Some George Heriot’s pupils, along with The Royal Scottish Geographical Society, went to the University of Edinburgh to hear a talk by Catherine Gemmell from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS). Catherine thinks of herself as an Ocean Optimist meaning that she doesn’t just focus on the negatives of the current situation with plastic pollution, but the positive things that can be done. She talked about how as part of the MCS she does lots of beach cleans and data gathering, which can go towards making a difference at local, national and international levels. She encourages people to get involved with the beach cleans and to record everything they find to help provide even more accurate statistics. The MCS have created a Good Fish Guide so you can check how the populations of the fish you are eating are doing and make sure you avoid the fish that are the most threatened. The MCS have got lots of other great projects running, including the Wet Wipe Monster Project, which is trying to get people to stop flushing wipes down the toilet and to put them in the bin instead, as they stay in the environment for a very long time. Some brands say their wipes are flushable, even if they are not. The unflushable wipes end up blocking the sewers, which could lead to very inconvenient problems!
Catherine has been working with schools to help teach children about the oceans, why they need protecting, and what can be done about the issue. It was an amazing talk about the things we can all do to help make a difference to the oceans and the marine life that inhabits them.
To find out more about the great work of the MCS, click here.
Post written by Sarah Cayzer, S3, and Eleanor Cameron, S1, of George Heriot’s EARTH Team
