A dash of Hope in the plastic soup
Elated that her mission had been accomplished, Hope decided to indulge in some kind of restful recession. She thought that life couldn’t have been so disappointing and bleak, and that the harrowing scenes of war should be replaced at once with fond images and people thriving.
She had heard that London was the perfect destination for someone who wanted to let off steam and taste the experience of a multi-cultural society. A bustling city, teeming with shops, eateries, glamorous theatres, striking landmarks, lush parks, and entertainment facilities that cater to all tastes.
As soon as she landed, she set about strolling along Thames, the Royal River which flows through the city. There it stood, Thames reigned noble and posh, with its bridges and floating vessels dashing up and down the river. While she was walking she heard a muffled sound. She stepped closer and she saw a bird which looked like a seagull. It was covered with a plastic bag and it could barely breathe. Hope decisively pulled the bag off its body and rubbed its wings so that it would get warmer. After taking care of it for two consecutive days in the biting cold, the bird finally regained its consciousness. It then went on to explain to Hope how inconsiderate people had been and how factories and industries had tipping their contents into the rivers, not to mention the floating means of transport which had been producing noxious gases at the expense of residents and marine creatures. Fortunately, over the last two decades, thanks to the joint effort of both the residents and the government, pollution had been deterred.
“Would you care for a flying tour?” the gull asked. In the meantime, hundreds of other birds had gathered and were listening to the gull’s gripping account. Hope nodded and they all decided to take her to a faraway place, where she would see up close a rare sight. In a matter of a few hours they were flying over the pacific coast.
-“Wow!” hope exclaimed. “This is like a floating toy factory! Let’s go and explore it! There are so many colourful objects up above!”
-“Don’t jump to conclusions cutie!” the gull said. “Wait until we get closer. Welcome to the pacific garbage patch!”
-“Oh my God! What is all this? This is so massive! So inconceivable! And it seems to be endless.” Hope muttered.
-“It is, and guess what? All this plastic soup contains bottles and any type of plastic trash you can imagine! It is a floating marine debris which is stationary and is getting bigger and bigger every day.” The gull replied.
Hope could hardly believe what the gull was describing to her and could not get over the extent of the damage. She was now aware that so many marine animals die, since these long-lasting plastics end up in their stomachs. And to make matters worse, this ecological disaster was bound to stay there as human greediness would always be something that prevailed this planet.
-“But there must be something we can do.” Hope cried. “I have got an idea! What if each one of you picked one piece of plastic and carried it in one place so that we can help people gather all the plastic patches? Quickly my friends! We have to let the other birds know! It is never too late and we can do it all together! There are millions of you up there! I can be your captain. Let’s go and polish off this horrendous sight!”
The birds were thrilled at Hope’s idea. Soon enough, thousands of birds were soaring above the pacific coast and were carrying in their beaks bits of plastic.
-“Mission accomplished” said Hope. “At least one part of the problem was addressed. Now humans must take charge! I have to dash off and let them know.”
Elated that her mission had been accomplished, Hope decided to indulge in some kind of restful recession. She thought that life couldn’t have been so disappointing and bleak, and that the harrowing scenes of war should be replaced at once with fond images and people thriving.
She had heard that London was the perfect destination for someone who wanted to let off steam and taste the experience of a multi-cultural society. A bustling city, teeming with shops, eateries, glamorous theatres, striking landmarks, lush parks, and entertainment facilities that cater to all tastes.
As soon as she landed, she set about strolling along Thames, the Royal River which flows through the city. There it stood, Thames reigned noble and posh, with its bridges and floating vessels dashing up and down the river. While she was walking she heard a muffled sound. She stepped closer and she saw a bird which looked like a seagull. It was covered with a plastic bag and it could barely breathe. Hope decisively pulled the bag off its body and rubbed its wings so that it would get warmer. After taking care of it for two consecutive days in the biting cold, the bird finally regained its consciousness. It then went on to explain to Hope how inconsiderate people had been and how factories and industries had tipping their contents into the rivers, not to mention the floating means of transport which had been producing noxious gases at the expense of residents and marine creatures. Fortunately, over the last two decades, thanks to the joint effort of both the residents and the government, pollution had been deterred.
“Would you care for a flying tour?” the gull asked. In the meantime, hundreds of other birds had gathered and were listening to the gull’s gripping account. Hope nodded and they all decided to take her to a faraway place, where she would see up close a rare sight. In a matter of a few hours they were flying over the pacific coast.
-“Wow!” hope exclaimed. “This is like a floating toy factory! Let’s go and explore it! There are so many colourful objects up above!”
-“Don’t jump to conclusions cutie!” the gull said. “Wait until we get closer. Welcome to the pacific garbage patch!”
-“Oh my God! What is all this? This is so massive! So inconceivable! And it seems to be endless.” Hope muttered.
-“It is, and guess what? All this plastic soup contains bottles and any type of plastic trash you can imagine! It is a floating marine debris which is stationary and is getting bigger and bigger every day.” The gull replied.
Hope could hardly believe what the gull was describing to her and could not get over the extent of the damage. She was now aware that so many marine animals die, since these long-lasting plastics end up in their stomachs. And to make matters worse, this ecological disaster was bound to stay there as human greediness would always be something that prevailed this planet.
-“But there must be something we can do.” Hope cried. “I have got an idea! What if each one of you picked one piece of plastic and carried it in one place so that we can help people gather all the plastic patches? Quickly my friends! We have to let the other birds know! It is never too late and we can do it all together! There are millions of you up there! I can be your captain. Let’s go and polish off this horrendous sight!”
The birds were thrilled at Hope’s idea. Soon enough, thousands of birds were soaring above the pacific coast and were carrying in their beaks bits of plastic.
-“Mission accomplished” said Hope. “At least one part of the problem was addressed. Now humans must take charge! I have to dash off and let them know.”
