If you treat the sea badly, the sea will retaliate. And somehow it sends back to you the garbage you infest it with. This is, in short, the moral of the story we tell you. Thanks to a report released on the occasion of last World Oceans Day (June 8), it turned out that mussels purchased in British supermarkets were infested with microplastics.
To be precise, according to research by the University of Hull and Brunel University of London, 70 microplastic particles were found per 100 grams of mussels. A disturbing finding that indicates, once again, the “plasticization” that is taking place in the world’s seas: most serious that the fragments were found in mollusks, which in fact constitute the natural filtering systems of the waters.
Very little is still known about microplastics-we don’t know if they make it past the walls of our digestive system, but certainly, we were told by the Department of Biosciences at the University of Milan (where the effects of microplastics in fresh water are being studied, thanks to a supermicroscope that we will tell you about shortly), they can be the “base” for transporting other contaminants.
In short, the future is catastrophic if we don’t roll up our sleeves. We would like to remind you that you can all do something by joining our Medplastic project, joining the Medplastic Team Facebook group, requesting a sticker to put on your boat, and becoming testimonials of the initiative and “activist” sailors. By picking up plastic you encounter along your sailings, and posting the photo to the Facebook group or the inbox of the Sail Newspaper’s Instagram page (@giornaledellavela), you will take part in the “No Plastic” contest and win lots of prizes.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INSTAGRAM CONTEST “NO PLASTIC”
1. Starting June 1, take a photo (or record a video) every time you see, collect or prevent litter at sea (sticking to the theme: Time to take Action)
2. Like Giornale della Vela on Instagram and Facebook and send it to the @giornaledellavela inbox on Instagram (or post it on the MedPlastic Team Facebook group): remember to include where and when it was taken and hashtag #MedPlastic
3. The GdV will republish it and the photo that takes the most votes over the year will be the winner (with awards at VELAFestival 2019). We will award not only the first place winner!
THE SPIRIT OF MEDPLASTIC
Thanks to all the active users of the Medplastic Group, who share daily insights, useful news, decalogues, ideas, and alternative zero-impact products. This must be the spirit of Medplastic. The health of the Mediterranean (and ours) depends on ourselves. We are working hard, to be a sounding board and convey on our channels a huge issue (also check out www.medplastic.org). A problem to which we can, and must, find a solution quickly. Those who have already started/structured projects to propose to us, please send an email to savethemed@gmail.com
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