How
often do you use plastic? If you compare to the average consumer, you might
answer “every day.” Yes, items that contain plastic are convenient — and cheap.
But, the manmade material is wreaking havoc on our planet. Images captured last
year off the Honduran island of Roatan by photographer Caroline Power
illuminate this fact.
The
photos that follow were taken off an idyllic island that is usually compared to
paradise. In the past few years, however, this image has been ruined by a “sea
of plastic.” Once, the waters were clear and icy blue. Now, they are congested
and filled with pollution.
Powers
and a dive team passed through the floating trash for “nearly five miles.” In
one area, the “sea of plastic” was merely two miles wide. Some of the items
they found include broken footballs, soda bottles, toothbrushes, an abandoned
television, and shoes.
In
an email, Powers noted that the country of Honduras is not solely to blame for
the river of plastic near its shores. She pointed out that the average person
in every country, worldwide, lives unsustainable and has learned to throw out
goods which might be reused, sold, recycled, or refurbished. It’s a mindset
that needs to change, and her photographs are helping consumers re-think their
habits.
