Liberatore, S. (2021, November 22). Hawaii’s second largest island BANS coral killing sunscreens. Daily Mail. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10231493/Hawaiis-second-largest-island-BANS-coral-killing-sunscreens.html
In 2015, scientists first discovered that the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate cause coral bleaching. These are two major ingredients in most sunscreens. Coral bleaching is when the coral becomes stressed, turns white, and dies. That same year, officials found that 56% of the coral surrounding Maui was bleached. In November of 2021, Bill 135, which bans over 80 different types of sunscreen to be used or sold on Maui, was passed. It will be signed into law on October 1, 2022. People there will now only be allowed to wear mineral sunscreens which do not contain these damaging chemicals.
This law is necessary for saving the ecosystem in Hawaii. Even though people know that certain sunscreens are harmful to the environment, they still continue to use them. Now that it is illegal to use them, people will be forced to start switching to better options. Decreasing the amount of chemicals in the ocean is important for environmental science because when the coral is healthy, the fish and other animals have a source of shelter and food. Without coral the whole food web in the ocean would be unbalanced which would lead to many species going extinct. I am glad Maui has passed this bill and I hope every place that has coral reefs will do the same. My only question is, if it was discovered in 2015 that these chemicals are dangerous to our oceans, what took so long for something to be done about it?
Ava- isn’t this an interesting discovery about sun screen? Who knew? And your final question in the commentary just goes to show that some regulation is necessary. If there’s no law, some companies don’t change their practice. If there was no law, they’d still be selling leaded gasoline, for example. What took so long? You can imagine there was some push back, legal proceedings, more scientific study, etc. But what a discovery… for Hawaii. The tourists that come to enjoy amazing aquatic ecosystems are in fact destroying them. Ecotourism must be carefully managed. What do you think, should sunscreen like this be universally banned… or just in areas with sensitive ecosystems. Although using them in a swimming pool may not affect the pool… eventually that pool is drained somewhere.
It makes sense that there may have been some controversy over this law in Hawaii, but it is great that it was finally passed. I think that sunscreen, or at least the ones containing chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, should be universally banned. Even though you may be away from oceans or other bodies of water, it can go down the drain in a shower or pool and eventually end up in the ocean which is harmful to the organisms living there.