...A Systems Analysis of Plastic Debris in the Pacific Ocean Course: Integrated Environmental Systems Instructor: Steven Arnold Fall Quarter University of Denver By: Cletus Achibonga November 7, 2012 Table of content Title 1 Abstract 4 Introduction 5 1.1 Scope 5 1.2 Background 5 Animal and plant deaths 8 2.1 Birds 8 2.2 Mammals and other animals 10 2.3 Plants and plant food 11 Environmental impacts 12 3.1 Physical impacts 13 3.2 Chemical impacts 14 3.3 Biological impacts 14 3.4 Human impacts 15 3.5 Economic impacts 16 Societal Responds 17 Conclusion and Recommendation 20 References: 21 List of figures Figure 1: A pack of plastics at the shores of Kamilo Beach, Island of Hawaii 8 Figure 2: Bird corpse with ingested plastic 10 Figure 3: Seal entangled in fishing nets and lines 11 Figure 4: DPSIR model analysis of the pacific gyre 18 Abstract The pacific patch is the most devastating problem of our generation yet there is little public knowledge about the nature and severity of the situation. There is also little to no awareness as to the way we humans either intentionally or unintentionally contribute to the worsening situation in our water bodies. This study used the DPSIR model in analyzing the problem of the pacific gyre from a systems perspective. It focused on the impacts of the pacific gyre on the environment, plants, animals as well as the ecosystem...
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...Mega-Tsunamis: The Oceans Deadliest Weapon Every single minute of every passing hour, our oceans have the potential to cause catastrophic damage and disaster. With its vast beauty and bountiful resources, the wild ocean comes with a handful of rare geological time-bombs. Once unleashed, they can create an extravagant phenomenon. Gigantic mega-tsunami form, these giant waves are able to cross oceans and demolish cities and countries on the opposite side of the earth. Thanks to modern technology and globalization, we have been able to capture some of the more recent tsunamis and their destruction. For example, the footage of the destruction of the tsunami that caught Japan by surprise in 2011 shook the whole world and brought awareness and respect to the ocean and its potential fury. This was just a typical tsunami, it reached Japan at about 33 feet, and caused extreme destruction along the coast. This example was just a small ripple compared to what our ocean could generate. Our ocean has the potential to generate mega-tsunamis over a mile high, hence the name “Mega-Tsunamis”. If a mega-tsunami of this magnitude were to take place, tens of millions of lives would be eliminated, countries could be reshaped, and civilizations would be whipped out for ever. Typical tsunamis are waves or series of waves that can span hundreds of miles across the ocean and reach about 30 meters (100 feet). These typical waves are usually generated from movement on the bottom of the seafloor caused...
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...just vanishing from the radar and nothing not even the wreckage was ever found, similarly stories of alien abduction of humans and UFO sightings add to the drama. Scientists and geologist have tried to give all these claims a rational reason. Firstly the area of Bermuda triangle is home to the Puerto Rico trench, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean furthermore it is frequently hit by strong hurricanes, wind storms and huge tidal waves these two things work simultaneously with the crazy weather bringing down the vessel and taking it deep into the ocean, so deep that it is almost impossible to find it. Secondly, deep beneath the surface of the Bermuda Triangle lie pockets of trapped methane gas, this methane gas could bubble to the surface, reducing the density of the water. Any ship in that patch of water would lose its buoyancy and sink perilously, if enough of the flammable gas bubbled up to the surface and got high, high, high up into the air, it could potentially stall an airplane engine or even be ignited by an engine's spark. The other reason is Pirates, that’s right, pirates. This region, just north of the Caribbean in the Atlantic...
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...sanjay EN102.22566 Prof. Decker 9/26/2013 Ad Analysis Essay Global Warming Global warming is one of the serious issues which is being discussed and studied by scientist around the world. It is one of the causes for most of the catastrophic natural accidents. The temperature of earth is constantly rising because of different harmful gases emitted to environment through different ways. It is responsible for major climate changes we are facing now and major serious changes which we might face in near future. The recent advertisement of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for global warming presents the effects of global warming by comparing the natural destruction with a man-made destruction. It compares between two unforgettable tragedies: 9/11 attack on US where 2,993 people were killed and Tsunami in Indian Ocean that occurred in 2004 which killed more than 230000 people. This advertisement was published by WWF Brazil. WWF is an international non-profit organization which works on issues regarding preservation, research and restoration of environment. WWF has become a symbol for nature lovers who are working hard to preserve and restore natural environment. What this ad really does is create the awareness about natural disasters which can happen anytime, anywhere and also encourages people to conserve the environment. This advertisement by WWF is an appeal to everyone to preserve nature. This ad presents New York City which is surrounded by hundreds of planes which...
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...Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer; who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. He was sailing, hoping to find a route to India to trade spices. He made four trips to the Caribbean and South America during the years 1492 – 1504. He figured, if he sails left of the world he can arrive to India faster. Firstly, Christopher Columbus sailed for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. On this first trip, Christopher Columbus sailed on three ships. He sailed with the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Each ship had a captain and 90 crew members. They set sail on August 3, 1492 from Palos, Spain. On October 11, 1492 they landed on the Caribbean Islands off Southeastern North America. They landed on a Island they called San Salvador. While exploring the Islands the met the Taino Indians. Most of them were captured by Columbus’ men for slavery. Christopher Columbus returned home to Spain on the Nina. Secondly, one the second trip ( September 25, 1493 – June 11, 1496), Christopher Columbus, traveled back with seventeen ships and twelve hundred to fifteen hundred men to find gold and capture the Indians; and make them slaves. They sailed around Hispaniola, and Southern Cuba. They found an Island, and named it Dominica; on November 3, 1493. On his third trip, ( May 30, 1498 – October 1500 ), Christopher Columbus sailed south, to Trinidad and Venezuela. He was the first European to set foot on the mainland of America; since the Vikings. On...
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...1. The British had many advantages in the American Revolution. For one thing, their navy was by far the largest in the world. This allowed them to patrol the American shores and ensure that they were not receiving supplies from an outside source. Also, they had large factories which produced great cannons, muskets, and other weapons. The army also had trained engineers and experienced professionals. 2. The Americans had an advantage over the British in terms of army size. The British only had 35000 troops, 7500 of which were in Ireland. They had to hire 30000 Hessian mercenaries, five thousand of which deserted after arrival in America. England also had to cross the 3000 miles of the Atlantic ocean, and only to fight in unfamiliar, badly mapped territory. Also, British soldiers were not used to terrain. Finally, American guns were more accurate that British guns. 3. Washington would often show himself to his soldiers, which was possible because he had such a small army. Therefore, the men were more confident and trusting towards Washington, and thus the army’s loyalty was established. 4. American women made many contributions during the American Revolution. They helped make munitions, supply soldiers with food and clothing, and even took over their husbands’ trades when they went to fight. In some cases, like that of Molly Pitcher, they even fought on the battlefield against the British. 5. Congress, in order to solve the problem of financing the war effort, borrowed money...
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...The Earth’s Hydrosphere -The abundance of water on Earth is a unique feature that distinguishes our planet from the other planets. It is also the reason why Earth has been called “blue planet” Various parts of the earth: * Oceans- contains 97% of the Earth’s water supply. The largest ocean is the Pacific Ocean followed by the Atlantic Ocean then the Indian Ocean and lastly the Arctic Ocean. The deepest part of the oceans is in the Pacific at the Marianas Trench where it is about seven miles deep. Oceans together have an area of about 143 million square miles. * Ice sheets- Substantial quantity of water, about 24 million cubic kilometres, is present as in the ice sheets of the Earth. Ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain. * Groundwater- About 24 million cubic kilometre water is present under the ground surface at depths of up to two kilometre. Groundwater is water located beneath the earth's surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock become completely saturated with water is called the water table. * Lakes and rivers- On the land surface, approximately 0.18 million cubic kilometre water is present in lakes while about 0.002 million cubic kilometre water is found in rivers. * Atmospheric moisture- The amount of water...
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...Which of the following decisions by the Portuguese most directly affected the Arab African cities of the east coast of Africa? B) To monopolize the Indian Ocean Trade 5. All of the following are common problems that the Muslim Empires of 1450-1750 shared EXCEPT: A) Sunni-controlled governments whose power was seriously challenged by a Shi’a minority 6. Which of the following European powers established hegemony over the Indian Ocean trade during the 16th Century? D) Portuguese 7. A dividing line drawn by the Pope to separate Portuguese and Spanish claims was established through the C) Treaty of Tordesillas 8. by the 16th Century the center of commercial activity for Europeans had shifted from the Mediterranean to the E) Atlantic Ocean 9. Whose beard is being cut off in the picture above? C) A Russian Boyar during the reign of Peter the Great 10. What is the main reason that the individual’s beard is being cut off? A) To make him comply with an official order intended to make his country modernize 11. The successful return of Magellan’s ship Victoria to Spain in 1522 signaled that? B) Europeans were now positioned to make themselves masters of the oceans 12. The Portuguese were able to assert control over the Indian Ocean trade because E) Their ships and weapons were military superior to the lightly armed merchant dhows 13. All of the following factors contributed to the success of the Spanish in quickly creating a vast empire in the Americas...
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...insinuation into a culture, its dominance of a market and its creation of a brand synonymous with loyalty, integrity and longevity. Understanding Starbucks’ development into an international giant and the strategic approach they took to get there begins with the origins of coffee itself. Ever since it first spread through the Moslem world in the sixteenth century, coffee has played a pivotal role in society by providing meeting places for intellectuals from all sides of life to converge. As coffee was slowly introduced to the European world it was recognized for both its sociability and its taste. Soon Coffee houses were prevalent throughout Europe and were the natural locations for political, literary and societal debate. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the mid-seventeenth century and replaced beer as New York City’s favorite morning drink. It can be said that the Boston Tea Party was the beginning of not one but two major revolutions in America. The first was the revolt of the colonists against England, and the second was coffee’s dominance as the beverage of choice for patriotic...
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...For example, a person needs to do a research about a matter, and then instead of going to the library, this person could gather good and diverses information using the Internet. Consequently, he\she would finish his\her research faster than doing it in the library by hand. Thus, technology, which created the computer, has definitely helped the universities and the students to get a better knowledge. Nowadays, ways of locomotion such as car, motorcycle, train, and airplane, has facilitated our lives. Centuries ago, the main way to travel a long distance was the ship, or the horse. Today, the airplane is the most useful way to make fast travels, which gives to us more time. For example, comparing with the ship which usually crosses the Atlantic Ocean in one or two weeks, the airplane can easily cross it in about 10 hours, and is still the safest way to travel in the world. The car and train also have become a very good way to travel, which can bring us closer to our family and to our work. Because of this, these comfortable automobiles and...
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...Sea Turtles and The Gulf Oil Spill On Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 an event occurred that would change marine life forever. On that horrifying day BP’s deep horizon oilrig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. The spill was considered the 4th major oil spill in the Gulf in over 50 years. The oil spill affected a lot of marine life, but mostly affected the sea turtles. The sea turtles in the Gulf were greatly affected by this catastrophic event in many ways. Sea turtles have lived in the Gulf for over hundreds of years, and one of the major things that were affected by the spill was their breeding. Around this time every year the female turtles head shore to lay their eggs. Since the oilrig exploded, there is a lot of oil in the ocean where the turtles are swimming, there is oil on the beaches where the turtles are laying the eggs, and there is oil where the new hatchlings are going to be swimming. This is not good for the turtles because the oil is going to cause harm and death in most of these newborn sea turtles. Another reason the sea turtles were affected was that their habitats were ruined. Five out of the seven species of sea turtles live in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is home to a lot of sea life, including the turtles. Since the Gulf is covered in oil, the habitat that these turtles are living in, are not fit to live in. So now the turtles are confused and have nowhere to live. They need to relocate or they are going to die. The oil spill affected a lot of...
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...American life after 10 years `` Can you give me `O ' positive group blood , made by Procter Gamble ' `` Please book four tickets for this Christmas , on space station ``Voyager V , for five days . `` The government proposes to charge 2 percent tax on those who are enjoying the benefit of breathing fresh air . `` The production set up is located in Sydney , with each machine controlled by a program , which can be accessed through internet by the production supervisor sitting in New Jersey ' `` There used to be many small islands in the equatorial belt of the Atlantic Ocean , which are now submerged due to rise in the water level . Global warming was responsible for this , and America , contributed the maximum to this phenomenon , by emitting the maximum carbon dioxide , than any other single country , for many years together . Within a decade , statements like above , will be a true reflection of the latest happenings in the life style of human beings . While Biotechnology , space research , information technology and the internet are changing the human lives to an unprecedented extent , human greed is also causing devastation to the biggest natural gift to us , our well balanced environment . Like never before in the history of mankind , is the human race facing rapid changes , especially the American society . The changes are occurring very fast in the American society as compared to other societies , because it is a society of a highly developed...
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...Plastics in the Oceans We live in an increasing disposable world. Everything from food to electronics ends up in a landfill somewhere. We are always looking for newer and better products to replace what we already have. The consequences of this behavior are resulting in more and larger landfills, toxic water and a myriad of other problems. With our growing population and excessive consumption, the items we use everyday are becoming disposable so the garbage problem continues to expand exponentially. It is a readily accepted fact that plastics has made our lives both easier and safer, but, at the same time, has also left a damaging imprint on our environment and even our health. The waste management industry has done a very clever job of keeping the inner workings of landfill disposal cloaked in secrecy. As a result we give less and less thought to what actually happens to all the trash we throw away every day. Our culture of convenience is so dominant we do not even see the consequences of our actions. Journalist and filmmaker Heather Rogers, in her essay “The Hidden Life of Garbage” takes us on a journey of garbage disposal that most of us never think about once we take the trash to the curb. She explains one particular method that should give us all pause for thought: In new state-of-the-art landfills, the cells that contain the trash are built on top of what is called a “liner.” The liner is a giant underground bladder intended to prevent contamination of groundwater...
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...An Ocean of Time and Space: Two Final Frontiers “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue…” is the beginning of a poem we have all come to know and recognize as the story of Christopher Columbus’ expedition and their discovery of the Americas. It is the story of a new world, one that we can now call home, and one that continues to thrive as one of the most giving, fruitful, and defining lands on this planet. It is without a doubt the most important and revolutionizing moment in modern history. There are many theories to disprove that Columbus was actually the first discover the Americas, however it was his arrival that brought the Americas to the attention of all the European nations. Columbus was a pioneer who had the courage to venture into the unknown and find what was left to be discovered in a world that seems so small today, yet was so vast 500 years ago. Looking back upon his discovery today, it is easy to grasp and belittle the accomplishment he achieved as an inevitable conclusion, however when compared to a current unknown it is just as easy to grasp the magnitude of his finding. Today we refer to space as the “final frontier,” however, it seems unfair to refer to something as vast and limitless as outer space as one frontier. It is regarded as the last unknown to be conquered by human knowledge and innovation, and is by far the most puzzling mystery we have ever faced. There are infinite questions to be answered and a very few definite answers that can be given...
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...Disclaimer: The material included in this Study Guide is to focus your studying and hopefully provide you with a better understanding of the materials covered in my lectures and the book. It is not meant to be a complete and definitive outline of all the material that may or will asked in exam questions. It is a “Guide” and is not intended in any way to replace reading of the text, attending class and taking comprehensive notes on the material presented in class. Captain Anderson Introduction: History and Evolution of the Earth and its Oceans Match the term or person with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all. A) first European explorer to see the Pacific Ocean B) led voyage that first circumnavigated the globe C) used ecological approach to solve fisheries problem D) mapped world with Roman knowledge showing latitude and longitude E) first determination of Earth's circumference F) led voyage that first used the marine chronometer G) made important observations about drift of sea ice H) mapped the Mediterranean Sea for the Greeks I) established impermanent settlement in North America and the first Europeans to explore Iceland and Greenland J) incorrectly concluded that no life exists in deep ocean 1) Balboa 2) Eratosthenes 3) Magellan 4) Ptolemy 5) Vikings Match the term with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all. A) the Sun and the eight major planets...
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