Human Controversy: The Planets Sustainability

Ocean Plastic Islands Plastic is a huge problem to the Earth’s ecosystem, including to the marine wildlife of the oceans. It gets into our oceans in large quantities, and they pile up to a point they become an “island of plastic.” Some of which are estimated to be as big as a few million square miles, the biggest being in the Pacific ocean. This could result in environmental issues that could harm the ecosystems of the oceans. It would be eaten in small quantities by fish and by birds, which could cause many health problems that could lead to death. This is a problem that will only lead us to think more critically the waste we produce as humans. In only of a short time span of 35 years, was the oceans transformed into a landfill of plastic.

In the article When the Mermaids Cry” The Great Plastic Tide by Claire Le Guern Lytle, she wrote “For more than 50 years, global production and consumption of plastics have continued to rise. An estimated 299 million tons of plastics were produced in 2013, representing a 4 percent increase over 2012, and confirming and upward trend over the past years” This means that more and more trash is added to the 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the ocean. Almost everything around us is made out of plastic, this is later misused and ending in the wrong place. The Center for Biological Diversity wrote “In the first decade of this century, we made more plastic than all the plastic in history up to the year 2000. And every year, billions of pounds of plastic end up in the world’s oceans. Most ocean pollution starts out on land and is carried by wind and rain to the sea. Once in the water, there is a near-continuous accumulation of waste.” Our plastic is misplaced and it escalates from there. However, plastic pollution hurts us as well. “Trash in the water compromises the health of humans, wildlife and the livelihoods that depend on a healthy ocean;” wrote a non-profit group called Ocean Conservation. If our oceans are covered in trash, everyone that relies on the ocean is going to suffer. The effect is not just in our health, it also affects our economy. Ocean Conservation also

In the National Geographic article “Eight Million Tons of Plastic Dumped in Ocean Every Year”, author Laura Parker expresses how violent the simple act of dumping trash into the ocean really turns out to be. This article goes into depth telling exactly what plastics pollution is causing, where it’s mostly

Table of Contents Introduction 1. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch 1.1. Distribution of plastic objects into the Pacific Ocean 1.2. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch characteristic 1.3. The discovery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch 2. Effects on wildlife 2.1. Characteristics of plastics 2.2. Plastic with marine birds and animals 3. Examples of reducing the plastic garbage 3.1. Clean up 3.2. Law toward solving plastic pollution 4. Recommendations 5. Conclusion References 1. Introduction Oceans make up seventy percent of earth's surface, and are the largest place to sustain and accumulate various species. However, humans' wastes, such as oil spill, industrial toxic wastewater, and

1. Plastic in the Oceans: Having been to the Centers for Disease Control’s David J. Sencer Museum this past year, I was able to see the exhibition GYRE: The Plastic Ocean. The ocean has become littered with enormous amounts of plastic over the years and, in some places, entire islands can be found entirely composed of discarded or lost plastic objects. The sheer volume of new and current information currently being put forth on this topic makes it an excellent one for research.

This article introduces what a gyre is and states how plastic ends up in the ocean. It mentions how although plastic doesn't begin as toxic it becomes poisonous overtime due to pollutants in the water collecting on the debris. Karpus states how the plastic consumed by marine life can cause them to die of starvation and cause plastic accumulation in the food chain. Karpus talks about how the main issue is plastic's resistance to being degradable. Lastly, the article provides ways to be an activist such as living a plastic free lifestyle and fighting the government's and company’s plastic policies.

In the documentary “Inside the Garbage of the World”, the main social problem being explained is that there has been a great influx of plastic and other type of garbage in oceans and their beaches. This buildup of pollution has largely affected the wildlife population ranging from animals on the beaches to the creatures of the ocean. In oceans, what is called ‘garbage patches’, a large buildup of garbage that flow to one area in the oceans, are being created. Approximately 50 percent of all plastic sinks to the bottom of the ocean floor but about 2 times that much is actually already on the ocean floor. In fact, according to the documentary, there is a garbage patch that is to the left of California that is the size of half of the United States. Each year, about 4.7 million tons of plastic goes in the ocean a year and it is estimated that by 2050, there will be another 33 billion tons of plastic added to the present amount. Eighty percent of the current pollution comes from the land. According to marine researchers, twice as much plastic debris is one the ocean floor than it was 10 years ago. In the futures, plastic will break down into smaller pieces of plastic, creating a bigger problem from the habitat. This plastic pollution is one of the leading cause for beach and ocean inhabiting creatures be extinct because animals are mistaking these plastic pieces for food. When scientist began to dissect beach animals such as birds, they discovered that at least fifteen pounds of

In more recent times, policy changes in many countries have reflected the view that the ocean does not have an infinite capacity to absorb our waste. However, marine pollution remains a major problem and threatens marine life in the ocean at all levels. Micro plastics is another issue to our environment as it is killing and polluting the environment. Micro plastics are bathroom products such as facial exfoliators, body scrubs, and toothpaste is tiny pieces of plastic that are affecting animals, not only marine life but also birds such as seagulls, penguins, Cuban bird, pelicans and so many more other birds also seal, crocodiles, polar bears are also dying from this. The plastic pollution travels easily from land to sea. It blows in from bins and garbage dumps, or flows through stormwater drains into our waterways and eventually ends up in the

“In Australia, you can tell how far you are away from a city by how much plastic is on the beach and in the water near the beach” Dr Wilcox explained in an interview with the ABC. “About every 11 years the amount of plastic doubles”. It is estimated that there are up to 51 trillion plastic particles in the ocean, and around 8 million tonnes of plastic went into the ocean in 2010 alone. All this plastic finds its way into the ocean, where billions of marine animals call their home. Many animals confuse plastic littering for food, including sea turtles. Plastic bags are responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 marine animals every year. This a significant number of animals dying each year, all because of plastic bags being littered and making its way to the ocean.

The quantity of marine debris is increasing in oceans worldwide. Researchers at the Algalita Marine Research Foundation documented an increase in plastic debris in the Central Pacific Gyre five-fold between 1997 and 2007, where the baseline in 1997 showed plastic pieces outnumbered plankton on the ocean surface.(“Clean Water Action”). Each year the pollution increases, making marine life decrease. The pollution also makes their living conditions worse, to the point where they have to leave their homes and live somewhere cleaner. “Tens of thousands of individual animals from hundreds of marine species, including every kind of sea turtle and around half of marine mammals, have encountered plastic, glass, and other garbage in the ocean, according to a

Over the few years, humans have discarded millions of tons of garbage into the oceans. Ever wonder where the cup you threw out this morning will end up? Or the plastic spoon you used for lunch? How about the cap of a water bottle? The calamitous plastic ends up in the water, taking thousands of years to decompose. The consumption of plastic by the marine life is perilous and the leading cause of death for life on shore.

The Global Impact of Plastic Pollution Entering Marine Ecosystems Approximately, 280 million tons of plastic is produced year round around the globe (Sigler, 2014) which accounts for 8% of the worldwide manufacturing for oil (Vegter, et al., 2014). Plastics are a major component in most consumer products; the reason being is

Each and every day, we are surrounded by plastic. Plastic is found in our disposable pens, utensils, water bottles and so much more. To be exact, 300 million tons of plastic are produced each year. To humans, the abundance of reliance on plastic is no catastrophe for it is harmless.

This essay will discuss plastic marine pollution, what plastics are, where it is a problem, why it is such a problem, who is involved in the issue and any management strategies and legislations regarding the global issue of plastic marine pollution. Plastic marine pollution occurs when harmful pollutants such as plastic, chemicals and other particles enter the waterways. 80% of all marine pollution comes from the land and could be avoided if governments worked together and applied concerted efforts to mitigate the ingress of plastics and other pollutants that ultimately end up in the global marine environment. Greenpeace estimate that over 8.8 million tonnes of plastic enter waterways, rivers and oceans annually and that over 700 marine species are in danger of extinction as a direct cause of plastic marine pollution. This pollution also negatively impacts marine life and people in a significant manner by damaging marine ecology and limiting the livelihoods of those who rely on the ocean to make their living (Greenpeace International, 2017).

Plastic is a common result of human negligence. Plastic within the ocean threatens the natural marine biodiversity. Due to this, at certain depths of the oceans, many marine species are becoming extinct due to plastic pollution. People who consume marine cuisines are also risking getting poisoned by the harmful plastics as they contain hazardous substances. With activities such as fishing, there is a chance that fish are infected which can potentially work their way into consumers households, carrying health problems with them (Mehnazd, J. 2016). Destruction of the ocean doesn’t just include the high seas as many shores and beaches result in plastic infestation. With certain congested