5 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Plastic Waste

Humans have created enough plastic since the second world war to coat the Earth entirely in clingfilm - no joke. It’s time people ditch their dependency on plastics.

Though people have heard again and again that humanity’s consumption of plastic is both unsustainable and horrid for the environment, few ever do anything about this fact and change their habits. As a result, plastic now pollutes every corner of the Earth, according to The Guardian. Additionally, findings from an international study have found that humans have created enough plastic since the second world war to coat the Earth entirely in clingfilm.


Obviously, it’s time to retire the obsession with single-use plastic products. Because they break down at a glacial rate, they are a detriment to the environment, wildlife and peoples’ health. The following video, titled “5 Things You Didn’t Know About Plastic,” explains why this is so by using a Rube Goldberg machine to follow the journey a plastic bottle takes from “factory to home.”


It’s shown why throwing a plastic cup, straw, plastic bag, or food container into the trash isn’t an acceptable habit, and why everyone needs to reduce their dependency on plastic and start to use reusable containers.

What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!


This article (5 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Plastic Waste [Watch]) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com

Ocean Oxygen Levels Have Dropped Causing Serious Implications For Mankind

Even the smallest change in ocean oxygen levels can have serious impacts on ecosystems.

Latest analysis data has shown that climate change has caused drastic changes to the chemical make-up of the oceans, decreasing the amount of oxygen in the sea water. These findings are added to the huge impact on the ice caps and glaciers, as well as the increasing levels of carbon dioxide, according to recent reports. The results of the analysis which took place over the past 50 years, gathering data from a range of parameters from ocean salinity to temperature, was published in Nature.

They calculated that over these five decades the world’s oceans have lost an average of two percent of their total oxygen. Whilst this may sound like a reasonably small percentage, researchers have noted that the smallest drop in oxygen concentration in the ocean is enough to completely alter specific ecosystems, which includes the formation of dead zones. The reports state that the crucial reason as to why oceans are losing their oxygen is simply owed to the heating of the water. Reports have stated that “As the oceans warm, their ability to trap dissolved oxygen decreases, which is why colder waters on Earth contain a lower concentration of the gas”. In addition to this, the warming of the ocean is also creating another effect. As the water warming is generally contained to the upper levels of the oceans, it then decreases the density of the water at the surface, which then prevents it from dropping down to the deeper depths and taking the life-giving and essential oxygen with it.

The result of this drop in ocean oxygen could be catastrophic when combined with the array of other impacts that climate change is currently having. As the polar ice caps melt, the increase in fresh water is expected to disrupt the ocean currents, which then, in turn, could be driving the abnormal weather conditions that have been seen in the past few winters over much of Northern Europe and America. Although the increase in carbon dioxide does have some benefit for some organisms, it is likely to be hugely harmful to many others. In addition to this, those creatures who have calcium carbonate shells will simply dissolve away due to the increasing acidity of the water, which will include the vast coral reefs in the tropics.

Together with the acidity, the rising surface ocean temperatures also directly harm the living organisms and have also been the main factor in creating the worst bleaching event ever recorded on the most biodiverse habitat on Earth; the Great Barrier Reef. The northern latitudes are also severely affected by the rising temperatures, due to the ranges of cold water fish, including cod, trout, and redfish, now thought to be shifting north as they are seeking out cooler waters. An estimation has been given of over 3 billion people that depend on a healthy marine environment for their livelihoods. This means that as climate change begins to radically impact various ecosystems, it will have a drastic knock-on effect on the future of those individuals, which will then go on to seriously affect all of mankind.

What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!

This article (Ocean Oxygen Levels Have Dropped Causing Serious Implications For Mankind) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and True Activist.

Johnson & Johnson Will Stop Selling Plastic Cotton Buds To Combat Marine Pollution

The plastic cotton buds are the sixth most common type of litter found on our beaches.


Multinational corporation and well-known brand Johnson & Johnson has announced plans to stop selling their plastic cotton buds, which are one of the most common items of litter found on Britain’s beaches. The decision was made following a campaign to cut marine pollution, which largely consists of unrecycled plastics, and promises to stop selling the plastic cotton buds in half of the countries in the world. The company has said that they will use paper as the stick of the buds as an alternative, according to recent reports.





Dr. Clare Cavers from the Scottish environmental charity Fidra, which ran a campaign to persuade people to stop using plastic cotton buds, said,


“We commend Johnson & Johnson for leading this change in product material, it is an important part of the solution to the growing problem of plastic pollution in our seas. A step change in consumer behaviour is needed to ensure people dispose of waste responsibly and only flush toilet paper. The message cannot be strong enough that only the three Ps (pee, toilet paper and poo) should be flushed, and anything else should go in a bin.”

Plastic cotton buds are the sixth most common type of litter that was found on Britain’s beaches throughout 2016, according to recordings made by the Marine Conservation Society. Although guidelines state that cotton buds should always be thrown into a bin, many are flushed down toilets where they then reach the beaches through the sewer system. Plastic does not degrade as paper does, meaning that it is likely to persist in the natural world for centuries, which then attracts and concentrates an array of poisonous chemicals in the sea. When paper cotton buds are used in the place of plastic, they will get waterlogged and settle out of the wastewater before they would reach the beach, before they would then gradually degrade.

The company’s group marketing manager, Niamh Finan, said, “We recognise that our products have an environmental footprint, and that’s why we have actively switched our cotton buds range from plastic to a paper stick.” The United Nations has also warned that plastic debris in the sea poses a serious threat to human health, and experts have warned that plastic should be treated as a toxic substance once it gets into the environment. With the equivalent of one rubbish truck full of plastic being dumped into the ocean every minute, serious changes need to be made before it is too late. Current statistics show that if the rate of the amount of plastic ending up in the ocean continues, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by 2050. Despite a multitude of awareness campaigns and prediction reports that are widely publicized about the danger of excessive plastic usage as it is today, only 5 percent of plastics are recycled effectively, whilst 40 percent end up in landfill sites, and a third in fragile ecosystems, which includes the oceans. Conservationists hope to see many other huge corporations follow suit by using environmentally friendly alternatives to their popular products.

What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!

This article (Johnson & Johnson Will Stop Selling Plastic Cotton Buds To Combat Marine Pollution) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and True Activist.

Western Ringtail Possums listed as 'rare or likely to become extinct'.

Phoebe - ready for release

Our beautiful Phoebe, a Western Ring Tail Possum who was orphaned when she fell of her Mummies back as she was branch hopping between the trees, is now ready to be a big girl in the wild. Joslyn hand reared Phoebe for several months until she had gained enough weight to be released. Phoebe has been out the the past several nights, racing across the deck, trying to climb windows and waking us up. We think she has ventured further a field now as we don't hear her, but every morning we find her fast asleep in her pouch. She is not eating the food we leave out for her, so she must be getting enough to eat during the night. Western Ring Tail Possums love Peppermint Tree leaves and we have plenty of those in our backyard.

There is little knowledge of the social behaviour of Western Ringtail Possums. They are said to be very solitary and mostly live on their own, but our Phoebe loves it when we spend time with her while she is in her pouch. We don't handle her anymore as she needs to learn to be a wild child, but she knows where she can be safe and warm.

The Western Ringtail Possum is listed as a threatened species. Their legal status under the EPBC Act (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) is "Vulnerable" and under the West Australian Wildlife Conservation Act (1950) they are listed as 'rare or likely to become extinct'. We are so blessed to have Phoebe here, she can join Polly who is our resident wild possum.

Phoebe came to us from licensed wildlife carers Pauline and Kevin at Dreamers Dream Wildlife Rehabilitation in Mount Barker. This is now our Sammie Jo's new home. We are guided by their expertise and knowledge during Phoebes release stage.

"It is such a privilege to share our backyard with a species that cannot be found anywhere else on this entire planet."

Albany has it all!!

Why the Albany Region is a compelling choice for a relaxing discovery break.

Dedicated Discoverer - Want to escape the daily grind? Looking for an authentic experience? Looking for adventure?

Aspirational Achievers - Do you view travel and holidays as a reward for your hard work and success in life? Are you looking for a wine, food and activity based holiday?

Experience Seekers (International) - Do you want to challenge yourself? Visit authentic destinations off the tourist route? Exposure to unique and compelling experiences? Grow as an individual and stay healthy?

Discover the Albany Region and enjoy a memorable experience in a nature based environment.
Make the change from Visiting to Discovering and Experiencing.

Albany and our surrounding region offer tourists an experience like no other.
Boasting seven National Parks and 49 pristine beaches, local attractions, beautiful natural surrounds and wildlife, farmers markets, events and festivals, restaurants, bars and shops — Albany has it all.

Add to this the surrounding offerings all within an easy drive— pristine beaches, national parks and a wonderful selection of regional wineries — Albany Region is a tourism destination which truly has something for everyone.

Autumn at HideAway Haven

Autumn in the Albany Region

Autumn at HideAway Haven - our favourite season

"bliss in the bush"

"Yet Autumn is here, like another Spring,
a ministering, kindly season, healing the wounds of that too ardent love
which Summer gave.  - C. J. Dennis

The mornings are cool and crisp with mist settling into the valleys. Watch the sun rise and mist lift as you sit on your deck, wrapped up in your cosy white gown with a warm cuppa in warming your hands.

With a huge variety of beautiful natural scenery and so many things to do and experience, Albany Region is a destination to discover and experience in autumn. 

Albany’s mild and mostly-sunny autumn weather is absolutely perfect for enjoying the outdoors on a picnic or a long hike in one of our many National Parks.  See our Walks and Hike guide.  Some days the weather is warm enough to spend the day at the beach and enjoy a swim in the crystal blue waters of the Southern Ocean.  

And to mix it up a little there will be some cool and rainy days to entice you to go for a scenic drive, wine tasting or maybe a long winery lunch at one of the many wineries in our region.

"Make the change from visiting to discovering and experiencing the Albany Region" 

I love seeing the open ocean stretching endlessing into the distance.

Albany Region for the Experience Seeker

In every out-thrust headland,

in every curving beach,

in every grain of sand

there is the story of the earth. 

- Rachel Carson

John will take you closer to the awesome coastline of Albany than any other boat trip and at an exciting and exhilarating pace with his Wave Rider. Leaving Discovery Bay John will take you on a adventure around Bald Head towards the new viewing platform at The Gap.

On your return John will take you to see Limestone Head, Bald Head, Isthmus, Salmon Holes, Peak Head, Jimmy Newells Harbour, Cable Beach and much more. John is working on plans to make this a regular trip.

I love seeing the open ocean stretching forth endlessly into the distance and riding the waves on that open ocean was just awesome.

SKYPRINTS was aboard the wave with their drone, so their is some awesome footage on their facebook page.