When I read the article titled “No end to plastic pollution” in the weekend edition of Aug. 16th, it prompted me to pen this letter.

Whether you’re dipping a toe into the Susquehanna River, kayaking on the Loyalsock Creek, or playing in the surf of the Outer Banks, you’re connected to 97% of all water on Earth.

The ocean regulates the weather, moving heat from the equator to the poles and absorbing excess carbon from the atmosphere while providing a home for countless species.

What we take out of the ocean (seafood) and what we put in (plastics, discarded fishing gear, excess carbon) have a cost. The greatest dangers facing the ocean today, including plastic pollution and threats to biodiversity, have global and lasting consequences.

It is important to remember the individual cost to vulnerable ocean dwelling species and what it will mean for those populations if the ocean continues to bear the brunt of humanity’s impact.

Plastic consumes our lives from grocery bags, plates, table ware, cups, soda and detergent bottles to automobile parts, with little thought to where it ends up.

One small thing we all can do when we go out to eat and order a drink, is just skip the straw. I’m sure you don’t use one at home so why do you need one when you’re dining out? We must reduce our usage of plastics. This would be a start.

RON BEACH

Montoursville

Submitted by email