You’ve heard the statistics before. Studies suggest the amount of plastic in the ocean is likely to surpass the number of fish by 2020. Every day eight million pieces of trash end up in our oceans. The numbers are startling and clearly suggest the world’s reliance on single-use plastics and the like have reached crisis-level proportions.
We say that, and still the data can be hard to conceptualize, and, therefore, internalize. A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. So a video is at least worth two thousand.
Point being, on Monday Parley for the Oceans posted a short video from the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo depicting waves of garbage washing into the foreground consuming the viewer.
“We need a wave of change and a material revolution,” wrote Parley on Instagram.
The story, the organization explains, is that Parley and collaborators are currently in the midst of a massive cleanup effort there. “Over 500 public workers have been mobilized for this cleanup operation,” explains the post. “After three days of cleanups we have intercepted over 30 tons of plastic, but there is a lot more work to be done.”
For those that will be on the island, Parley and Corona have organized a cleanup effort for Saturday and are calling for any and all volunteers.
The overwhelming message, of course, is that while cleanups are necessary the need for a paradigm shift is paramount. Parley’s own slogan AIR (avoid, intercept, redesign) echoes as much.
