To the editor:
When we moved to Leelanau County, we knew the area was blessed with pure, abundant natural resources. After joining the League of Women Voters Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I learned how fragile these resources are and what’s required to protect our water, air, and soil. Some of the information is concerning, if not downright frightening.
Our lifestyle has become so intertwined with plastics that micro-plastics (broken down plastic fibers) are now ubiquitous. They’re in our food chain, the air we breathe, and our bodies, and are even found in the unborn. Cancers are rising, especially in young people, while fertility rates are dropping because humans, like most living creatures, cannot process the endocrine disruptors in plastics.
The question is, in light of this emerging knowledge about micro-plastics, will we change our behavior? Will we alter our buying patterns, or shrug it off for others to worry about? Will we rethink taking plastic bags at grocery stores, knowing they take centuries to break down, and that they release microplastic particles into our environment? Will we urge companies to reduce the amount of plastic they use in packaging? Or will we go on as before, trading our health and our children’s health for a bit of convenience.
Every decision to refuse plastic or change buying habits makes a difference. If we all do our part, however small, we can help safeguard our future. With awareness and a little effort we can protect Leelanau’s precious natural bounty for coming generations.
V. Gutowski Elmwood Township
