Plastic bags should be banned to protect the environment (for the notion)

I am for the notion that plastic bags should be banned to protect the environment.

I believe that nature is not only a treasure full of beauty, utility and vitality, but also a gift of God. It is something we can utilise to satisfy our needs, but not our greed. It is thus a precious gift which we must cherish, protect and preserve. For, after all, we can only live in cooperation with nature.

However, with the advent of technology, man has become greedy and is trying to abuse nature to satisfy his greed. Thus there is progress, but no real development of our spirit.

Man has created a substance called ‘plastic’, which is a boon for our utility and convenience. It has made our life easier in many respects. However, in the long run, it is a bane, a bane for our life, a bane for nature, a bane for all of existence. It is a ‘wonder invention’ but has really done more harm than good.

Plastics are something which we use for a short period and then dispose of. We mindlessly do so, aloof to the consequences of our act. For, plastic takes years to degenerate into the soil. They thus remain on the surface of the earth. Not only are they an eye- sore, but also have other deeper, innumerable consequences.

Being embedded in the soil for so long, plastic affects the fertility of the soil. Without a fertile soil, the plants, our dear living beings, the beginning of the food chain cannot grow into healthy trees. We are all aware of the many beneficial qualities of trees, so just imagine our planet devoid of trees. We cannot even survive in such a situation.

Apart from that, the plastic also acts as a ‘toxic’ or a ‘poison’. Several innocent animals, such as cows, try to eat this plastic left on the ground, unaware of the dangers of doing so. It leads them to choke on it and die a horrendous death. And even if the plastic does not choke them, it enters into their digestive system and harms them from the inside, thus killing them every day. It is a very painful situation. And we don’t have to talk about the further consequences; when a carnivore or the living being on the next level of the food chain consumes this animal with the plastic inside, the problem just spreads across the food chain. The use and dispose of plastic thus unleashes a chain of destruction on the entire environment.

Also, when the plastics are disposed of into the water bodies, it creates a layer on the surface of the water, thus preventing sunlight, oxygen and other nutrients from reaching the rich aquatic life. Also, when the aquatic creatures try to consume the plastic, it poses another chain of problems. Plastic thus harms the aquatic life in a horrendous way and may cause it to dwindle.

For any living being, when an artificial component enters into its existence, it unleashes a lot of havoc. It is thus not just polluting the environment, but also destroying the entire ecosystem.

Ultimately, we are affected as well. For, we are also a part of the ecosystem; we are at the top of the food chain. When all our fellow beings are affected by the ‘problematic plastic’, so are we. We coexist in this world. For, ‘the world is round’ and ‘what goes around , comes around’. The problem created by us will eventually come to bite us back. It is scary, but it is the truth.

So, for our convenience, should we conveniently disregard and neglect our fellow living beings and cause harm to ourselves? Should we really take that risk, of using plastic, polluting our environment and disrupting the ecosystem?

All of us are part of the family of this wonderful planet called Earth. If we are to live a beautiful life and let our fellow living beings and our future generations live a beautiful life as well, we shall have to sacrifice our use of plastic. We must shoulder the responsibilities of changing the world for the better and enriching it for the best.
So, let us opt for the use of biodegradable materials and use cloth or jute bags which can be reused. The next time we go to the market, let us think twice about the havoc we will unleash if we buy plastic. So, let us ‘go green ‘ and adopt the ‘3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ‘. This holds the key to a bright and sustainable future. For, sustainable development is the way to go.

‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’. Let us take that first step and abstain from the use of plastic. And let us take it now, before it is too late.

‘Our future is in our hands’.

This is the stand I firmly believe in.