Persuasive Plastic Problems

There has been much research in the effort of how to effectively clean and recycle the plastic that has accumulated in the Great Pacific garbage patch. Many studies have found that the process of actually trying to scoop up what is now a plastic soup like substance could pose a number of issues. Some researchers say that the garbage patch could possibly be half the size of the United States which would be a huge financial challenge for any country to undertake. Charles Moore, an internationally recognized expert on marine plastic pollution and the man who discovered the vortex, says “cleaning up the garbage patch would bankrupt any country that tried it” (Moore). Not only is it a huge financial challenge, but because the Great Pacific garbage patch is located a great distance from any country’s coastline, there has not been a nation to step up

If things keep going the way they are humans will inevitably destroy the ocean and in doing so destroy themselves. There need to be more Loraxes. We the people need to work together to minimize and ultimately stop the production and use of plastics. Driving down the highway, or the gravel road it doesn’t matter I look on either side of the road and what do I see; plastic debris and trash. Someone had to have thrown it there or maybe it blew out of the back of a trash truck going by but regardless there it sits until someone picks it up or an animal mistakes it for a meal or a home.

Is plastic really that harmless innovation that saves us time and energy without any repercussions? “80% of plastic waste in the ocean originates on land, and recycling rates are poor, with just 9% of plastic in the U.S. recycled, according to the EPA.” - Kieron Marks. Massive amounts of our plastic begin on land and appear in the ocean. The majority of plastic that is in the ocean is in a microscopic form which makes the plastic extremely difficult to find let alone clean up. This affects not only the ocean life by killing 1 million sea creatures a year, but it also has effects on the fishing and the shipping industry, along with tourism. Furthermore, the pollution causes 13 billion dollars in damage to the marine environment every year. This

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.

According to Oceana, the agency in charge of protecting the world’s oceans, the number one pollutant in the North Pacific Gyre is still plastic. Oceana remains unsure of the quantity of plastic in the water. Our “need” for plastic has harmed innocent little creatures and ourselves as well when we should be searching for safer alternatives instead.

The earth’s oceans take up roughly three fourths of the planet’s surface area and hold roughly 97 percent of all water on earth (Silverman). It is important that people make sure that the oceans are kept clean because the ocean contains many essential elements for the survival of both humans and animals. A rising problem that is not often brought up is the increasing amounts of man-made debris, especially plastic, that are accumulating in these waters that is slowly effecting the oceans ecosystem as well as the health of humans. Some may argue that the plastics have little effect on the environment but the facts show that this is not the case. The amount of ocean debris has increased

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.

However, you are right because all of us should be concerned about this trend and join the Plastic Pollution Coalition. It is important to do it, considering that tons of plastic containers are polluting our sea, rivers, and beaches around the globe (Gould, page 175). This problem seriously affects the survival of wildlife planets and animals. Just recently I heard in the national Geographic channel that, almost 11 million tons of plastic debris and more than 15 billion of trash is being dumped in the oceans every year. Sad statistics that are breaking the natural equilibrium of our sea ecosystems and sooner or later we will be paying the consequences of our irresponsibility, ignorance, and lack of self-awareness. We must stop right now. With

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

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.

One of the most prevalent problems in the world today is pollution from plastic materials. The sheer amount of these materials being produced today, allow plastics to make up about 60% to 80% of the waste found on beaches and in the oceans (Derraik, 844, Barnes, 816). Each year more and more plastic is dumped into the environment. This exponential problem will only snowball into a bigger issue as time progresses. Only about 6.5% to 7.7% of the world’s 200 million tons of plastic waste is recycled and what is not recycled or transferred to landfills ends up in the oceans, that’s about 100 million tons of plastic debris entering the oceans each year (Cho, 1). This ocean bound plastic ends up in convergence zones, where the accumulation of waste

According to a CNN report, halting the amount of plastic flowing into oceans would, “require and incredible change in the daily behavior of 7 billion people” (Walsh et al.). The need for this extreme measure did not happen overnight. This problem has grown over the course of many years, and only continues to worsen as the Hedonistic Treadmill speeds up. This problem is so large, that it constitutes as a market failure. Due to the impact of excessive plastic in the oceans, animals are dying, and individuals are consuming large amounts of plastic each year. Thus, the speed of the Hedonistic Treadmill is causing the market to fail due to its negative externalities on wildlife, the environment and humans. However, the degree of the problem indicates that this failure, and its solutions, have not been thoroughly

In an article written by Adam Vaughn for The Guardian, the issue of marine debris is briefly addressed while a solution to the issue is analyzed. Marine debris can be commonly known as plastics in the ocean, and Vaughn’s article analyzes biodegradable plastics. While this essay will not analyze biodegradable plastics, solutions to the issue are an important part of creating a picture of the issue at hand. Marine debris, or plastic in the ocean, is an issue in consequence to its negative environmental impact. It is not common for this negative environmental impact to be argued against. It is more common for this negative environmental impact to be ignored for the sake of human convenience. In one perspective

We 're treating the oceans like a trash bin: around 80 percent of marine litter originates on land, and most of that is plastic. Plastic that pollutes our oceans and waterways has severe impacts on our environment and our economy. Seabirds, whales, sea turtles and other marine life are eating marine plastic pollution and dying from choking, intestinal blockage and starvation. Scientists are investigating the long-term impacts of toxic pollutants absorbed, transported, and consumed by fish and other marine life, including the potential effects on human health.

With the combination of polymers that don’t biodegrade and mass overproduction, companies are harming the environment in severe ways. Plastic, a material seen everywhere, is a polymer made from oil. It is mass produced to make everything from shampoo bottles to automobiles and does not biodegrade. When it is eventually thrown out, the waste usually finds it way into the ocean, where it is either buried under sediment or eaten by marine life (Weisman 287-295). Creating a material that will ultimately kill marine life will undoubtedly wreak havoc on the