As Deep as the Ocean

Happy V-Day to everyone! I mean everyone…love has no boundaries…I see this everyday, especially the love between my small patients and their parents.

The definition of Percivious, “the ultimate in altruism. Self Sacrifice in order to benefit others with no regard to reward or reciprocity.” embodies the idea that love extends beyond the immediate images that typically come to mind. It is love stripped down to its core and it goes far beyond self, family and friends.

I recently read an article put out by the economist discussing how Covid-19 has led to a pandemic of plastic pollution, “modern world throwups such as plastic drinking bottles and supermarket carrier bags” now amidst “a crop of latex gloves and surgical masks”. The article suggested that as we produce more protective equipment and gorge on takeaways, that we should “pity” the oceans.

4Ocean estimates that between 1.26 and 2.65 million tons (1.15 and 2.41 million tonnes) of plastic enter the ocean from river systems each year. According to their research this debris contributes to massive oceanic vortexes of plastic materials, otherwise known as gyres. One study found that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch contains over 87,000 tons of debris, with this patch collecting material more quickly than the surrounding waters. Some of the biggest waste contributors are single-use plastics.

So what can we do about it? First off we can stop contributing to the problem. The 8 major products contributing to ocean pollution in order include: plastic bottles, synthetic fabrics, plastic bags, cigarette butts, microbeads, straws, abandoned fishing gear and plastic packaging – www.4ocean.com.

Secondly, we can support the organizations that are attempting to find solutions such as Ocean Conservancy. Through their Coastal cleanups they have picked up more than half a million straws and stirrers that pose a real danger to animals like sea turtles, albatross and fish who can eat them. They urge us to take action today and skip the STRAW!

Other organizations are already contributing to the solution, such as OCEANWORKS, the global marketplace for recycled plastic materials and products from collection areas including ocean bound, waterways, coastal, nearshore and the high seas.

It starts with small choices, especially now as so many of us remain in isolation or lock down. However, every bit counts and there is no time to start like now, with something simple. For example, we switched out a daily use product that supports this initiative. KEVIN.MURPHY products are sold in bottles made out of 100% reclaimed Ocean Waste Plastic. This will be the first of many changes we plan to make. If you are already using other suppliers who use only reclaimed ocean waste plastic we would love to hear about them. We will definitely be adding more to our household.

So this V-Day please join us in making some small changes. Let’s not forget LOVE, our LOVE of the ocean.