You’re shopping at a local convenience store and grab a cold Poland Springs plastic water bottle. You chug the water ‘till your heart's content and casually throw the bottle  into a trash bin. You may not have realized it, but you have likely just contributed to groundwater pollution, which is the contamination of underground water by outside waste. “How?” you may ask. I’ll explain. 

According to PBS NewsHour, humans have created over 8.3 billion tons of plastic waste, as of 2017. Even today, 60% of the plastic we make is still on our planet somewhere. Boston alone produces about 1.2 million tons of waste every year, according to WBUR. The waste production is expected to keep increasing year by year as the population increases, but Boston Mayor Marty Walsh wants to cut that amount to 20% by 2035.

Items like plastic water bottles, disposable coffee cups, tea bags and even clothes made from nylon or polyester — all of which contain plastic — are thrown away by the thousands every day in Boston. When plastic waste is thrown in a trash bin, it may get dumped in a landfill, and since plastic takes hundreds of years to break down naturally, the plastic will remain in the landfill. However, as the plastic degrades over years of weathering, elements like carbon, nitrogen and sulfur start to seep into the ground and pollute the natural reservoir of groundwater beneath the landfill. 

Boston, as well as cities like New York and Chicago, use these groundwater sources as drinking water. I don’t think anyone would want to drink trash water, at least not me. Contaminated water can result in serious health problems often causing the spread of diseases such as typhoid. According to a study conducted by The Lancet, contaminated water caused 1.8 million deaths in 2015 alone worldwide. In addition, plastic also harms the environment around us. It is evident that plastic is a leading environmental problem, particularly in the oceans where unimaginable mountains of trash harm marine wildlife such as turtles, fish and local birds like seagulls. According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, over 1 million marine animals, including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles and birds, are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean.

Nicolette Pocius, environmental science teacher at the John D. O’Bryant School explained that plastic waste produces microplastics that easily escape through water treatment plants and enter the ocean.

“These microplastics can be ingested by animals that are lower on the food chain and then go through something called biomagnification so that they’re in small amounts in small animals and then larger animals eat the smaller animals and get more,” she said. “So by the time we eat those large animals we’re actually eating a greater amount of the plastic than the small animals.”

Essentially, we are not only drinking trash water, we’re eating trash as well! 

So now that we get why plastic is a problem, what do we do? Jahlisse Bruton and Felix Yanes, seniors at the O’Bryant and co-presidents of the O’Bryant Recycling Club, say there are many things someone can do. “I’ve seen a lot of people with Hydro Flasks or reusable cups and bottles,”  Bruton said.  “Since a lot of students go to Dunkin’ Donuts in the morning, rather than ordering on the go you can ask if you can put this in my cup instead of getting a plastic cup.” Something so small can really help. A standard 18-ounce Hydro Flask sells for around $30 each, so instead of buying non-reusable plastic bottles, invest in a Hydro Flask or other reusable water bottle to be more eco-friendly!

If everyone in Boston used reusable straws or bottles, we would produce far less plastic waste. The thousands of pounds of plastic that would have been used to make those straws and bottles could instead be used to develop Boston infrastructure or provide more insulation to homes that may not have it. There is so much we can do. However, with modern culture emphasizing luxury and comfort, getting everyone to use reusable straws and bottles is highly unlikely. That doesn't mean people shouldn’t try. Maybe limit your plastic use for a week, or just use a reusable straw on certain days. 

So the next time you’re walking in the market aisle, you may want to consider where that plastic bottle will end up and get a reusable water bottle instead. Get a personalized one if you want, so you’ll be looking stylish and being eco-friendly!

And remember what Ms. Pocius said: “No action is too small!”

The forest fires in Australia have tremendously affected people, animals and their homes over these past several months. Millions of animals have been killed and thousands of homes destroyed. Due to these scary statistics, I want to share some tips on what we can do to help out those affected and protect ourselves if there is ever a fire here.

While Australia's wildfires became much more severe in January 2020, the bushfires started in June 2019. In a BBC News article, a reported 1,600 firefighters were needed to put out the fires. This is something people should care about because people and animals are getting hurt. Animals are affected more drastically because their habitat is in the forest, and they cannot all relocate on their own. Houses were also destroyed by fire, which spread faster and faster throughout the country. 

We might not have experienced a wildfire, but we can still help others that are in need. Even though we might not live in hot climates, knowing what to do if you are ever in a fire or near a fire can be helpful.

“I just watched a show over the weekend about wildfires in Africa,” Keith Magni, a science teacher at Fenway High said. “It's less of a problem for the humans than it is for the animals.”

In some parts of the world, planned and controlled fires are used to reduce the risk of a bigger fire.  

“I've heard of controlled fires...every couple of years [they] are done to make sure things don’t build up to the point where there’s a lot of fires,” Magni said. Unfortunately, Australia’s wildfires were not controlled and put many lives in jeopardy.

People that live near the wildfires are affected differently than animals, but the impact is still negative. Humans have cars to distance themselves from fire and masks to help them breathe better. Even with these quick solutions, some people are left homeless from the fires. They may sleep at a hotel if they have the money or stay with friends and family that have not been directly affected. Oftentimes, they need to take advantage of resources that will help them stay safe and supported long after the fire takes their homes away.

The government in Victoria, Australia established a fundraiser for families and communities who have been affected by the fires. You can donate directly to the State Fire Authority or to the Australian Red Cross, which has already helped over 18,600 people stay safe after the fire. People can also donate to fundraisers that support healthcare and rehousing for animals. To find more information, visit the websites of the Australian Red Cross, Pray for Australia, About Australia and the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors. 

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors:

Finally, here are some ways you can stay safe when you are near a wildfire, according to Little Things magazine:

Remember when society said we should feed animals plastic? No? Well, me neither. However, it seems like humans don't mind eating celery for the rest of their lives in order to be healthy, so why are we ruining our wildlife and planet Earth by not taking care of it?   

The effects of environmental waste on animals are devastating. These effects are slowly making animals go extinct. Seals, turtles and crabs are eating our plastic waste and it is destroying their bodies. Nobody should be eating plastic but animals do not know any better, and it's not like they are seeking out this source of food. We are literally dumping our plastic waste into their oceans because we are not properly disposing of our trash. The Ocean Conservancy states that the U.S. adds 160,000 metric tons of plastic to the ocean every year. This is extremely upsetting because there are trash cans everywhere that are easily accessible. For example, on just a short walk from my school to the nearest train station, there are at least 10 trash cans. 

Environmental waste affects our land and our health. Environmental waste is man-made trash or junk that is not disposed of properly and can damage our environment. According to Green Choices, toxic gases like dioxins, when released by incinerating plastics, can cause air pollution and create acid rain. These toxins pollute and destroy the environment. Want to live in a barren wasteland caused by polluted air, or somewhere with a healthy environment? The barren wasteland will be boring with no wildlife, and the outside world will no longer be safe for us. The natural beauty of the Earth is fading away and soon we will not be able to remember the things we used to enjoy. Future generations will be far less active because they won't be able to enjoy activities like apple picking or climbing trees or simply appreciating the beauty of nature.

In the example of a healthy environment, there would be a clear sky, a soft breeze and fresh air. This path brings us to a world that is similar to life before technology. People used to enjoy outside activities like riding bikes and going to parks and being active. Even if you don't want to be active it's still nice to live in a world where you feel comfortable because the world is clean and the outside environment has been taken care of.

A healthy environment leads to healthier relationships. We don't want future generations to miss out on the beauty of nature. But let's not worry about the future too much, we have a lot on our plate right now. Now we have factories polluting our wildlife and our health, and we see our animals slowly dying. But we can prevent such horrors by not buying unnecessary items, not buying over-packaged things, buying reusable bags and reusing glass or non-perishable items. Many items have the recycling symbol that means you can cycle or reuse that item. Embrace the green life and accept the celery.