Local river affects ocean health

Blytheville Courier News

Monday, June 8 was World Oceans Day, a day recognized by the United Nations and celebrated with over 400 environmentalist events each year. This year's theme is "Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet."

While Blytheville is more than 400 miles away from the nearest ocean, it is near the United States' second longest river, the Mississippi River which is about 2,320 miles long. At the mouth of this river in Louisiana is the Gulf of Mexico, nestled in the Atlantic Ocean. This makes the Mississippi river's ocean the Atlantic, and how waste is handled in Blytheville effects the Atlantic and the wildlife in it.

Every year over 8 million tons of trash end up in the world's oceans, including the Atlantic. Eighty percent of that trash comes from land, whether it's blown by the wind or washed down by rivers such as our mighty Mississippi River.

According to reports by the nonprofit organization Living Lands and Waters, which focuses on pulling trash from the Mississippi, large amounts of trash has been pulled from its waters over the last 15 years:

-- 67,000 tires

-- 218 washing machines

-- 19 tractors

-- 12 bathtubs

-- 1,000 refrigerators

-- Over 7 million pounds of plastics and trash

All of this trash was on its way to the Atlantic. Ninety percent of the trash recovered is recycled.

St. Louis Today published a report that listed the Mississippi as the second most polluted waterway in the U.S. Most of the garbage comes from storm water runoff, illegal dumping of trash and fishing or water related recreational activities.

While efforts are being made to pull trash from the Mississippi, it is not enough on a local level. The trash and plastic that isn't collected strangles wildlife and causes organ failure when ingested. The toxins released from metallic items dumped into the river also have a profound effect - when the toxicity level rises dangerously, washing out into the Gulf it kills shrimp, tuna and other well fished species of marine life. When this marine life is affected it affects the entire ecosystem, which in turn even affects humans when certain food sources are scarce due to water/ocean pollution.

The World Oceans Day organization is especially focusing on removing plastics from waterways this year with the Better Bag Challenge, where they encourage everyone to take the "challenge" and swap your plastic bags for reusable bags. Available at many of our local convenience stores such as Walmart, Kroger and Walgreens, reusable shopping bags are available and some of these stores even offer a discount for bringing your own bags.

For more information on how to help oceans and local waterways, please visit www.worldoceansday.org or post a picture of friends and families using reusable bags on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #BetterBagChallenge.

kevans@blythevillecourier.com