The topic of the project for the wellness class is plastic pollution and associated health problem. For discussion, presented a captivating article written by Laura Parker (2020) in National Geographic. The article describes the recent findings of plastic pollution and current ways to respond to the problem. The article is both pessimistic and optimistic simultaneously. On the one hand, it describes how horrible the problem of plastic waste has become. It comes up with an analogy that every minute a football field of plastic is dumped into the oceans. Recent research findings demonstrate that the central strategy to fight plastic pollution is to limit the production of virgin plastic; however, corporations disregard the idea as counterproductive. Thus, the problem of plastic pollution seems to be growing very fast. On the other hand, the article gives hope that the problem can be solved. In particular, it describes the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, which contributed significant resources to addressing the problem of plastic pollution. The article reminds us that humanity managed to resolve the problem of the ozone layer hole, and the same can be done with the plastic problem.
The article contributes to wellness studies in two ways. First, it provides a summary of the current state of the plastic problem. Parker (2020) emphasizes the importance of resolving the problem, as plastic can contaminate marine life. Second, the article provides an overview of possible strategies for addressing the problem of plastic pollution. In particular, it describes that current technology can recycle the majority of plastic if humanity starts viewing it as a valuable resource and limits the production of virgin plastic. In other words, it demonstrates that the problem of plastic can be solved using administrative methods if the world turns to a circular plastic economy.
Reference
Parker, L. (2020). Plastic pollution is a huge problem—and it’s not too late to fix it. National Geographic. Web.