https://nypost.com/2019/07/02/bali-officially-bans-all-single-use-plastic-to-curb-ocean-pollution/

“Bali officially bans all single-use plastic to curb ocean pollution” – New York Post

This reminds me slightly of Singapore. A small island setting an example for the rest of the world. Singapore, with its textbook economic policies that it trials on its citizens and other countries eagerly observe and critique. Bali has set an example by taking action with a policy to curb marine pollution, hoping to reduce waste added by 70% this year. With a population a million shy of Singapore’s, Bali decided to enforce this plastic ban for all corporations with a six month transition period for corporations to switch to a material that is no longer single use.

Single-use plastic is one of the biggest polluters, but what some of the opposition to this law said was that companies would switch to another cheap but just as unsustainable material, causing little net change, therefore. However, most countries have been swayed too much by politics to take such a strong step, maybe not effective, but still in the right direction as Bali has. There may be some underlying fallacies in the policy, but it is still admirable as it adds to the gravity of the situation. The longer we wait, as everyone has heard before, the more drastic our measures have to be.

https://qz.com/1637676/on-world-oceans-day-the-seas-are-awash-in-plastic-pollution/

I won’t delve too much into ocean pollution as I could go on and on about it, but the above article is a good read. I mention the article, because, in the article, an environmentalist mentions that plastic straws and grocery bags are not the biggest culprits for the embarrassing nature of our oceans, but more the corporations. Another study I read also said that plastic straws were not a big deal, taking up only around 2 to 3% of the total plastic waste. It was just spurred into the media because they found straws in a turtle and this drove up social media’s attention. I, after reading such an article, was one of those people. I found a pack of bamboo straws on Amazon and ordered two. I then went on a spiel to my half dozing family members that we must stop consuming and purchasing plastic straws.

I also made sure to make it a habit in my family to take recyclable grocery bags when out shopping and doing the groceries. Less plastic! Trying to implement these changes in my six people family was so difficult and tiring for me. Like Sisyphus, the amount of inertia among us, creatures of habit, is astounding and annoying. It makes me worried if we, as a global community, will be able to amend our ways.

When I was young I knew I wanted to work with marine life or for the seas.  That has changed now to something more in line with my favorite subjects. I hope that in the future I could use whatever skills I acquire in Data Science, or AI learning, or electrical engineering for this cause that I am so passionate about.