Small acts can have big changes to end plastic pollution

Seven-year old Abigail Subrath, founder of Abbytopia of Hope is appealing for changes to be made today or else it will be her generation faced with the problem of plastic pollution in the future.

Subrath through the non-profit Abbytopia is doing her part to preserve the environment through educating children about marine life, conservation and pollution and helping and sharing with persons in need.

“We will be eating, drinking and swimming in plastic,” she said at the 2nd St Francis Canticle Creation Award Ceremony November 9 at the Marian Hall, Holy Name Convent, Port of Spain. This year’s Season of Creation theme was Web of Life Biodiversity as God’s Blessing.

Subrath said she is saddened to see the different turtles, whales, sharks, dolphins and many animals dying from plastic pollution which was killing “hundreds of thousands of marine animals yearly”.

She called for changes in consumption of single-use plastics such as straws, plastic bags, disposable forks, spoons as well as Styrofoam. “By doing the small acts it will add up to big changes; if you could just look at your daily routine and do a quick count you will see how much it adds up to yearly,” she said. Subrath asked for help through supporting her clean-up events, and joining her to PRESS—Protect, Restore, Educate and Sustain to Save the planet. “I believe we should all care, care means to Compost, Act, Rethink and Evolve to a brighter future.”

Speaking at the event was Sr Angella Samuel SSM, Delegation Leader, Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, and Archbishop Jason Gordon who delivered opening remarks.

Prizes were presented to Maria Regina Grade School for Best Poem (primary) ‘The Destruction of Life’ by Nathaniel Neptune; Olivia Benjamin of Maria Regina ‘Protecting the Web of Life’ and Niemah Caseman, Maria Regina ‘Save Mother Earth’, placed second and third respectively.

Daria Gray of Maria Regina earned the Best Video/Photo category for ‘Why Bees’.

Maria Regina was the Best Primary School overall.

Mark Olton of Holy Cross College had the Best Poem (secondary) with ‘Our Earth’, second was Nicolai Cadogan, of St Anthony’s College ‘Trinidad, The Sun?’ and Dylan Mohammed also of St Anthony’s was third ‘The World is Our Baby’.

Best Calendar (primary) went to St Bernadette’s Preparatory School.

The Best Video/Photo (secondary) was awarded to Ariel de Gannes, of Corpus Christi College for ‘No Rules in Genesis’; The Best Project Initiative (primary) went to Sacred Heart Girls’ RC and The Best Project Initiative (secondary) St Mary’s College.

St Anthony’s was the Best Overall Secondary school.

The best parish overall was the 3H Environmental Protection Group, Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Toco/Matelot.

Certificates of participation were also distributed.

In attendance and assisting with presentation of awards were: Kishan Kumarsingh, head of the Multilateral Environment Agreements Unit, Ministry of Planning and Development, and Ric Javid Ali, acting deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry. —LPG