Dubai
The ocean is vast and seemingly endless, but we cannot continue treating it like a trash bin.
The world produces nearly 300 million tonnes of plastic every year, half of which is for single use only. More than 8 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. Over the last ten years, we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century.
If these statistics by US-based nonprofit organisation Plastic Oceans are not shocking enough, then a final fact could make a difference. At the recently concluded, third United Nations (UN) Environment Assembly, Erik Solheim, executive director of the UN Environment agency said: “We will have the same weight of plastic as fish in the sea by 2050 if this continues.”
That’s just 33 years away, very likely in your lifetime.
Are you prepared to think of beautiful, vibrant marine life as something that only exists in history books?
Sticking with the element of water, in November, we asked reader photographers on Facebook to click pictures of the theme: ‘Float’.
We posted the editor’s pick of top five images on Gulf News’ instagram page and asked our followers to vote on the picture that they thought best captured the theme, ‘float’.
The picture competition was also, as usual, opened to voting by our Facebook readers, and they hit the ‘like’ button on the picture they preferred. Here, we collect the results and present the winners with the most cumulative votes.
Editor’s note: If you would like to participate, log on to Gulf News’ Facebook page and send in your submission for December’s Facebook Reader Picture Competition.
FIRST PLACE
At Chavakkad, in Kerala, India, Mohammad Shafi took this picture. He said: ‘While I was walking along a bridge, I saw two locals fishing patiently in their traditional boat. I waited for them to reach right under the bridge, to capture this shot.’
His picture received 1,182 votes on instagram and 18 likes on Facebook.
SECOND PLACE
Andrian Lagamia’s photograph is from Ha Long Bay, in Vietnam. He called it: ‘A sailor’s place.’ Designated a World Heritage site in 1994, the area includes some 1,600 islands and islets and hosts a community of fishing villages.
His picture received 828 votes on instagram, and 264 likes on Facebook.
THIRD PLACE
Mamata Mohapatra’s image of a hippopotamus is from Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. She said: ‘Stop struggling. Just float and relax!’
Her picture received 848 votes on instagram and 182 likes on Facebook.
FOURTH PLACE
Mark Jereos was in Manila’s North Harbour, when he came across this sight. He said: ‘I photographed this image during my vacation. While waiting for our ship’s departure, we saw these children, who were diving to retrieve some coins, which the passengers would toss to them. They were trying to make a living in this way. I got the chance to click a picture of a child on a makeshift float.’
His picture received 801 votes on instagram and four likes on Facebook.
FIFTH PLACE
Jane Evans took this photograph in Abu Dhabi. She said: ‘This is my son, floating whilst swimming and kayaking in the mangroves of Abu Dhabi.’
Her picture received 782 votes on instagram and five likes on Facebook.
