Plastics
Dear Editor: Imagine that a product every one of us uses every day has harmful medical effects that no one suspected, no one told us about, and likely affect every single person in the world at some level. Now imagine… you could start to do something about it if you only knew what that product was.
What is this surprising, unknown health threat? One word: Plastics.
Plastics, including disposable plastic bags, break down into tiny pieces, called microplastics. These microplastics attract toxic chemicals. Microplastics are being eaten by plankton which are being eaten by fish. Plastic is working its way up the food chain into the fish and shellfish that we eat.
When they enter the body, some chemicals in plastics can alter and act like human hormones. These hormones can produce many health-related problems, such as early puberty in females, reduced sperm counts, and increased rates of cancers especially in small children and fetuses (Yang et al. 2011)
So is there something we can start to do to reduce the amount of plastic getting into our fish and our food? One small thing, and a good starting point, is using fewer disposable plastic bags. Switching to reusable bags and using less plastic is a sustainable behavior we can choose to change.
Our health is just one reason Bags for Change is encouraging people to use less one-time-use plastic bags and encouraging people to use more reusable bags. Will using fewer plastic bags solve the plastic or the health problems? No. But it will move us in the right direction on health and improve our resilient/sustainable habits while also reducing waste, marine animal deaths, and litter.
For those interested, the Sitka Assembly will consider legislation to reduce both disposable plastic and paper bag use in Sitka starting Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Sitka Assembly meeting. We encourage you to come and help us start a new era in Sitka that has far less plastic in it.
Michelle Putz, Sitka
‘Rock the Dock’
Dear Editor: I wanted to express a big salmon-loving thank you to the community of Sitka for the great success of “Rock the Dock” with Stand for Salmon this past weekend. There is a long list of folks who deserve thanks and recognition for bringing Sitka together to celebrate wild salmon and take action together to protect salmon habitat.
Thank you: to the Sitka Police for all they do to serve this community; to all of the musicians that performed during the show, including Azlan Miley, Los Shotgun Locos, Joey Stamps and Friends, The Sitka Blues Band, and Dirty Skeeze; to Joey Stamps for organizing the musicians and Savannah Pomplin at Sailing Saint Tattoo for providing organizing and artistic support; to John and Sharyn Ferrick for providing support with the stage and sound and lighting equipment; to Patrick O’Donnell and Mary Magnuson of the Mean Queen for helping brainstorm this event, guiding me through the permitting; to the food vendors and restaurants who fed the party, including Captain Juju’s, Primo’s Teriyaki and Beak Restaurant; to Bruce Gazaway for helping us meet food permitting requirements; to the harbormaster office for incredible support of Rock the Dock; Sabra Jenkins for donating fabric for Stand For Salmon prayer flags; Cara Murray for the beautiful and creative Stand For Salmon linocut blocks and stamps; and many more.
Our biggest thanks of all go to everyone who attended Rock the Dock and all of our countless Stand For Salmon volunteers and supporters – you are the reason for this movement! Stand For Salmon is about community, our shared resources, the importance of protecting our way of life for future generations and bringing all of us together as a community, across Southeast and all of Alaska. Thank you for the laughter and merriment that everyone brought in support of the salmon we all depend on for our livelihoods. What is more Southeast Alaskan than dancing in the rain on a blustery fall evening, twirling in our rain gear, and celebrating the salmon that make our life here possible? Our combined talents, voices, and energy can accomplish amazing things and that’s why I am so excited for the power to be in your hands to vote yes for salmon this November.
Heather Bauscher,
Tongass Community Organizer,
Sitka Conservation Society
