{"id":599486,"date":"2025-01-10T08:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T13:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/US\/?p=599486"},"modified":"2025-01-13T10:22:34","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T15:22:34","slug":"umber-birds-eye-view-of-microplastic-menace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/US\/my-missions\/umber-birds-eye-view-of-microplastic-menace\/","title":{"rendered":"Umber Bird\u2019s Eye View of the Great Lakes Microplastic Menace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Wait\u2026 IT IS A BIRD!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahoy, Earth Rangers! Umber the double-crested Cormorant at your service! If you\u2019re here, that must mean you\u2019re a fan of the Great Lakes, just like me! Why am I such a fan of the Great Lakes, you ask? Have you seen their beautiful shores? They\u2019re the perfect place for a bird like me to live!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Hold on\u2026 you\u2019ve been sent here by Sheriff Pickles to track down that pesky Single-Use Plastic Gang?! Oh, I know a ton about plastic here. There\u2019s a ton of microplastic in these waters!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are microplastics? They\u2019re tiny pieces of plastic that come from bigger plastic items breaking down over time. But, unlike compost and food, plastic doesn\u2019t decompose \u2013 it never truly goes away.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A PLASTIC PROBLEM FOR THE GREAT LAKES<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every year, around 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes, eventually turning into microplastics. Fish can take in tiny microplastics just by swimming!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t just bad for fish. Animals like me drink the water and swallow these microplastics. And animals that eat fish, like sea otters, end up with microplastics too.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Let’s not forget about people! Over 40 million people depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water, which means microplastics affect them as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EARTH RANGERS TO THE RESCUE!<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We need you \u2013 not just<\/strong> Sheriff Pickle\u2019s team to stop this microplastic menace! The Great Lakes aren\u2019t the only places under threat \u2013 lakes all over the world need our help. But we <\/strong>have the power to fight back! Let\u2019s defeat single-use plastics by replacing them with eco-friendly, reusable picnic dishes!<\/p>\n\n\n

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How can you help? Here are some ideas to get started:<\/p>\n\n\n\n