Show the ocean your love

The old saying goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." But what if
one man's trash becomes another man's dinner?

That's a worry among some researchers, given that one of the world's largest garbage dumps is the regular feeding ground for many fish that, then, end up on cutting boards around the world.

So starts the report last week from Good Morning America on plastic finding its way into the bellies of sea life. While I caught part of it one morning last week, I finally had a moment to read the article, and I was appalled.

The worst quote? "We filleted it, opened the stomach and ... there were 17 fragments of plastic." Just the idea of it makes me cringe.

Sure, it's easy to dismiss as someone else littering causing this, but the reality is lots of someones have contributed to a very large problem. And it will take lots of someones to make a dent in this problem.

So what can you do? Well, the obvious things are to reduce your plastic and not to litter. But there's more.

Fake Plastic Fish offers a few ways to show the ocean - and your love - your love this Valentine's Day by reducing your plastic. Among them:

• Bring your reusable bag when you go shopping.
• Choose a non-plastic wrapped gift to show your love. (OK, Beth's original post said "plastic gift," but it just doesn't sing romance to me.)
• Wrap your gift in a reusable packaging.
• Enjoy a romantic walk on the beach.
• If you eat out, order sustainable seafood and bring your own container for leftovers.

If you want my two cents instead, go ultra-romantic and package-free. Make a homemade candlelit dinner and give your sweetie a massage!