Beneath the blue waters of Trinidad and Tobago, plastic pollution is causing serious damage to marine ecosystems. Every year, over 88,600 tonnes of plastic waste is deposited (沉积) into the ocean around the Caribbean nation, harming marine life and impacting human health.
A new app is aiming to help young people in Trinidad and Tobago, along with other small island developing states, battle against the damage done by plastic pollution. Called Tide Turners, the app was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme with the help of young people. It challenges users to record their plastics consumption and develop an action plan to reduce their use of plastics. It also encourages young people to switch to reusable products and go plastic-free where possible: lifestyle changes that experts say can help stop the flow of plastic into the world’s oceans.
Reducing plastic pollution will take a joint effort from governments, businesses and, especially, youth. Children account for around 30 percent of the population in small island developing states in the Caribbean.
To tackle the plastic pollution challenge, the new app builds on UNEP’s Tide Turners Plastic Challenge Badge, which has so far engaged more than 500,000 young people in youth groups. Along with calling on youth to use less plastic, it encourages them to start campaigns and raise awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Sarah Sobrian, who tested an early version of the app and advised on its development, is keen to get started. “The Tide Turners app is an incredible tool that educates and empowers us to change the situation we face,” she says. “I am incredibly eager to be a part of this and share this experience with those in my life. With this app, we can and will work together to create the impact that we have long wanted to see.”
【小题1】What is the purpose of the Tide Turners app?| A．To help youths to fight against plastic pollution. |
| B．To track marine life populations in the Caribbean. |
| C．To help the young to develop the small island states. |
| D．To encourage businesses to switch to plastic-free packaging. |
| A．They have more free time than adults. |
| B．They have access to funding the new app. |
| C．They are the main contributors to plastic waste. |
| D．They make up about one-third of the population. |
| A．Suspicious. | B．Favorable. | C．Indifferent. | D．Objective. |
| A．A new app can turn the situation around. |
| B．Plastic pollution is a serious threat to marine ecosystems. |
| C．Governments make great efforts to reduce plastic pollution. |
| D．Trinidad and Tobago are suffering from serious plastic pollution. |
