To the Editor:
We are students from the West Tisbury School, and we have formed a group called Plastic Free MV. We have been working hard all year on a bylaw that will be on the warrant for the towns of West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah. This bylaw will limit the amount of single-use plastic in our environment by banning plastic water and soda bottles 34 ounces and under. We are doing this to protect our health and the health of all of the animals on this earth.
Plastic is everywhere, but of greatest concern to us as an Island community is the huge amount that is flowing into our oceans: more than 8 million metric tons annually. Animals routinely mistake plastics for food, leading to many deaths and injuries due to starvation or entanglement.
Plastics take hundreds to thousands of years to degrade. During that time, they are breaking up into small pieces called microplastics. These pieces end up in the ocean and our soils.
Microplastics in the ocean collect toxins and are regularly eaten by plankton and small fish. This can then work its way up the food chain to the fish we eat.
Making plastic uses fossil fuels, which contributes to climate change. Plastic bottles contain chemicals that are harmful to human health, and there is evidence that these chemicals leach into the beverages the bottles contain. The production, recycling, and incineration-based disposal of plastic waste creates toxic emissions, which further contribute to health issues.
Even when disposed of properly, plastic bottles make up a significant component of the solid waste stream, and increase our solid waste costs. We are simply asking you to do the right thing, for your future and ours. We know the danger of plastics, now is the time to do something about it.
We can do better.
With the town meetings finally approaching, we hope that you will support this action to help our environment and our future. The first town meeting is Tuesday, April 9, at 7 pm in West Tisbury. There will be free childcare. We ask that you come support our cause. Please vote yes on Article No. 3 on Tuesday night!
Josie Powers, Tasman Strom, Broden Vincent, Nola Savard, Emma Bena, Jasper Ralph, and Elliot Stead
Plastic Free MV
This is such an amazing opportunity for our community! And our world! Thank you to these children for being our fearless leaders!
Factually incorrect on many levels. Humans are living longer than any other time in history. Plastics need to be recycled properly but they are not a danger to anyone in and of themselves and have been used for generations. These kids mean well but they are spouting indoctrinated propaganda. They are not fearless leaders. Plastics have made our lives easier.
American life expectancy peaked in 2014. Claiming this on how well other countries are doing?
new englander. Life expectancy has gone down due to Opioids not due to plastics. You selectively nit pick and offer nothing. Plastics are not a danger to human health. by all means lobby to clean them up properly but dont misrepresent them.
“I want to say one word to you. Are you listening? PLASTICS. There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?” If we only knew then what we know now. But some people are stuck in the old world view.
Andrew–Your comment illuminates exactly what you don’t get. The letter written by students was not written because they think humans are dying because of discarded plastic. We share this planet with many other life forms. Your short term anthropological focus is not the point. Most people care about the environment. These students certainly do, and the fact that you apparently could not care less about any other living creature is what makes your comments so far off the mark.
The issue here is not about plastic’s effect on humans tomorrow. It is about the world we live in and about the world our descendants will live in in the future . Your “indoctrinated propaganda” comment is particularly ignorant and offensive.
Andrew– why do you bring life life expectancy into the conversation ? The letter correctly states that there are health issues associated with plastics , but nothing stating a shortening of life expectancy. Is this a distraction like talking about dog poop when a white supremacist spray paints racist symbols in the dog park ?
“indoctrinated propaganda” You really told off those eighth graders.
Quote: “Plastic bottles contain chemicals that are harmful to human health, and there is evidence that these chemicals leach into the beverages the bottles contain.”
The water in plastic bottles does not go bad, the expiration date is because the plastic bottle does expire and will start leaching chemicals into the water and affect the taste. Maybe the solution is for stores to charge a premium for the fresh bottles of water.