“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” — Robert Swan, British polar researcher
The ocean is our playground, our race track and relaxation zone, our source of inspiration and thrill. We love it. Not only for the endless opportunities it offers in regard to kiting and windsurfing but also for the power, strength, and beauty it exudes. Without it kiteboarding and windsurfing wouldn’t be the same. Yet this essential part of our lives is seriously threatened.
Huge amounts of garbage, especially plastic, are endangering our oceans and the wildlife living in it. By now, plastic makes up for most of the marine litter worldwide. Experts estimate it at millions of tons. And those numbers are growing. According to the UN more than 8 million tons of plastic leak into the ocean each year equal to dumping a garbage truck of plastic every minute. If we continue dumping items such as plastic bottles, bags, and cups after a single use at our current rate, estimates suggest that by 2050 oceans will carry more plastic than fish. Plastic is particularly harmful to the environment as it doesn’t break down easily. A PET bottle for example takes up to 450 years to completely decompose.
Erik Solheim, head of the UN Environment Programme, said, “It is past time that we tackle the plastic problem that blights our oceans. Plastic pollution is surfing onto Indonesian beaches, settling onto the ocean floor at the North Pole, and rising through the food chain onto our dinner tables. We’ve stood by too long as the problem has gotten worse. It must stop.” Let’s stop it now. Let’s take action and not be the ones to wait for someone else to take care of it.
Join Duotone for the worldwide Duotone Clean Beach Day on May 1st 2019. Find locations and more information here: https://www.duotonesports.com/kiteboarding/cleanbeachday/
Share your experience with the global Duotone community using #cleanthebeach @duotone.kiteboarding and keep an eye on the Duotone Instagram feed and Facebook page to watch how the day goes.