Plastic Overload

     The modern age is living in a consumer capitalist’s society, where the name of the game is mass production and profits. Innovation and science over time developed to readily produce cheap goods. Enter the world of plastics. Almost everything is made with plastics and for good reasons. One, plastic are sturdy, reliable, and cheap. Second, plastics are easy to produce and molded into various shapes and colors.

However, there’s a problem occurring with plastics. The oceans today are literally filled with all types of plastic, some too microscopic to clean out by conventional sewage waste (Doughty, et. al). Others break off bigger pieces, making its way into the ecosystem one way or another.

 Finally, the plastics that we come in contact the most, like water bottles carry a form of chemical that is extremely harmful to the human body (Main). These plastics are highly unnatural and toxic to the environment, animals, and humans (Greene). The goal of this essay is to address the problem with plastics; how this simple everyday object entered society and is now destroying the world’s ecosystem. Afterward, solutions such as legislation changes and new eco friendly ways will be discussed to combat the problem with a plastic overload.

     It all began in 1907, with the invention of Bakelite by the Belgian-born American Leo Baekeland (Knight).  The reason for choosing this starting point is for the fact that this was the birth of the modern plastic. Modern plastic are derived from fossil fuels, before they came from plants and animals (Knight). However, it was not until the 1930’s and 40’s, when plastics polymers began to be lucrative for the war effort (Knight). Knight a reporter for the BBC, puts it as, “What really drove the industry's growth was the war effort, as plastics were used in everything from military vehicles to radar insulation” (Knight).

After the World War II, the plastic industry was put to into a corner; they knew they had to find a new source of income from the development of such durable material. The companies turned to America’s mass consumer market (Knight). Some of the most plastics we used today exploded onto the market, for example the Tupperware, in 1948, furthering the growth of a dangerous toxic industry (Knight). Today, everywhere you look you find everything almost containing plastic materials; from the products you wear, to the packaging of the food you enjoy. These plastics that come from petro-chemicals are entering the waters of our oceans and harming the aquatic life (Greene). Some of plastics are directly touching our children’s lips that contain harmful chemicals. The plastic industry should be banned, or they should step away from fossil fuel made plastics.

     In 2012, according to Chelsea Rochman, an aquatic ecologist, about 280 million tons of plastic was produced globally (Rochman, et. al). Out of all this plastic that was produced only 140 tons was recycled or properly put in a landfill, the other remaining plastic was left to harm our earth and ocean (Rochman, et. al). According to the article, plastics can be extremely hazardous for the mere fact that they themselves are made of toxic chemicals, or that they suck up other toxic chemicals, making it difficult an aquatic life or mammals to properly develop (Rochman, et. al). “It is almost impossible to walk the countryside or on a beach without encountering bits of plastic,” says Rochman.

The troubling part is that many of the most developed countries are the once that turn a blind eye when they produce plastic that enters they ecosystem, for example, the United States, Japan, Europe, China, and Australia (Rochman, et. al). They do not label plastic waste differently from food or plants waste, which is one of the leading causes for the harsh amount of littering that occurs on our planet today (Rochman, et. al). If such legislation was properly passed throughout the countries to label plastic as a toxic chemical and not a food plant waste, maybe the planet would experience less devastation caused form a plastic overload.

     Additionally in 2012, the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal, Canada, stated that all sea turtle species, 45% of marine mammal species, and 21% of seabird species can be harmed due to plastics (Rochman, et. all). The plastics that do end up in the ocean also end up in the food chain of animals, due to many of them eating bit size pieces of plastic (Rochman, et al.). According to the article, laboratory and field studies found that fish, invertebrates and microorganisms eat micrometer sized particles, which come from synthetic (polyester or acrylic) clothing and cleaning products containing plastics (Rochman, et.al).

Over 50 percent of all plastics contain harmful chemicals, according to the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (Rochman, et.al). It is time to put a stop to the plastic era and all the environmental destruction it causes. Manufactures and governments must act. They must stop producing these chemicals for mass consumption of the plastic era. It is destroying our planet, and if things go the way they have been going, in 2050 the planet will hold another 33 billion tons of plastic (Rochman, et.al).

     One of the most important aquatic animals that are currently facing a decline in population due to plastics is the oyster (Greene). According to Greene, a reporter for the Los Angeles times, states the way oysters eat is by filtering out tiny particles through the water (Greene). Normally, this would either be phytoplankton, or algae; however it is now digesting small pieces of micro plastic that is harming the oyster’s digestive track.  Because many of these micro plastics enter the oceans due it being washed down the drain when people use cosmetics, toothpaste, and other types of hygiene products (Greene).

We can find these small bits of pieces of plastics across all the shores in the world, making this a real threat to the marine ecosystem (Greene). The article describes research conducted to study the effects on oysters when plastics enter the digestive system. The results were devastating. The oysters could not distinguish what was plastic from the same sized plankton. Due to them getting the lack of nutrition, obviously they had to expend more energy, and that was the consumption of more algae (Greene).

The destruction does not stop there, it also harms the reproductive system of oysters, and because of the amount of energy the body is trying to produce to digest the plastic, they are left with no energy to reproduce (Greene). As anyone can see, the plastics are causing a chain of effects in the ocean. Oysters are only one of many important aquatic lives that are being harmed by micro sized plastic by runoff that enter the sewer system. Micro sized plastics should be banned in all cosmetics and other sort of products. It is harming the water and its inhabitants; it also harms humans that consume such animals.

     Micro plastics are only one of many types of plastics that are in the oceans. Due to the unique physical feature they are becoming a great threat.  According to Rachel Doughty, a lawyer at environmental law at Greenfire Law, and Marcus Eriksen the Research Director and cofounder of the 5 Gyres Institute, say micro plastics are an emerging threat to wildlife and human health (Doughty, et. al). They may come off bigger pieces of plastic that gets degraded in constant exposure to UV radiation, where they would get washed down the gutter and enter the oceans (Doughty et. al).

Other types of micro sized plastics are called, micro beads, due to them being perfectly cylindrical. As stated by Doughty and Eriksen, “In 2012, pollution by micro beads was confirmed when micro beads were identified in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America” (Doughty, et. al).The study found that out of the twenty one samples of micro beads collected at the Great Lakes, all twenty one matched two brands of facial cleansers, similar in color, size, and chemical composition (Doughty, et. al). There are watersheds that surround the Great Lakes, which have heavy populations nearby making it easy for any run off from the watershed to go into the Lakes (Doughty, et. al).

As discussed before, conventional and municipal sewage systems lack the ability to properly filter out micro plastics. Furthermore, the left over sewage collected at sewage plants is used as fertilizer, making the way for micro plastics to run off into the ocean and destroys the soil with the chemicals that it may have (Doughty, et. al). This is occurring all across the nation and the around the world. The most troubling factor is that many low income countries have plastic, but lack the funds to properly manage plastic and trash on a massive scale.

     Not only are animals affected by this terrible plastic problem, but humans are as well. After going over the oyster’s problem, one can assume that oysters are not the only aquatic life inflicted by the micro plastics, and or other plastics. Therefore, one can logically conclude that any type of sea animal a human eats, unless it was properly farmed and contained, will have traces amounts of some type of toxin caused indirectly, or directly due to plastic. These chemicals enter the aquatic food cycle due to lack of proper treatment and sheer ignorance, and end up in the human food cycle. This may cause unwanted diseases and illnesses to both humans and animals.

This is environmental destruction is also taking part on the land. For one, micro plastics end up in commercial fertilizer and over time ruin the soil along with the crops that humans consume (Doughty et. al). This can mess with the food supply, which is already looking bad enough, due to overpopulation, and further cause harm to humans that consume the crops that grew in that location.  Secondly, a lot of the mammals that are found in every part of the world are also digesting plastics. Many marine mammals such as seagulls have tiny bits of plastic in their stomach, due to them being attracted to the shiny plastics in the water (Rochman, et. al).  Scientists say humans are the cause for the extinction of the many animals, well it looks like plastic can be the number one culprit that has the biggest impact on the extinction of many species.

     A lot of people may be unaware of this, but the water that people get from a plastic bottle may not actually be that good for them, despite the refreshing taste. In a recent article published by Newsweek written by Doug Main, BPA or Bisphenol-A, is in many types of plastics we have around us. However, what is BPA? Well, BPA is a type endocrine disruptor that copies the chemical estrogen, a hormone that is significant in sexual development (Main).

Not only does it disrupts the endocrine system as stated in the Newsweek article, but twenty scientists say it can cause obesity, diabetes, problems with fertility, problems with the reproductive organs; and being exposed to it can cause cancers and cognitive disease such as ADHD (Main). There have also been studies found at the Brown University, where epidemiologist Joseph Braun, has shown a connection between early childhood exposure to BPA and problems that occur later on in the child’s life (Main).

     BPA was first synthesized in the 1930’s by a Russian chemist on the search for an artificial use of estrogen (Main). Over time, the manufacturing industry took a look at this chemical and noticed they could readily produce cheap plastic material by mixing this chemical with another one, overlooking the fact that it carries a toxic chemical (Main). Not only are these plastics inflicting devastation amongst humans it is also impacting the health of animals and plants alike (Main).

There was about a 100 studies conducted on the effects of BPA to animals, and majority of the studies showed the same effects that humans experience exposed to BPA (Main). According to the article as of 2012, 10 billion pounds of this material was produced worldwide (Main). It is about time to put an end to the use of BPA and make governmental agencies, such as the FDA to change their policies, because the current state of the world is being poisoned from the harmful plastics manufactures produce for profits.

     Currently, the Federal Drug Association and the European Food Safety Authority turn a blind eye when it comes to many of the things that may be harmful for us, after science has proven that their actions of “cutting corners” is hurting many people around the world. For instances, how micro beads are currently whipping out many species, but current laws around the nation fail to have a unified code on how to classify a micro bead (Doughty, et. al).

An example would be how California’s water quality criteria are drastically different from Maryland’s criteria. By doing so, states across the nation find different ways of appropriating taxes to clean pollutants in the water. This is why Californians pay a lot more in taxes trying to regulate pollution, while Maryland or places like Flint Michigan lacks it; however neither of the criteria specifically say micro plastics must be filtered out, which is a big problem (Doughty, et. al). Furthermore, there is not a single international law or treaty to ban the use of micro plastics in cosmetics and other products or on how to properly dispose of them (Doughty, et al). Therefore, it would set a good example to the world if the US and Europe took a stand against it and outright ban the use of this chemical that is having many ecological effects on the planet.

     Not only should there be a ban on micro sized plastics, BPA should also get banned from manufacturing use. It is agencies like the FDA, and its European sister that basically control the health regulations of the world, yet these same governmental agencies are the ones that are getting influenced by powerful manufacturing lobbying groups around the world that tell the EPA and  EFSA, on how to regulate. The fact there is no unified international ban on micro plastic or BPA is cataclysmic for the environment and human health. Due to money being involved in politics, many companies pay lobbying groups to influence the laws, which give them the leeway to use these cheap chemicals for profits, while almost ignoring the ecological devastation it has in the world. The time is now to put a ban on these cheap manufacturing chemical, the laymen call plastic.

     Besides doing a ban on these chemicals, companies around the world are currently finding innovative ways to tackle the problem with the plastic pollution. In the BBC article discussed earlier in the essay, Dr. Jeremy Tomkinson, a York-based consultant who advises the UK government on bio-fuels and bio-materials, thinks that the market is trying to find biodegradable types of plastics that are environmentally friendly, but still may be used for normal activities (Knight). This seems to be the way the direction is heading if big companies still want to remain important.

Biomaterials are not harmful for the environment and may help curtail some of the problems that are associated with the plastics. The planet cannot remain at its current state, and must become aware to consequences with plastics. Aquatic lives are falling like dominos. The planet’s soil is not in a good state with all the micro bit sized plastics in the soil. The human population is experiencing a myriad of disease and cancers due to the sole cause of plastic.  Governments and corporations must act now to save the planet from this plastic overload. Most importantly the individual must also act.

Doughty, Rachel, and Marcus Eriksent. "The Case For A Ban On Microplastics In Personal Care Products." Tulane Environmental Law Journal 27.2 (2014): 277-298.Environment Complete. Web. 07 May 2016.
Greene, Sean. "Plastic Microbead Pollution Harms Oysters, The Ocean's Critical Ecosystem Engineers, Study Finds." Los Angeles Times (CA) 09 Feb. 2016: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 07 May 2016.
Knight, Laurence. "A Brief History of Plastics, Natural and Synthetic." BBC News. BBC, 17 May 2014. Web. 20 May 2016.
Main, Douglas. "Bad Plastics." Newsweek Global 164.10 (2015): 48. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 17 May 2016
Rochman, Chelsea M., et al. "Policy: Classify Plastic Waste As Hazardous." Nature 494.7436 (2013): 169.MasterFILE Premier. Web. 17 May 2016.

Body Language

To understand is to be understood, to listen is to be heard. When we communicate to each other it is a highway of information being shared back and forth. Not only through words, but of course our facial features and our body positions. Most of the communication is done by our face, it has less to do with the words we speak. Furthermore, the tone and pitch you have is less significant from the body language you carry around. Body language is often overlooked, however we take notice to it everyday. In order to be an effective communicator, you must master the art of body language.

Mastering body language takes time. It takes time because people usually do not think how their body is positioned while talking. They are more focused with what they want to say rather than the position they are in. To be an effective communicator you must notice the position of your body each time before you talk. If you are having a conversation with a good friend, you will not try to close yourself up, meaning crossing your arms, no direct eye contact, and not the slightest bit of facial features. No, when you talk to a good friend, you open up, you look at them directly, and you smile. As an emotionally driven creature, we communicate emotionally to others through our body. Taking notice to all the minute details of the body is to understand yourself and the other person. You must have understood yourself, before you can understand other people. Body language makes people understand you better and it makes them want to listen to you. Having a good body language is something we should all strive for, regardless of what job you may have. Communication knows no boundaries. 

Natural Herbs For Symptoms

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse over 52 million Americans over the age of twelve have used prescription drugs non-medical in their life. In 2010, there were over 8 million drug abusers of pain medication. It is a health issue for many Americans and people around the globe. The Federal Drug Association in 2015 approved over 63 new drugs that have many unwanted volatile side effects to them. It is all a vicious cycle, you pay for drugs hoping it will help you, but it you end up straight back to the hospital. In fact, some people even take more medication to counteract some of the side effects, which in turn can cause even more severe side effects. The pharmaceutical companies are raking in cash of the lives of many innocent people wanting to live to see another day. One way to stick it to the big pharma is to practice herbal healing. Nature provides many miracle plants to treat symptoms in way that is better for your health.

Herbalism exists right in front of our faces from the mustard on the table, to the spices in the pantry. Herb is defined as a non woody plant that dies down to the ground after flowering. However, the term herb is more general including some parts of the plant or all that has been practiced for medical treatment, nutritional value, food seasoning, lotions, or dying substance. Plant remedies represent the natural occurring cycle of the universal form treatment. It has a long history of being therapeutic products. In 3000 BCE, the Sumerians documented various uses who described well-established medicinal uses for plants such as, laurel, caraway, and thyme. Following the Sumerians, a well number of documented Ancient cultures used plants for various types of purposes. It seems the practice of herbalism is a lost art in the average household. Not a lot of people are familiar with the types of benefits each plant have to naturally cure ourselves.

Herbs should be used when it is fresh to maximize effectiveness. However, some are required to be dried first. Preparation is different for each herb. Some only release the natural healing properties when prepared in certain ways. One process of extraction is infusion, combing boiling hot water to the herbs. Decoction is the process of extracting mineral salts, rather than the vitamins by bathing the plant in boiling water. Cold Extraction is the process of using cold water to extract the salt minerals and only bitter principles. When using the cold extraction technique, the amount of plant material should be just under the water level. You must let it sit for 8-10 hours to let the drink be ready. You may also use a powder to mix with water, milk, or soup; sprinkled on food; or swallowed in capsules. The powder can also be used to make ointments for skin areas. Poultice is used to to soothe, to irritate, or to draw impurities from the body, depending on which plant or plants you use. You may also take hot or cold baths with plants to induce certain properties around your body. Of course you are not going to have a one shot miracle drink. Practicing herbalism requires daily use of the herbs to naturally balance your body back to perfection.

It is never too late to look back at history and finding out perhaps there is something worth being knowledgeable about all those "out-dated" ideas afterall. In this day and age we have the perspective and resources to plant our own herbs to cure ourselves naturally.  We become addicted to pain medication, prescription medication, and over the counter medication. It is time to put a stop to the cycle of death that the FDA and other drug companies prop up and instead turn to the cycle of natural healing; the practice of connecting back to our roots (literally).

Modern Implications of Food

Only a fool would not believe that the food you eat is used as fuel for the body. We can only assume that the body is basically an input output mechanism. However, what I want to focus on is the karmic influences which manifest themselves during the eating process, as well as the type of foods that we can eat to propel our body to perfection, vibrating in full light.  Then, we will see how the body can naturally rejuvenate itself, mentally and physically

History has shown that mankind has been modifying certain crops and animal. It is nothing new to say that we are eating genetically modified organisms, however this form of modification comes from the mother earth herself, even though humans had something to do with the fate of the organism's genetics, it still naturally occurred in the earth's cycle of destruction and creation. Take a look at corn. The corn that the natives used to eat back in the day was merely a flower, with very little corn. Over time though humans specifically mated certain types of corn that had the most kernels for producing larger quantities yield. This is only one example of this type of human intervention modification. Consequently, as human technological development took place, we begin to find further mass production of food. Looking back to the first industrial revolution, a surplus of humans were born, due to the abundance of food coming out of giant factories. It sought means of packing food in tiny cans, so it can be readily available for a long time. Moving forward, science can now splice the genes of one fruit and combine them with another to create a bunch of hybridized food. Furthermore, scientists can now make crops resistant to certain types of prey by genetically altering the plant's defensive mechanisms and internally workings. 

With this technological breakthrough, I find that we lost track of the meaning of eating and the spiritual implications that follow it. Such as in the great works of the bible, it exclaims pray should be before every meal, by analyzing that further, we are offering a pray for the substance we are consuming. It is showing gratitude for the divine creation of the universe, the process of destruction and creation. Loving and thanking for the meal at hand. In all cultures we find that people have there own way of either blessing a food, certain dietary diets, and saying certain frequencies before meals, to respect the animal's sacrifice, contrary to today's mass production of meat products. 

 Now lets imagine this era, with bombarding radio waves, wifi frequencies, cellular frequencies and communications. At certain frequencies "Every cell pulsates, reflects and interacts with acoustic oscillations of the medium. Even the earth and sun vibrate in unison based on a main rhythm of 160 minutes. Each musical note is therefore united to non-audible notes of higher octaves, and each symphony to other symphonies that we do not hear, and although they make our cells oscillate and possibly resonate. Even DNA has it’s own melody. The musical nature of nuclear matter from atoms to galaxies is now recognized by official science."3 In " Molecules of Emotion," by Candice Pert, Ph.D. It is not surprising to find that modern forms of communication have harmful effects to the body like causing brain cancer is one example for cellphone use. Furthermore, in combination with eating Genetic Modified Organisms, that was not produced under normal natural circumstances, and the harmful frequencies existing in our air, one can only deduce that whatever entity that controls this time is doing an all out assault on the mind of humans by unlocking certain DNA that has been ingested unknowingly, to subvert the mind's decisions.

Here are some suggestions to protect yourselfs. 

1. Ultimately you want to give thanks to the universe for granting you the ability to process matter to the form of energy. 

2. Eat non junk food items. Eat raw, vegetables, fruits, chicken, all organic if you can. 

3. Water is essential to cleaning out your system. When you drink of water think that you are drinking the purest thing possible, as soon as it enters your mouth imagine it cleaning out all the negativity clouding your mind. 

4.Limit the time you spend around technology and these frequencies. 

5. Exercise your body.

6. Practice mindfulness meditation; controlling your mind's thoughts. 

7. Utilize herbs for aromatherapy and ingestion. 

Certain times people are unthankful for their food, while others would do anything to get a bite of a tiny portion of their plate.  By following a certain system similar to the one mentioned above, you can absolutely have your body rejuvenating physically and mentally.

Stop Worrying

It has been proven that having built up negative emotions like worry, sadness, and anger all affect your health in a bad way. We get these emotions, because we are not satisfied with the outcome of a particular situation that you had expectations for. Stop. Expectation. Having expectations for trivial things is causing inner conflicts within you. It is one thing to have an expectation for yourself, with your goals and aspirations, that is fine, but for things out of your control like other people's emotion or life in general is where it needs to halt, for the fact that it is causing negative vibrations(emotions) on the physical plane and spiritual plane. The fact that you are thinking about it is sending a message to the universe, and the universe responds back with what you fed it. This also leads you to basically eat yourself inside making you vulnerable to many outside sinister forces. One way to combat worrying is to avoid arguments internally and externally, by keeping yourself really busy. You see it is really hard focusing on two things at once. Focusing on your work, you leave no room for those thoughts to appear in your mind. If you truly life live in the now, doing everything with the slightest detail of observation, you begin to foster a mental barrier that shields you from negative thoughts. An old saying my teacher told me one day was, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop".

Living life in the now is also a must to stop the inflictions of these negative emotions. Living life in the now basically boils down to this - for every second that passes it's now in the past, there is also a window for a second to be in the future. You cannot remain present in either or. You are constantly moving forward, along with earth traveling through space at a whopping 1000 miles per hour(1600 km/hr) , there is no reason to look in the past expect to learn from it, and leave it be. There is no need to bring up old arguments and criticize others for past mistakes. Instead focus on you in the now. Plan for the future, but do not expect for the future to act in your favor, regardless of all the planning you do, the future, is undecided, unbiased, and cold. You can't worry that the future is not going to be good, you have hope for the best. You also can't worry in the now,because regardless if you like it or not it is happening without your control.

Therefore, take life in the now, focus on your being, and perfecting yourself, before you judge the character of another. We all must obtain the higher forces within us all. Operating our mind on the highest frequencies, we will be able to progress the human race in a bold, striking force. Being able to put aside everything of fear, worry, doubt, and all the other rotten emotions, your mind is able to focus on what you want it to, so choose higher emotions, like forgiveness, love, peace, creation, and harmony. You being to see the world in a new pair of eyes. You begin to look at people unjudging knowing that they have wills of their own. Each living thing on earth has it is meaning in this universe, why shall you judge, why shall you torment your brothers and sisters, when life itself is too short, and unpredictable. Every person in their heart at some point wants success for themselves, for their family, and friends, but most of the time they are conquested by the negative destruction energy that surrounds them and blocks their creative centers, making it very difficult to obtain growth internally and externally. First begin to understand yourself, train your mind to fight these forces, focus on the now, focus on the beautiful creation of life, it's uniqueness, it's sophistication. Find balance. Bust your ass off creating things, learning new material, and developing yourself physically and emotionally. Before you leave this life, make a mark in history.

Until next time. Wholeness and Balance to all.