The carelessness of humans has horribly affected the oceanic ecosystem. Bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, rivers, and seas cover nearly 70% of the earth, which makes them a very valuable asset to the human population (Mambra 2017). Oceanic pollution has been an ongoing problem for years, but it is increasingly getting worse. Main causes of ocean pollution are ocean dumping, land runoff, oil spills, littering, ocean mining, and noise pollution. The dumping of waste into the ocean is the most common cause of ocean pollution because this has been known as the cheapest and easiest way to dispose of trash. Non-point pollution typically comes from land runoff. Land runoff brings many materials, such as automobile parts, into the oceans every day. Birds and mammals being the main victims, oil spills are a leading cause of ocean pollution. The feathers of these animals get covered in oil making it impossible for them to fly. Mining underwater is another outlet for pollution. Many miners leave their waste in the ocean which often increases the toxicity of the water, killing its inhabitants. Noise pollution, although it is …show more content…
The placement of the Ocean Dumping Act juristically changed the amount of waste that was dumped into the ocean. The Ocean Dumping Act prohibits the dumping of most wastage into the ocean with the exception of human remains, vessels, fish wastes, and dredged material, which contractors need a permit to dump. Under this act, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now strictly regulates all waste that is dumped into the ocean (Reilly 2018). Many people have been caught dumping illegal material into the ocean by the EPA are were directed to stop immediately. The dumping of materials into oceanic waters has significantly decreased since 1972 when the act was put into
Millions of tons of trash are dumped into the ocean each year (OI). Ocean pollution can be stopped! I am going to explain what people are doing to the ocean and how it can be stopped. First, two billion people within 30 mile of the coast create 100 million tons of trash every year (Doc. 1). This can be stopped if we reduce plastic in the waste stream, improve solid waste management, and increase, capture, and reuse more plastic (Doc. 1).
D. Chemicals and foreign liquids are not the only factors causing harm in the ocean. Many tangible objects, especially plastic, glass, and other trash, contaminate the deep blue sea.
Throughout many decades there has been a huge environmental problem, not only putting marine life at risk but also human health. Ocean pollution is a big threat to the habitat and still today we haven’t stopped throwing trash, chemicals or toxins into the oceans. During the 1940’s, a technical service of the Army dumped a lot of chemical warfare into the sea, believing the type of gas will dissolve in the water becoming harmless in minutes. At that time, fishermen were able to catch a lot of fish, it wasn’t until they were out of luck and all they could see were dead fish floating on the surface. Many people think that oil spills and trash are the only types of ocean pollution, but they’re also forgetting about chemical, bacterial and thermal pollution. Polluted seas can be the cause of many diseases or infections, especially if people don’t take big measures like telling their kids not to “accidentally” drink water from rivers or lakes when swimming. Marine animals are a big part of our food chain if they carry diseases or toxins we’re also in big danger. Today, there have been many people who have been trying to stop others from polluting the oceans, but they still haven’t been able to convince the whole world to end ocean pollution. The government, instead of wasting money on unnecessary things like building walls or building more towers and creating more trash they should build trash contractors that will help with the trash floating around in the seas. There are
There are four named oceans in the world: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. Roughly 70% of the earth’s oxygen is produced by marine plants and only 27% by rainforests. Over 80% of ocean pollution comes from land based activity. This activity can include, but is not limited to, burning oil and not recycling plastics. With knowing those statistics, people should undoubtedly be more concerned with our ocean’s health and well being than what they currently are. Yes, there are a copious amount of websites that accept donations but there are other ways that do not involve breaking the bank to save and protect the oceans. By using reusable plastics, reducing our carbon footprint, and buying ocean-friendly products and food, the oceans dying process could not completely stop, but slow down drastically.
Earth's oceans are dying. “About 80% of the ocean around the world is polluted with chemicals industrial and residential waste, all of which comes from the land” (“Marine Problems…”). Pollution is mainly coming from the people. Marine pollution should be stopped because it is the cause of many problems and if something is done about it, people will see an increase in sea life and healthier waters. It makes its way into the ocean and kills marine life. Ocean pollution is affecting the way of fisherman and their everyday lives. It is also very bad on the community because pollution is very bad on tourism. Ocean pollution should be stopped because it is poorly affecting marine life, it is not good for fishermen, and is very bad on tourism.
Recycling and going green has been at the forefront of everyone's mind for the last 10 years. It has become a major concern to able to preserve the planet and reverse some of the damage that society has been inflicting over the last two hundred years. Everyone's concerned with emissions and electric cars but the world is in fact over two-thirds water. So naturally what society should be concerned about should be the oceans in the pollution and negative human impact that people have placed on them. Part of the problem as an initial estimate of the amount of plastic is not accurate. Not to mention incredible environmental and ecological effects the plastic has on marine life. Ocean plastic has reached a critical level where human intervention needs to take place.
If you have ever lived in proximity to coastal areas you may have seen coastline erosion first hand. The beaches you frequent during the summer may seem to be getting smaller and smaller every year. Why does your favorite beach seem to be disappearing? Coastal erosion is to blame. The waves, wind, tides and currents all play a part in the mechanism that is coastal erosion. When water and wind batter the shoreline sediments are carried out to sea and deposited on the sea floor or at other points along the coastline. This is called an erosional coastline. This erosion may be very apparent or seem to have happened overnight when it happens due to a large storm or extremely high tide.
In order to end ocean litter it is critical that we know what the causes of ocean litter. Over half of the pollution in our seas derives from land, this is items like plastic, paper, and chemical run-off (citation). This trash clumps together over time and creates islands of trash. A second large component in ocean litter is ocean dumping, this is when a
The oceans face many types of pollution every day, every second. The ocean is our greatest ecosystem and out most valuable resource. A common misconception is that the rainforests are the lungs of the planet however, the majority of our oxygen is made via the algae in the sea. The oceans feeds, hydrates, and provides us with oxygen; ironically enough, despite its monetary value to mankind, it is what is treated the worst. For ages we have been dumping our trash, chemicals, and waste into the oceans with no fear or regret, almost an “out of sight- out of mind” mentality. People once and still assume that the oceans are so vast that all of the pollution is diluted and would be dispersed through out, going unnoticed. However, dilution is a myth and an idea that renders ocean dumping to be less impactful. Even so much of the man made pollution is becoming even more concentrated and have entered our natural food chain. However vast the waters of the ocean are, they are not meant to house all of these external factors. There are many alternatives to marine pollution including recycling, finding alternative trash dump sites, cutting down on harmful chemicals for agriculture, and most importantly having the ability to recognize when a problem is developing and counter act, immediately.
Everything in this world we use comes from the ocean in some way. The air we breathe, the water we drink, even the products we use day to day, would not be possible without the ocean. That's why the issue of ocean pollution is so important and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. We depend on the ocean for so much in our life, without it we would surely become extinct. People seem to think that since the ocean is so large and vast, we can dump as much waste as we'd like into it and it will never have an effect on us. However, since we've been polluting the ocean as far back as Roman times, the evidence of ocean pollution becoming a major problem is all too clear.
There is an extreme amount of garbage in the ocean. The NOAA describes marine debris as, “any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes” (Discover the Issue, n.d.). Human waste that is polluting the ocean creates garbage patches, effects marine animals, and damages ocean environments. Pollution in the ocean is out of control and humans should be more conscious of how we are affecting 70% of the planet. The mass amount of pollution in the ocean is terrible yet completely preventable. Some organizations are trying to help reduce the impact of marine debris and they are doing the best with the resources that they have. The government needs to pass more laws that stop ocean dumping and help the clean-up effort of our earth’s oceans.
As the world develops and the human population grows there is more pollution being dumped into the oceans, causing major problems to marine life and ecosystems. Major causes of marine pollution involve non-point pollutants, marine garbage, toxic ocean pollutants and sewage disposal in oceans. From heavy metal poisoning including lead and mercury killing predators such as sharks and whales, to waste getting trapped in the digestive tracts of marine animals, this essay focuses on how human interference causes horrifying problems to the marine life, but also how to fix it. It will also explore the normal activities of people including farming and how this can cause an imbalance in an ecosystem. Everyday activities can cause massive nutrient
Many people from all over the world visit Australia for its weather, the scenery and its pristine beaches. Tourism has evolved over the many years and has impacted the way many people see Australia as a country. One of the most popular holiday destinations within Australia, would be along the coastline enjoying the pristine beaches, the marine life and seven natural wonders of the world. One of the most popular holiday destinations in Australia is definitely experiencing what the coastlines have to offer. Whether it is enjoying the magnificent white sandy beaches, swimming in the clear blue waters or appreciating the abundant marine life while exploring the Great Barrier Reef one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Each year over 2 million tourists visit the reef and spend approximately 5-6 billion dollars while adventuring the great outdoors. To sustain the Australian coastline as a viable tourist destination, the environmental issue of marine pollution, in particular plastics need to be addressed. Unfortunately, in today’s world we live in a plastic society and as a result, a large amount of plastic bags and other plastic items are finding their way into the waterways and ocean impacting on both the marine life and ecosystem. If this environmental issue is addressed in the present with improvements for the future, it will allow many generations to continue to enjoy the beauty which Australia has to offer.
Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in America and as well as the world. Pollution not only damages the environment, but damages us also. It has cause many problems ranging from lung cancer to the greenhouse effect. It is all among us but we continue to live in our own filth. What is the reason behind this flawed logic? In this paper I will examine the problems and solutions for this issue.
Pollution has become a major issue over the years because it contaminates the Earth’s environment and affects human health. While some environmental pollution is a result of natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, most is caused by human activities. The increase of various types of pollution has made cancer pollutant more prevalent among the people, raising the risk of getting cancer. After being exposed to theses pollutants, the effects may be immediate or delayed. Some of the delayed effects, due to the exposure, can go unnoticed for many years. Another major issue that pollution creates is the tremendous cost for preventing and cleaning it up. However, we can not regulate the pollutants to the extent where there are no more possible