It was appalling to read the news item, “An uninhabited island of trash” (May 17), that mentioned the dismal condition of Henderson Island, a tiny, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where researchers were astonished to find an estimated 38 million pieces of trash, most of it plastic, washed up on its beaches. . The fact that the island is a UNESCO World Heritage site makes the finding even more ironical. Our relation with plastics, considered unequivocally as a major enemy of the environment, needs revisiting. The continuous and unrelentless use of plastic and its accumulation across the world pose a serious threat to the environment. Although there are curbs and restrictions on their use in individual countries, all this goes in vain if implementation is tardy. A push for alternatives, awareness about the perils of using plastics, and, more importantly, strong community will are needed for any real changes to become visible on the ground. Environment and climate change is an area all nations have to focus their energies on and act expeditiously together.
Atin Sharma,
Jammu
