Reflection

Reflection

Every school year, we learn about building environmental resilience–how we can protect and help our ocean recover from pollution and damage. We learn how plastic harms marine life and how humans have a responsibility to save the ocean. But whenever I go to the beach I can’t help but notice how plastic pollution is only increasing. Year after year the irony is that many of us- including myself-don’t take action to build that resilience. This made me disappointed in myself and others because we know the problem and what we can do, but it seems like most people aren’t helping. My artwork is commenting on this contradiction. My drawing depicted a girl my age looking at a fish surrounded by plastic trash. Although she sees the pollution, she doesn’t try to clean out the trash or help the fish. This reflects how we often acknowledge environmental problems but struggle to act on them. Environmental resilience doesn’t come from just learning or knowing the problems; it requires us to face the fact that humans need to take action. My drawing is trying to encourage us to not just be aware of ocean pollution but actually trying to protect the ocean and its inhabitants. Sometimes I feel like only one person who can’t do anything to protect the ocean but, by sharing this with others, hopefully I can inspire others to contribute to efforts to reduce ocean pollution.