Hardly a day goes by without us witnessing or reading about a disaster or extreme weather event somewhere in the world. In South Africa, we have seen firsthand the devastation effect of extreme weather in KwaZulu-Natal and in other areas.
Breathing is a natural process that few people give a second thought towards. The clean fresh air that we often take for granted is made possible by trees, which convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. They are nature’s miracle and our defence against pollution, which is often present in our cities.
For decades, we have been warned about the devastating impact of climate change, but for the longest time the danger has seemed far off, and far removed from our daily reality. Now what once seemed like the plot of a utopian disaster movie is fast becoming part of our everyday lives.
The recent floods in the Western Cape Province and other extreme weather events, cannot be ignored any longer or swept aside as once offs. Swift action is required, the clock is ticking and zero hour approaches.
For the sake of our children and the future of our nation we need to commit to a healthy environment that is free of plastic pollution. When walking in our towns or cities you are often met with a lot of plastic and litter everywhere. Our actions are busy destroying our future and pose a grave risk for to our environment.
Plastic is all around us and many people seldom give it a second thought. It has become part of our lives whether as containers, bottles, disposable bags, straws, toys and a multitude of other things.
At first glance plastic might seem harmless, yet it is one of the single most harmful things to our planet and the environment. Plastics can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose and they are often just thrown out with the trash, ending up in landfills or rivers and streams, and eventually the oceans.
