TheUbiquitous\"WhiteGhost\" 無處不在的“白色幽靈
Plastic,one of the greatest inventions of the20th century,has now becomean “invisible killer”ofthe Earth.Globally,about40O million tons of plastic are produced annually,halfof which are single-use items.These plastic products,oftenused forjustafewminutes,can take hundreds of years to degrade.Even worse,they don't truly disappear butbreak down into microplastics,spreadingevery corner of the planet:
Plastic in the Ocean:About8 million tons of plastic flow into the ocean each year,equivalent to dumping a garbage truck of plastic every minute.Heartbreaking scenes includesea turtles mistaking plastic bags for food and seabirds getting trappedbyplastic rings.
Plastic in Soil: Plastic mulch and microplastic particles in fertilizers are polluting ourfoodchain.
Plastic in the Air:Scientists have even found microplastics in Arctic snow samples, showing how they spread globally through atmosphericcirculation.


塑料,20世紀最偉大的發明之一,如今卻成了地球的“隱形殺手”。全球每年生產約4億噸塑料,其中一半是一次性用品。這些塑料制品僅使用幾分鐘,卻往往需要數百年才能降解。更糟糕的是,它們并不會真正消失,而是分解成微塑料,傳播到地球的各個角落:
海洋中的塑料:每年有大約800萬噸塑料流入海洋,相當于每分鐘傾倒一車的塑料垃圾。海龜誤食塑料袋、海鳥被塑料環卡住脖子的畫面令人心痛。
土壤中的塑料:農田里的塑料地膜和肥料中的微塑料顆粒,正在污染我們的食物鏈。
空氣中的塑料:科學家甚至在北極的雪樣中發現了微塑料,它們通過大氣循環傳播到全球。
What Can We Do?
我們能做什么?
Reducing plastic pollution is something everyonecan contributeto.Herearesome simpleand practical suggestions:
While Shopping
- Bring your own eco-friendly bags and refuse single-use plastic bags.
- Choose bulk goods to reduce packaging waste.
- Buy reusable products like glass lunch boxesand metal straws.

While Dining
- Carry your own water bottle and avoid bottled water.
- Refuse single-use utensils when eating out.
- Opt for dining in instead of takeout to reduceplasticcontaineruse.
At Home
- Use natural cleaning tools like wooden brushes or loofahs.
- Try making your own natural cleaning products to reduceplasticbottlewaste.
- Choose personal care items with plastic-freepackaging.
At Work
- Use refillable pens instead of disposable ones.
- Opt for digital documents to reduce plasticfolderuse.
- Bring your own lunch to avoid plasticwrappedfastfood.

減少塑料污染,每個人都可以成為改變的力量。以下是一些簡單易行的實用建議:
購物時
-自帶環保袋,不使用一次性塑料袋。
-選擇散裝商品,減少包裝垃圾。
-購買可重復使用的產品,如玻璃飯盒、金屬吸管。
就餐時
-自帶水杯,不喝瓶裝水。
-外出就餐時,不使用一次性餐具。
-選擇堂食而非外賣,減少塑料餐盒的使用。
居家時
-使用天然材質的清潔工具(如木刷、絲瓜絡)。
-試著自制天然清潔用品,減少塑料瓶垃圾的產生。
-選擇無塑料包裝的個人護理用品
辦公時
-使用可充墨的鋼筆,不使用一次性筆。
·選擇電子文檔,減少塑料文件夾的使用。
-自帶午餐,不食用帶塑料包裝的快餐。

The Power of Collective Action集體行動的力量
While individual efforts matter, collective action can drive systemic change:
Support Environmental Policies:Such as plastic bans orbottle deposit systems.
Join Community Activities:Participate in beach cleanups or waste sorting campaigns.
Vote with Your Wallet: Support brands that use eco-friendly packaging.
個人的努力固然重要,但集體的行動更能帶來系統性的改變:
支持環保政策:如限塑令、塑料瓶押金制。
參與社區活動:加入海灘清理、垃圾分類宣傳活動。
用消費投票:支持使用環保包裝的品牌。

The Solution to Plastic Pollution: Innovationand Hope
塑料污染的終結者:創新與希望
Technologyisofferingsolutionstoplastic pollution:
Biodegradable Plastics:Made from materialslikecornstarchorseaweed.
Plastic Recycling Technology: Turning wasteplasticintofuelornewmaterials.
Package-FreeStores:A growing global retailtrend.
科技正在為塑料污染提供解決方案:
生物降解塑料:用玉米淀粉、海藻等原料制成的可降解材料
塑料回收技術:將廢舊塑料轉化為燃料或新原料。
無包裝商店:全球興起的新型零售模式。
OurChoices,Earth'sFuture我們的選擇,地球的未來
Every straw you refuse and every reusable shoppingbag you use isa promise to the Earth.Plastic pollution is not the responsibilityofasingle countryor group buta challenge forall humanity.As environmentalists say,“We do not inherit the Earth from ourancestors;we borrow it fromourchildren.\"
Next time you're about to use a single-useplastic item,remember:Your choices are shaping the future of the planet.Let's starttodayandprove that changebeginswitheachofus!
每一根被拒絕使用的吸管,每一個被重復使用的購物袋,都是對地球的一份承諾。塑料污染不是某個國家或群體的責任,而是全人類共同面對的挑戰。正如環保主義者所說:“我們沒有繼承地球,而是向子孫后代借用了它。
下次當你準備使用一次性塑料制品時,請記住:你的選擇,正在塑造地球的未來。讓我們從今天開始,用行動證明:改變,從每個人做起!

WordBank
degrade/di'greid/v.降解;分解
Whenexposed to light the materialswill degrade.
disposable /dr'sp?uz?bl/adj.一次性的
It isvitalto stopusingdisposable chopsticks to protect forests.