Following on from Merici College being awarded the ACT Sustainable School of the Year, I was asked to launch a children’s book on the weekend.
This week’s tip is based on the information I presented at the launch on ocean’s, sea life and plastics. I was also asked to speak about what we are doing here at Merici and the room erupted into applause at the conclusion. People spoke to me afterwards and are impressed with what we do here!
The book is Jelly Boy by local author Nicole Godwin. It is about a girl’s jelly fish who falls in love with a plastic bag. Will she learn the dangerous truth before it is too late.
While it is aimed at younger children, the message is for all ages.
The ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth, it is the planet’s life support system.
Oceans generate half of the oxygen we breathe and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which helps to reduce climate change impacts.
It is therefore more important than ever to improve the health of our oceans.
It is well known that plastics are overwhelming our environment and our oceans.
In fact all the plastics ever manufactured are still with us.
While recycling seems like a good solution, only 9% of all the plastics ever made have been recycled,the rest ends up in landfill or the ocean.
To reduce further degradation you can:
Say no to straws
Say no to plastic bags
Say no to balloons
Use re-usable cups and water bottles and get your water from a tap so you don’t buy water in plastic bottles.
Swap cling film for alternatives such as wax wraps
Bring your own containers and cutlery when you go out – we keep a set of cutlery in a pencil case in the car along with a set of bamboo containers.
If you need to buy new containers, choose alternatives such as bamboo.
RETHINK, REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLE
The book is available from most book-stores or:
Jelly-Boy : Nicole Godwin : 9781760651237
Jelly-Boy by Nicole Godwin, 9781760651237, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide.
https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=jelly+boy&productType=917504
Felicity Maher
Sustainability Officer
