Plastic in the Oceans
Have you ever thought to yourself it’s okay, it’s only one piece of plastic, it’s not going to do anything? But there are 7.8 billion people on this earth. We have all had that same little thought — but that thought is one of the reasons we are in the position we are today. Every year the world produces 300 million tons of plastic, that’s enough to circle the world four times! 8 million metric tons of that enters our oceans. Americans throw away 35 billion tons of water bottles each year and 100 billion plastic grocery bags. There are already 150 million metric tons of plastic in our ocean. By the year 2050 it is Estimated there are going to be 10 billion people on the earth and our plastic production will triple. In 2050 there is also estimated there will be more garbage than fish in our oceans by weight. (1)
Garbage that you and I throw away can make its way all over the world even to places like Antarctica(2). And because of that, and pollution, we have made over 400 dead zones across the globe. What are dead zones, you may ask? Dead zones are places in the ocean where no life can live. The biggest one being in the Pacific, it is as big as Ireland. It is over 27,000 square miles. 90% of global warming heat goes into our oceans causing our oceans to warm. Warm water cannot hold as much oxygen as cold can, so we are losing oxygen in our water, causing marine animals to suffocate and die. But that’s not the only thing it’s affecting, it’s affecting these microscopic creatures called phytoplankton, which provide oxygen for our oceans — they actually provide half the worlds in the ocean (National Geographic Society).
In the US only 25% of plastic is recycled. If we recycled the other 75% we could save 1 billion gallons of oil and millions of cubic yards of landfill space. But we don’t (3). Why? The majority of plastic materials are not recyclable and many places like third world countries do not have space or the facilities to recycle. And more, countries around the world no longer want to accept money for taking in garbage or recyclables from major countries. So, it ends up going all around our world and covering our land and oceans. Not only is this killing our world, but it’s also hurting and killing the animals we love, too, such as whales, seals, turtles, dolphins, birds, and many more. Over 100 million Marine animals die each year from plastic entanglement and these are the ones found. One reason being, plastic bags are commonly mistaken for jellyfish. Plastic bags will not digest so they just sit in the gut of marine life, land animals, and birds, like the approximately one million seabirds that die each year because it can take up to one thousand years for plastic to decompose. Some plastic is being broken up into smaller pieces making it much easier for animals to swallow it. It is assumed that 90% of seabirds have or will have swallowed a piece of plastic in their lifetime (4). Seabirds are consistently dying from swallowing too much plastic their bodies cannot digest. They will keep swallowing plastic and it will cause a buildup in their stomachs, causing them to die.
We, the citizens of the planet need to do our part! There are things we can do to help. We can start by putting our garbage into the garbage containers and the recyclable materials into recycling bins making sure the trash and the recyclables do not commingle. Do not litter! If you litter on the street chances are the garbage will end up in the sewer. From there they will make their way via water to our rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. We can also help by picking up garbage outside and making sure it gets put into garbage or recycling. If your car is leaking oil do not drive it. When it rains the spilled oil, like plastic, can find its way into water sources. Almost every piece of plastic ever made is still on the planet in some form or another. We can’t afford to keep making plastics that can not be recycled. There are organizations fighting to help keep our oceans clean like OCEAN CRUSADERS, Animal Friends Croatia, and many more. We need to prohibit the manufacture of these single-use types of plastic or have them figure out how to dispose of it safely or recycle it. As mentioned before, we need to encourage our Senators and Congressman to support the US and worldwide organizations to encourage plastic manufacturers to refrain from the use of these types of plastics. If necessary, we need to ban the use of these materials, and we, as the consumer have to stop purchasing these types of items. Donation of money goes a long way in helping these organizations. We need to encourage our state Senators and Congressman to support these agencies throughout the world. We need to stop using plastic bags when we go to the grocery stores and we need to follow Mexico’s and other countries around the world’s example of the use of plastic in the construction of new roads.(“Using plastics to build roads”).
There are four simple steps that each person can do to reduce water pollution and it all starts in your home. One, start by ditching antibacterial soaps. While some soaps clean your house some do just the just opposite. According to oceana.org, 95 percent of water tests performed proved positive for contaminants derived from antibacterial soaps and harsh cleaning chemicals. Two, don’t flush old or unused medications down the toilet. New studies at Harvard University indicate that over the counter medications and prescription drugs now pose a significant problem because when they get into lakes, rivers, and streams, aquatic life can be adversely affected (5). Three, avoid using pesticides, chemicals, and fertilizers because like discarded medicines they can get into rivers, lakes, and oceans fertilizing blooms of algae that deplete oxygen and leave dead zones in the water. Four, pick up after your pets. Dog poop is the leading cause of stormwater pollution, as rainwater flows across yards, dog parks, trails, and the like it picks up bacteria. This water is high in nitrogen and phosphorus, which negatively affects the water. Pick up the poop.
Works Cited
National Geographic Society. “Dead Zone.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/dead-zone/.
“Campaign.” Oceana, oceana.org/our-campaigns/stop_ocean_pollution/campaign.
“UN Environment: Meet the UN Agency Protecting the Only Planet We’ve Got.” Better World Campaign, betterworldcampaign.org/blog/un-family-un-environment/?gclid=CjwKCAjw2a32BRBXEiwAUcugiEUOqvh1MMdDqjPrWpcGfZmLPe85V5kVQaz6YDk9xiHVHPVaUr3UHxoCXAcQAvD_BwE.
(1)“Plastic Pollution.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 May 2020,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_pollution.
(2)Ocean Dead Zones/YouTube
(3)Oceana Pollution/Plastics
(4)Wikipedia/Plastic Debris/Plastic Pollution Oceans
(5)Harvard Health Publishing/Prescription Drug Disposal, January 2006
“10 Ways You Can Help Save the Oceans.” Oceana, oceana.org/living-blue/10-ways-you-can-help-save-oceans.
