This is part of a series marking World Oceans Day highlighting the growing problem of pollution on the marine environment
Author: Sundée Faulkner, Dolphin Quest
Perhaps you thought this was going to be an ode to the ocean, dotted with analogies and hyperboles — a poetic description of the staggering strength of her storm surges; her stunning serenity at sunset or a plea to save her from the plight of plastics?
No, this is a simple story of how this dedicated beach cleaner and ocean advocate may have unwittingly contributed to marine debris.
If I am such a diligent ocean steward, then how did my trash leave me and find its way to the sea? With the waves and the wind come classic stories like …
Trash that once was so carefully placed into a waste bin or receptacle is no match for a Bermuda windy day. With a swoosh of salty breeze, the hollow bins have the effect of a straw sucking the unsuspecting trash bags and bin liners upwards and outwards, along with any debris that it held. A gentle gust might only pull the top trash out of the bin but you do not have to be a sailor or be able to recite the Beaufort Scale to understand and recognise how quickly an island’s weather can change from a “gentle” or “fresh breeze” to “gale-force gusts” and along with that the challenges of strong, and sometimes relentless, wind.
Read more here: https://www.royalgazette.com/opinion-writer/opinion/article/20210609/from-me-to-the-sea-lets-put-a-lid-on-our-trash-cans/
