#PlanetEarth is facing a greater threat of climate change right now than ever before in recorded history. Massive impacts are visible on every level. Glaciers are melting, deforestation is rampant, and plastic garbage is taking over the sea. Tens of thousands of gallons of polluted water were emptied into Biscayne Bay in preparation for Hurricane Ian. These are very troubling times indeed.

Plastic waste has played a leading role in endangering marine life. Sure, it is convenient to use something once and throw it away, but single-use plastic items take hundreds of years to decay. According to an estimate, fifty percent of plastic on planet Earth is manufactured to be used just one time and then thrown away. It gives us an idea of how rapidly plastic trash is accumulating.

If Tampa City Council wants to limit the use of plastics, it is imperative that they be allowed to do so. They tried to pass a resolution in 2020 that would have addressed this issue in part by banning single-use plastic items and styrofoam products, but it was overturned because Florida does not allow cities to make these regulations. Their resolution had several limitations, however, and it would have only applied to major events on city properties. 

Some people doubt whether Tampa residents are willing and able to make a commitment to protecting the environment. If they doubt our resolve, they should consider the fact that several Tampa area groups participated in Ecochallenge in July of 2022, in which the Reduce Your Use Tampa Bay team alone prevented 8,000 single-use plastic items from ending up in landfills. 

Obviously, banning plastics will take a financial toll on businesses. The state should help them transition their manufacturing power to produce alternative materials, providing assistance until they are able to support themselves once again. 

Other states have done much more to limit their reliance upon plastics, and Florida needs to follow suit and start allowing cities to ban these items. We need to expand our efforts to move away from using plastic and styrofoam; and cities need to be allowed to enact these changes of their own accord. Every single step will push us a little bit closer towards making planet Earth a better place to live for human beings as well as for animals.