also around the entire nation, stretching from coast to coast. Littering effects all types of wildlife. Human laziness is not only detrimental to our own environment and quality of water, but also to ecosystems of wildlife around the nation. It kills numerous species of animals on a daily basis. This problem is easily eliminated through the simple act of choosing not to litter. The video below that shows Bird Island is a prime example of this problem.
Marine litter travels around sea areas and between oceans. It is found not only in the water, on sea-beds or on the beaches of densely populated regions, but also in remote places far away from obvious sources.
Marine litter is long-lived and active for decades, directly and indirectly. It consists to a very great extent of plastics, and of metal and glass - materials that do not break down easily or quickly. Plastic litter is a source of persistent organic substances being spread in the marine environment.
Marine litter is a visible threat to wildlife, but also an invisible one. It is found in horrendous quantities on the seabed, where it kills and injures out of our sight. 'Ghost fishing' by discarded or lost fishing nets is just one of several examples of that.
Marine litter is a vicious killer of marine mammals, sea birds and many other life forms in the marine and coastal environment. Marine litter injures and causes physical pain and suffering to a wide range of animals, from the largest to the smallest of creatures.
Medical and sanitary waste, and pieces of broken glass or metal, constitute a health hazard and can seriously injure people, directly or indirectly. Discarded fishing nets can be a safety risk to boaters and divers.
Marine litter also threatens marine and coastal biological diversity by destroying coastal 'nurseries', where new life would otherwise emerge. And litter items can function as means of transport for invasive species between sea areas. “
This information is from http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris/toolkit/files/trash_that_kills508.pdf.
As you can tell, littering is a selfish and completely preventable problem that should be eliminated. Humans are having a negative impact on the environment and it's inhabitants out of our sheer laziness. Littering causes pain to numerous animals every day and often kills them. It's not fair to the animals and it's completely preventable, so let's STOP IT. Littering is not only a local issue in Chattanooga, but also around the entire nation, stretching from coast to coast. Littering effects all types of wildlife. Human laziness is not only detrimental to our own environment and quality of water, but also to ecosystems of wildlife around the nation. It kills numerous species of animals on a daily basis. This problem is easily eliminated through the simple act of choosing not to litter. The video below that shows Bird Island is a prime example of this problem.