...Plastic in the world’s oceans has reached an unfathomable, and frankly disturbing level. It is speculated that there are at least 5.25 trillion plastic particles weighing a combined 268,940 tons currently floating in the world’s oceans (“Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans” par. 17). What’s more, of the quarter million tons of plastic in the ocean, anywhere from 7,000 to 35,000 tons is comprised of micro-plastics measuring less than 5mm in diameter. Take a moment and consider the sheer magnitude of nearly 270,000 tons of plastic. For scale, let’s compare the maximum load allowed for big rigs in the United States, 40 tons (or 80,000 pounds). The weight of the combined plastic in the ocean is equivalent to at least 6,750 fully stocked big...
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...OCEANIC IMPACTS Plastic Waste Humans have been utilizing the ocean for millions of years and have created serious problems within our oceans. Plastic pollution has caused huge problems in our oceans, as massive amounts of plastic trash ends up in our oceans every year. According to recent studies at least 5 trillion pieces of plastic waste are now floating in the world’s oceans. This waste for the most part sinks to ocean floor, what remains at the surface has created large whirlpools, and a significant amount of it washes onto our coastlines daily. (Parley, n.d.) The Pollution Problem Plastic pollution within our oceans is caused by following reasons: debris washed into the ocean from rivers after heavy rain or floods, blown off of garbage...
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...Oceanic Pollution and its Effects on Society “Around 8 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans every year”,(Milman 1). Nowadays in our everyday society, plastic is used constantly from cups and plates, to bags and pencils. It is this same plastic that ends up in the world’s oceans due to various means of transportation, where it then harms the existing life and ecosystems present. Until something is done to combat this issue, the pollution will never cease to increase. Oceanic pollution harms the world’s oceans, it’s marine life, and ultimately ourselves due to the overwhelming influx of pollutants, and lack of action against it. The formal definition of marine pollution is as states, “Oceanic pollution also known as marine pollution is the spreading of harmful substances such as oil, plastic, industrial, and agricultural waste and chemical particles being released into the ocean”,(NOAA). Essentially there is no one cause to marine pollution, therefore there is also no one effect or solution to it either. Marine pollution is the accumulation of waste being emitted into the ocean both via natural, and unnatural means. A few of the most notable causes of marine pollution would include the following: sewage, industrial, land runoff, large scale oil spills, ocean mining, and littering. To go more into...
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...Save Our Beaches! The Study Behind Coastal Pollution Plastic Pollution is a significant contributor to the non-point source pollution found in the Monterey Bay and around the world. While terms such as Marine Debris and Ocean Trash have been used to describe the garbage that enters the ocean, a growing number of scientists, researchers and marine-based organizations have adopted the term Plastic Pollution not only because 90% of floating ocean trash is plastic, but because the term pollution highlights that we are dealing with a pervasive substance that contaminates water, the cells of organisms, and knows no boundaries. (Plastic Pollution, n.d.) 80% of plastic pollution that enters the ocean originates from land. Common sources include: recreational beach users, people who drop litter on sidewalks and streets, plastics manufacturers and transporters, illegal dumping, and areas with inadequate trash receptacles. All land-based plastic pollution has the potential to become ocean pollution. Plastics easily blow into the ocean or washed down storm drains that flow directly to the Bay, and oceans around the world. (Marine Problems: Pollution, n.d.) Marine animals often mistake plastic pieces for food. For example, bird species such as pelicans or albatross will mistake pieces of plastic for small fish. Once the animal ingests the plastic, their body cannot digest it. The plastic item will remain in the animals’ stomach causing the animal to feel full. Thus the animal will eventually...
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...The variety of ocean creatures in an aquarium is supposed to represent the real variety of the ocean but at this rate, it may not stay that way for long. While the general idea is that the big threat to marine species is their natural predators, in reality a more silent and deadly killer threatens to wipe out thousands of marine animals: ocean pollution. Ocean pollution kills thousands of birds, fish, and sea mammals alike every year, by toxic particles released in the water and being strangled by plastic alike. How many species have been killed off by pollution, let alone ocean pollution, may never be known. To preserve all of the planet’s species, action must be taken. Ocean and beach pollution must be stopped to prevent the destruction of...
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...National Geographic Society. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” National Geographic Society, National Geographic, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/. The National Geographic has been known of posting many articles and videos about the concern and awareness of the water pollution of the Pacific Ocean. The article that is chosen is about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the National Geographic has many photo evidence of the harmful effects of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The article puts in perspective of how serious the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is by using quotes from captains that have sailed by the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and statistics of the mass size. The article will be supporting...
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...Pollution is a major issue that threatens marine ecosystems throughout the world, and one of the main sources of marine pollution is plastics. The problem of plastic pollution in oceans is a serious issue because of the negative impacts that it has on the marine ecosystems and the abundant living organisms found within these areas. The introduction of plastics into the natural environments of marine species often causes considerable damage to these creatures, as plastic debris is a known culprit of injuries and even the deaths of many marine animals. For instance, plastic bags are commonly mistaken by animals, both in marine ecosystems as well as on land, as a type of food “especially when the bags carry food residues, are brightly coloured...
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...It is hard for some people to grasp the concept that plastic debris is actually very harmful in the ocean life. “In the ocean, plastic debris injures and kills fish, seabirds and marine mammals” (cleanwater.org). Plastic isn’t just the harmless material that people use everyday for various reasons. Plastic that is no longer of use to anyone is thrown out, thus, ending up in the ocean. However, it doesn’t just sit there and waste away. The plastic begins to take a journey in the water, and when the sea animals see, they end up eating it. The destructive consequences of plastic in the ocean are so extreme that a lot of sea animals suffer devastating fates in result to the pollution of plastic. “Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least...
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...Every year about eight million tons of plastic is dumped into our surrounding oceans, making that about 22,000 tons in one single day. Who decided that it is socially acceptable to dump waste into our delicate oceans; that do nothing but keep our Earth alive? Sustainable coastlines are a major role that play into preventing ocean pollution of plastics and other waste. The goal of sustainable coastlines are to inspire local communities to come together as a whole and help towards hands-on beach cleanups monthly. I was inspired to take on this topic because from a young age I have felt a close relationship with the sea, and I want nothing more for others to treat it with the most upwards respects as well. From this presentation, I hope to inspire others to protect our oceans and give our marine life a safe ecosystem; the same we want for our future generations....
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...near was the Pacific Ocean, which was located approximately two miles from Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, California. I lived near these Southern California beaches for over twenty years and visited them frequently during all four seasons. I have walked miles of their shoreline, taking in the sights and sounds of various birds flying high above in the sky. During the summer, I would get out into the water and bodyboard endless waves that propelled me towards the sandy coastline. What I have noticed throughout my years of visiting Huntington Beach is how the presence of single use plastic bags and bottles have increased along the shoreline, especially in and around the mouth of the Santa Ana river....
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...The article is called “Oceans of pollution” (Al Jazeera, 18 June 2012), Dahr Jamail. He shows the plastic pollution in the oceans on the Earth’s crisis. If the issue is not addressed, it will be unpredictable long-term consequences, with a mass extinction of ocean species. His rhetorical goals of explaining are quotations from scientific experts, cause-and-effect reasoning, and powerful visual imagery. The stimulus for the article was a series of scientific studies that demonstrate the dramatic worsening of ocean pollution in recent years. According to author, massive gyres of plastic garbage are developing in oceans that are harm to fish, turtles and other creatures. “Dead Zones” – where are algae blooms which runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus...
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...Examine two ways in which plastic bags contribute to environmental damage. ------------------------------------------------- eassy Wesley lam Module Code | FC501-2T | Group | Group A | Module Title | Skills for Study 1 Assessment | Type | Essay Assignment | Title | Examine two ways in which plastic bags contribute to environmental damage. | Tutor Name | Tatiana Wood | Student ID Number | T0022045 | Date of Submission | 28 Feb 2014 | Word Count | | Examine two ways in which plastic bags contribute to environmental damage. We are surrounding by plastic. Think about every piece you touch in a single day: shopping bags, plastic cups, drink bottles. Plastic may be very convenient, but it is also harmful in many ways to environment. There are so many ways to damage environment such as general waste, plastic bags and pollution. Ultimately, plastic bags are the major issue of causing environmental problems since it is generating pollution according burning plastic bags would generate air pollution, and throwing rubbishes and general waste in the ocean would damage the living things in the sea. According to above statement, millions of generate waste are generating each day causing tons of waste which contribute to environmental damage. As a result, this will lead to damage to living things and animals, as burning plastic bags will generate the harmful air pollution. Also, the place where is locating the rubbishes and plastic bags would not be able to...
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...What the Oceans Hide No one thinks about what happens to their plastic after it’s served its purpose. Most people believe it simply goes somewhere and gets recycled and reused. The truth is not so pretty. Plastics are made out of a variety of natural materials, including an oil called petroleum. To be useful they must be processed so they become easy to mold and shape for many different things. Basically, plastics are designed to suit consumer needs, but this usually means single use products like plastic bags or a Starbucks cup. According to Greenpeace, an environmental organization, “It is the very properties that make plastics so useful, their stability and resistance to degradation, that causes them to be so problematic after they have...
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...spitting gum on the floor, people litter every day without giving a single thought to what might be affected. For what feels like eternity, humans have rigorously affected the marine life in Earth’s oceans by spreading their various and vast amounts of pollution. Ocean pollution is the spreading of detrimental substances such as plastic, oil, chemical particles, and industrial and agricultural waste. Being even more specific, littering. When objects are blown by the wind over long distances and end up in the ocean, this is considered pollution from the atmosphere and is a huge source of ocean pollution. Most of the debris that is dumped, especially plastic debris, cannot decompose and remains in the oceans...
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...distribution and use of plastic bags. Central Idea: The United States needs to impose a ban and/or a fine for the distribution and use of plastic bags on all states because of the devastation caused globally every year. Organizational Pattern: Problem Cause Solution Order Introduction: A. (Attention getter) When we throw something away, something as simple as a plastic bag, we often don’t think of where it will end up or the journey it takes to its permanent home. We don’t care what happens next; however, 86% of you stated, in my audience analysis, that we do need to be concerned with plastic pollution in Nebraska (Audience Analysis). (show plastic bag video) B....
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