Category: Ocean Pollution

Introduction

The focus of my group’s project was ocean conservation. The oceans are one of Earth’s best gifts to humans, beautiful ecosystems growing with life that provide fresh food to jobs that millions of people can enjoy. These oceans may seem perfectly fine, and there wouldn’t be any major difficulties and concerns, but that’s not the case. The oceans and coral reefs are getting destroyed each and every day. The ocean has been a major concern due to trash and human interaction.

Ocean conservation is a method that is working to save some of those concerns. This type of conservation works to save marine animals and the coral reefs. While what we did in the past will always affect the future, there is always time to create a better outcome, and that all starts by understanding the problem that we are creating. Using the eight lenses, economic, environmental, futuristic, cultural and social, artistic, political and historical, and scientific, my group is focusing on the benefits of helping the ocean life and what are the problems with the ocean. This research question was made from researching controversial topics, and this topic intrigued us.

The future and environmental

The future of the ocean is dependent on how we handle situations like plastic, trash, coral Acidification, and Destruction of Habitats. Plastic is the leading cause of turtle death. Turtles will eat the left-out plastic like fishing gear, food wrappers, and bottles, and once it gets into their system, it kills the sea turtles in the digestive system. Turtles can also get tangled in the left-out plastic, and that can kill them. Pollution disrupts nesting behavior and causes hatchling death by leading them away from the sea. Another way turtles are dying is a way called direct take; direct take is when sea turtles and their eggs are killed by people throughout the world for food and for products, including oil, leather, and shell.

Six of the seven sea turtle species are classified as threatened or endangered due to human actions and lifestyles. One way we can stop this from happening is to reduce fishing nets and fishing lines from getting into the ocean and also recycle properly, meaning throw your trash into the trash can. Most people tend to just leave a wrapper on the beach, thinking that it will not cause any damage; well, they were wrong. That little wrapper that they left on the beach is now in turtles or fish stomachs. Another leading cause for the ocean needing saving is coral reef acidification.

Coral acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time caused primarily by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Over 52 percent of the coral reefs have died due to coral acidification. On the website www.independent.co.uk, Elena B. put the title “More than 90% of the coral reef will be dead by 2050.” This made me wonder why the corals would be almost gone in just 30 years. Elena states how, just in the past 30 years, over half of the coral reefs have been killed due to coral acidification and coral bleaching.

The coral can die due to the temperature changing even 1.8 degrees; this causes coral bleaching that kills the coral reefs. If the water were to cool down, then the coral reefs could restore themselves and become the beautiful reefs we know them to be. One way we could save the coral reefs is to either train the coral reefs to get used to the heat intake they take or reduce the number of people going exploring the coral reefs. Some coral reefs die out due to human interaction; people tend to want to touch the reefs. If a human touches the reefs, they will die. The sunscreen that most people use comes off in the water, clings to the coral reefs, and coats them with chemical ingredients.

Art

Art has been a newer way to save the ocean; places like SeaWorld use plastic found near or in the ocean to make art sculptures. Art activist uses art as a way to communicate with people all around the world about ocean destruction. The goal is to raise awareness and change the environmentally damaging habits that people and countries do to the ocean. Younger people are more likely to be intrigued by art, and if we use art in a positive way for the ocean, younger people will learn that the ocean needs to be saved and we need to do everything and anything possible to save it. Art comes in all different types and forms; art doesn’t just have to be painted on a canvas or a sculpture. It can be a bracelet or necklace.

A company called 4ocean used its brand to make bracelets that support ocean conservation. The bracelet is made out of all recycled products found on the beach. Wearing the 4ocean bracelet identifies you as a member of their team; they fight for a clean ocean. I learned that every bracelet purchased can clean out a pound of trash from the ocean, which is incredible. Another brand that uses its brand to help save the ocean is Pura Vida. They have multiple charities that they support, but one of their bracelets is directed toward the coral reefs called “Save the coral reefs,” and another is dedicated to the Surfrider Foundation.

They give around 5% of their profit to those foundations. If you go to SeaWorld, you may notice a particular garden; this garden is the “SEA garden.” This “garden” is four sculptures made from coastal trash they have collected during coastal cleanups. Visitors will come across thousands of pieces of trash, from aluminum cans and plastic bottles to styrofoam and old brushes that either washed ashore or were abandoned on the beach. Seaworld has made four animal sculptures they have made a seahorse, an octopus, a sea anemone, and an octopus.

Historical and political lens

The environmental movement of ocean conservation began in 1972. One thing that brought attention to the need for ocean conservancy was the ‘Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas Agreement of 1966. In 1972, the US government prohibited anyone who did not have a license to fish or hunt marine life within the United States. According to https://fourfish.org/a/pe3l-UQimmN5m, “Since then, most of the waste dumped in American waters are dredged materials that are permitted beforehand by the EPA. Before disposal, these materials are evaluated to ensure that they won’t cause any harmful effects to either humans or the marine environment.”.

The following year, in 1973, the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, created the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. They aimed to reduce the amount of marine pollution caused by ships. In 1993, Dr.Elliot published Global Marine Biological Diversity (https://marine-conservation.org/who-we-are/history/). This book ended up being the most cited book on marine conservation. To get more scientists to apply their understanding to marine conservation decision-making, he founded the Marine Conservation Biology Institute in 1996 (which became the Marine Conservation Institute in 2011).

On the flip side of this topic, many countries put trash into the ocean, thinking that they are doing no harm. The top six countries for ocean garbage are China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Americans alone generate 10.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, but they only recycle 1-2 % of it. Around 14 billion pounds of trash, mostly plastic, is dumped into the world’s oceans every year. The ocean is around 88% full of trash.

Conclusion

Without the ocean, all life would be different; the Earth would be one huge desert. The ocean is one of the biggest if not the biggest, support systems for Earth and living. A lot of ocean conservation has been successful, but nothing will fully be fixed until all of the problems get resolved, which means no trash, no extra amount of fishing, and no chemicals in the ocean.

References

1. Independent. (n.d.). More than 90% of the world’s coral reefs will be dead by 2050. Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/coral-reefs-dead-2050-90-per-cent-global-warming-pollution-fishing-a7378851.html
2. Four Fish. (n.d.). The role of seafood in a balanced diet. Four Fish. https://fourfish.org/a/pe3l-UQimmN5m
3. Marine Conservation Institute. (n.d.). Our history. Marine Conservation Institute. https://marine-conservation.org/who-we-are/history/

Introduction

Have you ever been to the beach and expected to see a beautiful, refreshing, and clean environment? Instead, you find a beach that is covered with plastic waste, pieces of metal, and chemicals. For example, in the North Pacific Ocean sits a massive patch. It has been famously known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Charles Moore describes it as a ‘Collection of marine debris that is the result of rotating ocean currents between Japan and the United States’ (cited in Perdew and White 6). It has ‘Been estimated to be twice the size of Texas’ (Ottum 52). The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an impressive illustration of what marine pollution is.

Impact on Marine Mammals

Each year, about eight million metric tons of plastic waste are found in the ocean. It is referred to as marine pollution. Marine pollution occurs when harmful material such as plastic, metal, chemicals, etc., waste enters and poses a threat to the ocean environment. Most of the pollution that goes into the ocean occurs from activities going on on land. Approximately 12 billion gallons of wastewater is dumped into the ocean. The majority of trash that goes into the ocean is plastic because plastic does not biodegrade. The harmful effects of marine pollution are it kills marine mammals, demolishes habitats, and poses dangerous risks to humans.

Marine pollution kills marine mammals that encounter marine debris daily. In 2010, the largest marine oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico from the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. According to The New York Times, ‘As of Aug 16, more than 7,000 birds, sea turtles, and dolphins have been dead or debilitated in the gulf since the oil spill began.’ Not only is oil harmful to marine mammals, but so is plastic. Most mammals, like sea turtles, often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish. They eat it, but plastic bags block their digestive tracts, making it difficult to take in other food. Since it is impossible for them to eat, they end up starving, leading them to die from starvation.

Plastic has been found 11 Kilometers deep in the ocean, ‘The UN estimates that more than one million birds and 100,000 mammals die every year from plastic by poisoning, entanglement, and choking’ (Scherer 84). Some harmful waste can break down over time, but plastic cannot. Plastic will always be around them, causing them danger. Marine mammals take in pollutants into their body by using their gills. Judith S. Weis exclaims, ‘An animal in a polluted area accumulates toxic chemicals from each item of contaminated food that it eats’ (10). This means the animal takes in the harsh chemicals into their body and kills them. The chemicals poison their body, making them not be able to survive any longer.

Destruction of Habitats

In addition, marine pollution destroys habitats and the homes of millions of marine species. When chemicals are released into the ocean, many plants are highly affected. For example, coral reefs provide protection and are homes to marine mammals around. However, because the chemicals and nutrients are released, coral reefs end up dying. Not given a home or protection, the mammals need to hide from predators. An article from Ocean Health Index states that ‘When seagrass, mangrove, and salt marsh habitats are destroyed, they are no longer able to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.’ This means significant amounts of carbon dioxide are released and produced back into the atmosphere.

Most habitats provide sufficient food, like plants for marine species. For instance, an oil spill can impair a plant’s ability to grow and function properly. It can leave the species without food to depend on, or it can be contaminated. Noise pollution is an indirect effect of how it ‘Reduces food availability outside normal habitats, increased exposure to predators or other risks’ (Sarić and Randonja 37). Marine mammals might run out of food and decide to go out for food only to find out they hear a loud and scary sound, making them change direction to wander around in different habitats that are homes to their predators.

Human Health Risks

Furthermore, not only does marine pollution affect marine life, but it is also a dangerous risk for humans. Many people love to go to the beach, but they encounter debris that is unhealthy for the body. When swimmers go to the beach, some may be swimming in trash. Swimmers who swim in sewage-polluted water could contract an illness that was spread by the contaminated water. However, surfers and divers are at greater risk of being infected or catching an illness from the polluted water than swimmers. ‘Debris is a hazard to swimmers and divers who can become entangled in plastics or cut by sharp objects’ (Perdew and White 55). Humans can get seriously injured just by swimming in places they would not expect harmful things to be at.

While many people love the beach, they also love their seafood. Although seafood has a rich nutrient of protein, vitamins, and minerals, it can be risky to public health. To illustrate, Weis states that ‘The high variability in Hg in common seafood has ramifications for public health’ (94). Making it risky to consume large fish because Methylmercury biomagnifies in food webs. When humans consume fish that have ingested plastic, it is risky because of the toxic concentration in them. ‘Some effects can be it increases breast cancer in women, early puberty for girls…, affect developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune system’ (Perdew and White 55, 57). Some seafood may carry around bacteria and viruses from debris that could pose a health risk for consumers. Always be cautious of what you eat, so you and your body can both be healthy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, marine pollution poses a threat to the ocean by killing its marine mammals, destroying their habitats, and putting human life at risk. Every day, the oceans are being threatened by pollution, which marine life is suffering. Many thought since the ocean was a huge and deep place, dumping litter in the ocean would not face or have extreme consequences. It does not disappear but, instead, enters the food chain. Unfortunately, marine mammals are killed by marine debris, such as plastic they eat or chemicals that may enter their body. It even destroys their habitats because when chemicals are released, they can break down pieces of their home.

Not giving them the protection they need and food to survive. Humans are at risk, too, when swimming; swimmers can get injured by getting caught up in plastic or cutting themselves. Even from seafood, they eat, like fish that take in chemicals or consume plastic. It can cause many humans to be ill and not be healthy. When saltwater moves pollutants, it can travel from the ocean to freshwater, making wells that contaminate the groundwater.

Seventy percent of the marine debris is found at the bottom of the ocean, and the other 30 percent may be floating in the ocean or at shore. In many parts of the world, sewage water leads to the ocean being untreated and not cared for. There are different types of marine pollution, such as acidification, eutrophication, plastic debris, toxins, and underwater noise. They all have terrible effects on the ocean and its marine life. However, we can all put a stop to polluting our oceans. Michael J. Kennish describes how “Marine wastes may be organized into several distinct categories: degradable wastes, fertilizers, dissipating wastes, particulates, and conservative wastes” (3).

Together, we can keep our oceans clean and stop polluting so that marine life will not be affected. There are many organizations all around the world fighting to save and clean our oceans, as 97 percent of the earth’s water comes from the oceans. Rose George once said, ‘We are wasting our water mostly by putting waste into it. One cubic meter of wastewater can pollute ten cubic meters of water. Discharging wastewater into oceans turns freshwaters into the less useful salty stuff, and desalination is expensive.’

Works Cited

1. BrainyQuote “Rose George Quotes.” Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/rose_george_634015
2. Ocean Health Index “Trash Pollution.”, www.oceanhealthindex.org/methodology/components/trash-pollution.
3. Otuum, Joshua. ‘Sounds Like Garbage: Paddling through an Imaginary Island of Trash toward a New Sonic Ecology.’ Social Alternatives, vol. 33, no. 1, Jan. 2014, pp. 52–59. Academic Search Complete, db22.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=96402387&site=ehost-live
4. Perdew, Laura, and Angelicque White. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Essential Library, an Imprint of Abdo Publishing, 2018
5. Sarić, Ivan and Radoslav Radonja. ‘Noise as a Source of Marine Pollution.’ Scientific Journal of Maritime Research, vol. 28, no. 1, Jan. 2014, pp. 31-39. Academic Search Complete, db22.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=113414448&site=ehost-live.
6. Scherer, Lauri S. Oceans. Greenhaven Press, 2011. The New York Times, The New York Times, Apr 28, 2010, archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/28/us/20100428-spill-map.html?_r=0.
7. Weis, Judith S. Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press, 2015.
8. Kennish, M., Kennish, M., Lutz, P. (2017). Practical Handbook of Estuarine and Marine Pollution. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Introduction

Millions of ocean species are soon to face mass extinction due to pollution. Pollution is everywhere we look, even the Ocean. All the trash that does not end up in the trash lands on the ground and eventually in the Ocean. Ocean life is on the verge of destruction by humans.

The Looming Threat to Ocean Life

Humans are dumping trash anywhere they feel like. Some of the trash lands on the shore of the Ocean brought in from the waves and tides; some descend, some are consumed by the ocean animals that confuse it for food, and some trash collects in ocean gyres (National et al. Administration). When it ends up in the Ocean, all the harmful chemicals are making the ocean and ocean life sick. Plastic poisons fish, birds, marine mammals, and sea turtles, wipe out habitats, and even changes animals’ mating routine, which can have a calamitous corollary and can erase an entire breed (Lonne).

What we don’t think about is all the chemicals that trash is made of are in the things we use every day. There are lots of fixes to saving the Ocean, but a major one is to pick up after ourselves. We as a community need to pay more attention to things around us and pick up after ourselves and others. Picking up a little piece of trash can save the Ocean from having more harmful trash in it. Humans just dump trash anywhere because we are too lazy and do not care. Humans do whatever they feel, like throwing trash not in its rightful place, and we just leave it on the ground and step over or around it.

Habitats all over the Ocean are being destroyed. The habitats are the home and safe place for ocean life. The habitats are plants like coral reefs, and when the pollution enters the Ocean, the chemicals destroy the plants, so without habitats, the animals have to go somewhere else or are being eaten by other animals. Habitat elimination and degeneration are among our most severe environmental catastrophes, causing animal extinctions and danger to many of the remainder of the wildlife around the world. It takes place anywhere in the Ocean and has lifelong or enduring effects.

Humans and nature can both be causes of ocean destruction and coastal habitats. Hurricanes and typhoons, storm surges, and tsunamis can cause colossal, though usually brief, interruptions in the circle of ocean plant and animal life. Human actions, nonetheless, are automatically more impactful and endless. Agriculture, industrial development, and urban sprawl are examples of artificial stresses that soon lead to decreased capacity and the capacity of habitats for marine life. Tourism brings lots of boaters, snorkelers, and scuba divers into direct contact with fragile wetlands and coastal ecosystems (thank you, Ocean). Stopping the pollution will help save the animal’s habitats and maybe even produce more of the species. Keeping the habitats from being destroyed helps us save the species from becoming extinct.

Overfishing: Disrupting the Balance

Humans are overfishing, causing less and less fish, but not just fish other species in the Ocean as well. A major problem of overfishing is the “open access” nature of fisheries. Because there are no or some property rights, there is an absence of incentive for fishers to put the fish back in the water. Illegal fishing reports for a predicted 20% of the earth’s catches and as much as 50% in some fisheries. The target fishing of top predators (such as billfish, sharks, and tuna) one day will disturb the food chain. This, in turn, has an influence on the rest of marine life, such as the heightened growth of algae, and is a risk to coral reef wellbeing (World et al.).

Yes, some people fish them and release them back into the Ocean, but others will keep them to cook and eat later. Fish fish are a major part of the ocean food chain; most of the species rely on the fish for their main source of food. So when humans come and overfish, taking away all the fish, there is less left for the animals of the Ocean. We could stop overfishing by only fishing at a certain time of the year and keep the fish then. But any other time, we fish to release them back into the Ocean when we get done. That way, we get to take some but also leave enough for ocean life.

Conclusion

Ocean life is on the verge of destruction by humans. We can stop the Ocean’s destruction of the Ocean by stopping so much pollution from entering the Ocean. Stopping the pollution can help save habitats, but we also need to think more about being careful underwater. We also have to stop the overfishing problem that we have, but we need to have the laws enforced.

References

1. Lonne, B. (n.d.). How does plastic pollution affect the ocean? Ocean Conservancy. https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2018/08/10/plastic-pollution-affect-ocean/
2. Thank You Ocean. (n.d.). Coastal habitat destruction. http://www.thankyouocean.org/threats-to-our-ocean/coastal-habitat-destruction/
3. World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.). Overfishing. https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing

Introduction

The Earth is covered by oceans. The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, holds 97% of the world’s water, hosts some of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems, and supports economies in countries around the world. There are many causes of why our oceans are becoming toxic. Ocean pollution is widespread, becoming worse by the decade, and shows a clear and present threat to human health. According to a Boston College study, more than 80 percent comes from land-based sources, and it reaches the oceans through rivers, runoff, and deposition from the atmosphere. Airborne pollutants are washed into the ocean by rain and snow and direct dumping, such as pollution from waste-water treatment plants and discarded waste.

Causes of Ocean Pollution

The ocean is an important aspect of human health and human life. It provides food to billions of people and livelihood to millions of people. In spite of the ocean’s size, it is not safe and is under threat. The main source of the ocean’s threat is human activity. The toxification of the ocean is caused by multiple things, mainly pollution and hazardous waste material released into the environment due to human activities. Pollution is also a great and growing threat to human health. According to M.D P. Landrigan in a Boston college-led study, This is the largest environmental cause of disease in the world today, responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths per year. The toxification of the ocean would not only lead to the loss of millions of human lives but would also cause huge economic losses.

There are several causes as to why the ocean is becoming toxic. One of the main causes is the Dumping of Sewage; this happens more often as dumping of sewage waste into the ocean is the cheapest and easiest method of sewage disposal. Most of the untreated sewage that may contain lethal or hazardous substances makes its way into the ocean waters through the sewage systems, which causes severe effects on the health of marine animals and flora.

Another source of pollutants in the oceans is Industrial Chemicals. These untreated discharges of chemicals are also released into water bodies from several industries. Industries like fossil fuel, plastic manufacturing, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and more. Typically contains harmful toxins like mercury, phthalates, Bisphenol-A, and other chemical substances. These substances make the oceans toxic by altering the pH level of the ocean water, which in turn contributes to the deaths of marine animals. This could also pose a threat to human life as toxins enter the bodies of marine animals. They are further transferred up the food chain, which will reach humans through the consumption of marine animals in toxic waters.

Conclusion

According to researchers, the increased buildup of harmful chemicals in the ocean leads to Eutrophication. The combination of hazardous waste, sewage dumping, and more leads to an alarming growth rate of algae and other life-threatening microorganisms that will inevitably disrupt the ocean ecosystem. This will lead to the depletion of oxygen due to Eutrophication and will cause a formation of dead zones in the ocean.

References

1. “Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans” by Captain Charles Moore
2. “The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier” by Ian Urbina
3. “The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One” by Sylvia A. Earle

Introduction

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog page. There’s a very serious topic I’d like to discuss this week, and that is Ocean Pollution. More recently than ever, ocean pollution has become a MAJOR problem. Its effects have become much more serious and hurtful to ocean life and our own as well.

The Pervasive Threat of Ocean Pollution

I recently read an article that really goes into detail about what’s happening in our oceans and the kinds of pollution that are causing such harmful effects. I’d like to share this website article with you all as it’s just extremely interesting and taught me a lot that I didn’t even know about pollution. This web article is written by Melissa Denchak and is titled “Ocean Pollution: The Dirty Facts.” This article is recent in that it was posted only about a year ago, on January 22, 2018. This article came from a website that is called the NRDC, which stands for Natural Resource Defense Council. They post lots of different articles about climate change, communities, energy, food, health, water, the wild, and most importantly, our topic today: oceans.

About once a year, they post articles pertaining to the ocean, more specifically ocean pollution, that’s about a page-long read. Some of their titles, from the years 2015-2017, are “What You Need to Know About Ocean Acidification,” “10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution”, and “Go Green in Margaritaville: Eco-Friendly Beach Vacation Tips.” This website also has a couple of videos pertaining to the ocean as well that give valuable information that goes along with some of the articles on ocean pollution. Now, regarding why I chose this website article to talk about, in comparison to many other articles online, is their credibility. The NRDC is a group of around 600 people who are either scientists, lawyers, or policy advocates. Now, I don’t know about you, but I find scientists, lawyers, etc., to be credible people. The website has a part of it that you can go to called “Our Experts,” and you can click on it and read about the different people listed and their credibility and expertise pertaining to different fields in wildlife, etc. So, with all that out of the way, let me just dive right into the article itself.

Root Causes and the Call for Collective Responsibility

Melissa Denchak’s January 2018 NRDC article “Ocean Pollution: The Dirty Facts” discusses how “many forms of pollution are having a seriously negative impact on ocean life when she states, “As a result, collectively, our impact on the seas is degrading their health at an alarming rate,” There are many kinds of pollution that humans are contributing to that are really beginning to affect the ocean and its inhabitants in a very serious way.

These different forms are ocean acidification, trash in the ocean, ocean noise, and offshore drilling. All these forms of pollution are, in fact, damaging the health of many marine species. Denchak is correct in stating that ocean life is starting to decrease at a terrifying rate if we continue to allow pollution to consume all ocean life until there’s close to nothing left. The government should not be alone in trying to solve ocean pollution. It’ll take the work of all of society as one to begin to change our ways to better the world we live in. So, let me explain in more detail the specific forms of pollution Denchak gives in her article.

Ocean acidification is worsening with the effects that fossil fuel burning is contributing, and if not fixed soon, it will lead to the ocean becoming 150% more acidic than it is today. Research has shown that oceans are acidifying faster now than they have in almost 300 million years! That’s crazy, people! If we don’t come together to fix this problem now, our whole ecosystem will be affected, starting at the bottom with coral reefs and mussels. Did you know that in order to make their shells, these creatures require calcium carbonate? And did you further know that as the pH levels of the ocean rise, calcium carbonate levels go down? Yeah. So, if our ocean continues to increase in acidity, these creatures’ lives are threatened, and so too are the animals that feed off them and the animals that feed off them, etc., until there’s nothing left.

This is a picture of recent coral reefs taken by Oregon State University. As you can see, the tops of the coral are losing their color and turning white. This is due to acidification affecting the calcium carbonate. So right here is proof that ocean life really is being affected by the high rise in acidity.

Forms of Ocean Pollution: Acidification, Trash, Noise, and More

Moving on, a HUGE form of pollution that we are all familiar with is trash in the ocean. One main reason why trash like grocery bags, water bottles, straws, and milk containers (the list of plastic items goes on) is a big deal is that they don’t biodegrade! That’s why we have something called recycling! Well, then, you may wonder how all this trash gets to the ocean. A terrifying and sad reality is that trash is directly dumped into our oceans. But another why all this trash enters our oceans is through drains and sewers.

Melissa Denchak’s January 2018 NRDC article “Ocean Pollution: The Dirty Facts” talks about in her sixth paragraph how not only is trash like plastic a big problem but so is oil drips from different transportation vehicles when she states, “Oil from boats, airplanes, cars, trucks, and even lawn mowers is also swimming in ocean waters.” It is so upsetting to read about this happening because this is such an easy fix and is probably only happening because we are so careless. I personally have a boat on a lake in Michigan, and not once have we dripped oil from it. It’s so easy to be cautious and make sure that you don’t pollute the water you’re riding in.

Speaking of boats, ocean noise is another form of pollution that most people don’t even think about. I know I didn’t until I read this article. While this can be a problem in lakes, our main topic is the ocean, and there is where ocean noise is much worse. As you may or may not know, some marine life uses sound waves to communicate such as whales and dolphins. They use this form of underwater echolocation to locate food, to mate, and simply just to navigate. Well, with huge commercial and container ships roaming the oceans, echolocation for these animals can become very tricky.

This picture was taken by Anngu Chen/EyeEm, and as you can see, there are a TON of massive ships in this part of the ocean. Can you imagine all the sound underwater those gigantic engines are making? All of that loud extra noise disorients sound waves and can cause great problems for animals like whales and dolphins, who rely on sound to live.

Conclusion

Overall, this article gives out so much information that is necessary for us to read about and learn about. A lot of forms of pollution stated in the article I didn’t even know about, and I’m sure it was news to some of you, too. The more we can read up on how to prevent ocean pollution or even how we’re causing pollution in our oceans, the better we can work to help save our planet. It is so sad to think that we’ve ignored the ocean’s plea for help for this long that now it’s almost a matter of do or die. I hope that my review of this article has helped you to understand more about what’s going on and give you a better idea of how you can help prevent the killing of our ocean. My main argument for this post is, “What’s the big deal?”. I hope I’ve enlightened you, answered that question for you, and proved that ocean pollution IS a big deal and we need to act now to save it. Thanks for reading this week’s blog, and I’ll see you next week!

References

1. Denchak, M. (2018, January 22). Ocean Pollution: The Dirty Facts. NRDC. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/ocean-pollution-dirty-facts

The oceans are arguably the most important ecosystem on our planet. They clean the air, contain a majority of wildlife, and feed millions of people. We are destroying our planet by polluting the ocean, we are destroying our own livelihood. Whenever we pollute the ocean, we are killing everyone, whether they contribute to it or not. Polluting the ocean is bad because it puts can put people out of work, will eventually kill every living thing, and kills wildlife.

While polluting the ocean is cost-effective for big businesses, it’s not worth the ease at all. What good is money if you’re dead? Drilling can do devastating, irreversible damage to the marine ecosystem. The United States has regulations on pollution from businesses, so not every business can just dump their waste into the ocean. But in areas in Asia, they don’t have regulations, so they will just dump all their waste into a river. Indonesia Citarum River has been called the most polluted river in the world. To really solve the problem worldwide pollution problem, we need to regulate and enforce alternatives to dumping in bodies of water.

The ocean produces around 70% of the oxygen that we breathe. The ocean is very important, it also provides a food source for a majority of coastal civilizations. But its pollution has been not only affecting aquatic life, but it’s affecting human life as well. The fish we eat consume the trash that we dump into the ocean, just making a disgusting full-circle loop back into our bellies. Pollution of water can lead to different problems in the human body if consumed, such as hormonal problems, reproductive problems, nervous system damage, and kidney damage. Bacteria in metals can be eaten by plankton, making their way up the food chain until it reaches us. Heavy metals and toxins in the water are known, if consumed, to cause mental retardation, especially if consumed at a young age. They can also cause Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and/or heart disease. Some people may think that polluting the ocean doesn’t affect us at all, but obviously, it affects someone in one way or another, whether it be now or later, it has to be reduced soon, or else these symptoms will be more common, making a less productive society. 250 million clinical cases of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease are caused annually by bathing in contaminated waters. Eating infected shellfish causes 50,000 to 100,000 deaths a year.

6.5 million tons of litter into the world’s oceans each year. 50% of it is plastic that will drift for hundreds of years before it degrades. More than 50% of packaged goods and bulk cargoes transported by sea today can be regarded as dangerous or hazardous from a safety standpoint or harmful to the environment according to the criteria set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The global economic cost related to pollution of coastal waters is 16 billion dollars annually, most of which is human health related. With all this being said, not only would it be cost-effective to an extent to get rid of your trash in a correct way, but people would be better off, not being unhealthy from bathing, drinking, or consumption. What’s more ethical than doing something for the greater good of the world? If you have that kind of power to stop pollution on a mass scale, you’d owe it to the world.

In the future, our population will be much higher, meaning that we will create even more trash that has the potential to be littered into the ocean. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than there are fish. No one in today’s world is setting global rules, and to my knowledge, trying to enforce them globally. It’s awesome to think about, but no one is taking the time to bother with an acceptable global ruleset/ criteria for oceanic pollution. Apparently, in today’s world, over 60% of plastic waste comes from only five countries: China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In conclusion, ocean pollution is bad for the environment and the people in the world. Everyone would be better off without it and by cutting off the corporate greed that humans created for themselves, everyone would thrive. It’s time to get back to the basics of life everyone! #savetheturtles!

Works Cited

1. “Blog.” How Ocean Pollution Affects Humans – Planet Aid, Inc., www.planetaid.org/blog/how-ocean-pollution-affects-humans.
2. Denchak, Melissa. “Ocean Pollution: The Dirty Facts.” NRDC, 6 June 2019, www.nrdc.org/stories/ocean-pollution-dirty-facts.
3. Leung, Hannah. “Five Asian Countries Dump More Plastic Into Oceans Than Anyone Else Combined: How You Can Help.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 22 Apr. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/hannahleung/2018/04/21/five-Asian-countries-dump-more-plastic-than-anyone-else-combined-how-you-can-help/#74f5fbc81234.
4. “Ocean Pollution.” Ocean Pollution | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts-education-resources/ocean-pollution.
5. “Plastic Oceans.” Future Agenda, www.futureagenda.org/insight/plastic-oceans.
6. “Pollution – Facts and Figures.” World Ocean Network, www.worldoceannetwork.org/won-part-6/carem-wod-2014-4/thematic-resources-pollution/facts-figures-pollution/.

Our ocean covers more than 70 percent of our planet and it is essential to life here on earth. They are home to everything from the biggest blue whales to the smallest microscopic algae and despite their importance to our survival, we are bombarding them with over 8 million tonnes of plastic every year. From dangerous carbon emissions to plastic to oil leaks the types of ocean pollution humans generate are vast. Ocean pollution itself is defined as the introduction of toxic materials such as plastic, oil, chemicals, agricultural waste, and industrial waste into the ocean. The constant pollution being dispersed through the sea is degrading its heath at an alarming rate causing.

Ocean pollution mostly has negative impacts on our seas ecosystems. One consequence of the waste that is dumped into the oceans is the release of toxic substances that soak into the oceanic oxygen. This leads to a depletion in the levels of oxygen available to mammals and other fishes which can lead to death. The pollution may immediately kill marine life and cause diseases over the long term or affect the ability of organisms to reproduce. Organic materials dumped into the oceans such as sewage can also cause problems as it causes an excess of nutrients in the water which leads to an increase in algal blooms that turn oceans into dead zones. Ship pollution is also a huge source of ocean pollution and the most devastating effect it has is oil spills. Crude oil can last for years in the ocean and is extremely toxic to marine life often suffocating animals. In addition, many ships lose thousands of crates each year due to storms, emergencies, and accidents at sea. This causes noise pollution where excessive, unexpected noise interrupts the balance of life under the sea. Many of the effects of ocean pollution are negative and disrupt the harmony of ocean ecosystems but in some cases, what’s dumped in can actually help. There are some items of trash that can actually improve the marine environment. Large items of garbage, including old tires, decommissioned ships, and car bodies have all been strategically placed to create artificial reefs. In the right location, trash can create new habitats for sea creatures and can enhance rather than damage marine ecosystems.

The changes to the marine ecosystem from pollution can be managed through a range of small and large-scale processes. Ocean pollution is being managed by strategies that help to reduce the amount of litter such as banning plastic bags as well as cleaning the already polluted waterways through the use of technology that collects the rubbish. One way it is being managed is through governments that have put bag taxes or bans in place to help reduce the plastic that ends up being dumped into the environment. Many cities have begun introducing or supporting legislation that would make plastic bag use less desirable to customers. By urging this change to reusable bags we are limiting the materials that end up polluting the natural landscape and harming the animals that live there. Other methods used to mitigate the changes are being implemented by companies such as The Ocean Cleanup. They have been making a large-scale effort to rid the ocean of garbage by using the ocean currents to their advantage. The ocean currents concentrate plastic in five areas in the world known as the ‘ocean garbage patches’. Once in these patches, the plastic won’t go away by itself. Covering this area using vessels and nets would take thousands of years and cost billions of dollars to complete. Ocean Cleanup is developing a system of roaming devices that are much more effective in that it uses the natural oceanic forces to catch and concentrate the plastic. As well as developing technology to extract plastic from the ocean they also investigate how to reuse the materials they collected once it is back on shore. Initial work on ocean plastic recycling shows that the material can be turned into high-quality products that are made from garbage that otherwise could have ended up inside an unsuspecting marine animal.

No matter who you are there is always something you can do to make a difference even if it’s a small one. In everyday life, you can make changes such as using a natural face wash or investing in a reusable drink bottle/coffee cup. Do you know those cute little beads in your exfoliating face wash? Cute probably isn’t the word you would use when you hear about its environmental impact. Microbeads are non-biodegradable plastic particles that travel through our water systems and add to the amount of plastic in our marine environment. These microbeads are then consumed by marine life and can in fact even make their way into our food. By swapping out your products with microbeads for natural options such as oatmeal scrubs you can achieve your beauty goals while helping reduce pollution. Another way you make a positive change is by simply using reusable coffee cups or reusable drink bottles. It seems simple but just Australians alone use over 1 billion disposable coffee cups and 118,00 tonnes of plastic drink bottles each year. That’s a lot of cups and plastic bottles that could potentially end up in our waterways. As well as it is better for the planet it could also be better for your pocket as many coffee shops have created a discount for reusable coffee cup users. Switching to reusable cups and drink bottles is just one step that everyone could easily take that could help reduce litter and little by little make this planet a cleaner place to live for all organisms big or small.

For many years, ocean pollution has been a problem, but recently it has been getting worse. In the past 60 years, a staggering amount of waste has entered the ocean each year. The products people produce eventually end up in the ocean which is caused by dumping and runoff through drains. The main causes of ocean pollution are oil, solid garbage, and toxic chemicals. For these reasons, humans need to have more respect for marine life and work together to keep the oceans clean.

Oil spills cause a lot of damage to the marine environment. Though the oil spills are destructive, they only cause about 12% of the total pollution. When the fish are exposed to oil, the adult fish could experience reduced growth, enlarged livers, change in heart and respiration rates, fin erosion, and reproduction impairment. Oil spills are toxic to not just marine animals, but also birds who eat the fishes who have been exposed to the oil. The birds also can ingest oil when they clean themselves, thus poisoning themselves. There are many advertisements about animals in danger because of oil, for example, Dawn dish soap has shown animals covered in oil and their soap cleaning them. If people would care about oil spills as much as they care about Netflix shows then people could prevent future spills.

Another cause of pollution is solid garbage, meaning glass bottles, plastic bags, shoes, boxes, etc. If those materials are not properly disposed of, then it can go to the sea and hurt marine animals. As an example, turtles eat jellyfish and highly mistake plastic six-pack rings as food. When the turtle tries to eat the rings is chokes the turtles, causing death from suffocation. Other plastic materials, such as plastic bags, have blocked the breathing passageways and stomachs of marine animals. Even though the garbage goes to the ocean, it often returns to the shore leaving this ocean pollution to become land pollution. To fix this problem, people can easily cut the six pack plastic rings and reduce the amount of trash by not littering.

Toxic chemicals released into the ocean is the last major cause of pollution. Manmade chemicals contaminate even the tiniest marine animals. Once again, these chemicals end up in the ocean because of deliberate dumping. For example, in Mexico there is a location where people can dump waste into a body of water, thus rendering the water useless and contaminated. When people deliberately dump chemicals in the ocean, it is not considered that the ocean will not dilute or dispose of the toxins of the chemical. Toxic chemicals can have different effects on different species because of the high or low contamination levels the animals have been exposed to. Chemical pollution has a high effect on marine life and clean water is needed in order for the creatures to survive.

If humans had more respect for marine and land animals, then the decrease in animal population would not be high. Pollutants, such as oil spills, solid garbage, and toxic chemicals are the biggest threat to marine life. The environment has gone through tremendous damages, so working together to help save the marine lives would be the least citizens could do. It is sad to see innocent animals die because of selfish humans. There is a need in the community to save the sea creatures and it should be done sooner than later.

Today, society is experiencing, first hand, one of the most unprecedented and ongoing environmental crisis’; ocean pollution. This worldwide catastrophe is caused greatly by the production of plastic products and the need for oil or petroleum. Although these issues affect many variables, oceans are seeing the worst of it. Every year, millions of tons of plastic enter the ocean, enough to circle the Earth roughly four times. To add, in U.S. waters alone, 1.3 million gallons of petroleum are spilled annually. Although many are acknowledging and addressing this issue, these numbers continue to increase each year. In a developing society, oil and plastic corporations are continuously investing in and creating new means of production. However, at the same time, they risk potentially harming the environment. These issues are not only affecting marine life in the world’s oceans, but mankind as well.

Every year, around 300 tons of plastic is produced throughout the world and of that 300 tons, only a small fraction of it ends up being recycled properly. Of that which is not, a great majority ends up in the ocean. Generally, when plastic is thrown away, people aren’t thinking about where exactly it is going to end up. Many are not realizing how this one small decision is affecting the world on a much larger scale. Catherine Kilduff, an editor for the Center for Biological Diversity discussed the issue of plastic waste, saying, “billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences that make up about 40 percent of the world’s ocean surfaces. At current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050” (Kilduff). This means that in the years to come, the amount of plastic found in the ocean is expected to outweigh 3.5 trillion fish, an estimation scientists made of the number of fish currently living in the ocean. These convergences, where ocean currents meet, can be found throughout the world, filled with plastic debris. Unfortunately, the amount of plastic that can be found in these convergences end up destroying the homes of many aquatic creatures and in some cases, can take the lives of marine animals. Often, turtles manage to get their heads tangled and stuck in what are called six pack rings, and are unable to free themselves. These six pack rings are made up of a particular type of polymer, which are what plastics are comprised of.

In these convergences, it can take up to 1,000 years for plastic items to decompose. However, when these plastics break down, they do so into tiny particles called microplastics. Although both plastic, these minute fragments are more likely to damage aquatic creatures than regularly sized plastics, according to Catherine Kilduff. Kilduff, who works in the Center for Biological Diversity’s Oceans Program to protect marine species and ecosystems, said that, due to these plastics which spread throughout the oceans and then degrade into these smaller pieces, “not one square mile of surface ocean anywhere on earth is free of plastic pollution” (Kilduff). This is significant because from the North Pole to the South Pole, it has been proven that plastic in some shape or form, whether large or microscopic, is present on every square mile of the ocean’s surface. Sadly, this issue in growing into a crisis of much greater magnitude; so much that humans are beginning to experience these effects.

Upon entering the ocean, marine life is the first to experience microplastics effects. However, as a result, humans are inevitably affected. These tiny plastic fragments, defined as being less than 0.2 inches in diameter, are what is ending up in the human body. Not only do the harsh conditions of ocean waves cause plastic debris to break down into these smaller fragments, but ultraviolet rays from the sun contribute to doing so as well. A study performed in 2015 estimated that the number of particles in the ocean in 2014 ranged from 15 to 51 trillion pieces (Parker). Unfortunately, a great percent of the trillions of pieces of plastic in the ocean end up in the fish and marine animals humans consume. Each year, humans digest about 143.8 million tons of seafood. Because these massive numbers of “fish and wildlife are becoming intoxicated… toxins from the plastics have entered the food chain, threatening human health” (Andrews). Considering that these fragments are miniscule, many humans bypass statements about the harm they can cause and are underestimating their true effects. When broken down, these fragments attract pollutants, and absorb them. Eventually, they make their way into the digestive systems of marine animals where they can be held for a great period of time. As humans, the consumption of fish and marine life of all sorts isn’t irregular. Unfavorably, when these marine animals reach dinner tables, some of these pollutants or toxins still remain. They can enter humans bloodstreams and as a result, altar the functions and health of the human body. Plastic waste isn’t the only factor affecting the world’s precious oceans; further studies have shown that oil spills have played a major role in the pollution of the ocean as well.

Oil, otherwise known as petroleum, is a viscous and harmful liquid that can cause serious damage when coming in contact with both living and nonliving organisms. That being the case, when oil enters the world’s oceans, much is at risk of potential harm. Whether oil enters naturally or due to the errors or insufficiencies of oil rigs, marine life is inevitably affected. Around the world, multiple operations have gone wrong when drilling for oil, however, one which occurred in the last decade has stuck out in the history books. “On April 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, operating in the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded and sank resulting in… the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations. 4 million barrels of oil flowed from the damaged Macondo well over an 87-day period, before it was finally capped on July 15, 2010” (“Deepwater Horizon”). At the time, this rig was being used to make history and drill the deepest oil well to date. However, no one knew that the Deepwater Horizon would also make history in such a disastrous way. According to a Center for Biological Diversity Report in April of 2011, “the oil spill… likely harmed or killed approximately 82,000 birds… 6,165 sea turtles, and up to 25,900 marine mammals… The spill also harmed an unknown number of fish” (“A DEADLY”). This environmental tragedy was significant given the amount of oil released into the Gulf. Never before had a drilling operation gone so wrong, and affected so much marine life. Given the cause and effect factor, this incident received much media attention. However, oil rig spills are not the only factor causing these massive amounts of petroleum to wind up in oceans worldwide.

While many publicized events, such as Deepwater Horizon, account for the total amount of oil pollution in the oceans, they only constitute a small percent. That which is contributing the most to this large amount is being very much overlooked. A few of these ways in which oil is reaching the marine environment include through natural seeps, gas run vehicles, and recreational boats. Natural seeps occur when oil is released from subterranean reservoirs underneath the ocean floor. According to the National Academy of Sciences, these natural seeps account for 40 percent of the oil entering oceans worldwide (Dell’Amore and Nunez). Even though these seeps don’t have as great of an impact as oil spills have, they still negatively affect the ocean’s creatures. Gas run vehicles further contribute to the amount of oil making its way into the ocean. Because most cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other similar vehicles leak oil onto the ground, especially on paved roadways, it gets flushed into the ocean. To add to the ways oil turns up in the ocean is through recreational boats. According to Aaron Barnett, often times, it is due to “‘operational error, human error or unpreparedness, [or the] lack of education’” of one’s recreational vehicle causing oil to sometimes spill into the ocean (Dell’Amore and Nunez). These three almost unnoticed ways oil is finding itself in the world’s oceans are affecting those animals living in it and their homes. To add, further studies are now showing that, although not at the same level, mankind is also experiencing these affects.

Everyday, oil of some magnitude is quietly making its way into the world’s oceans. This is what is truly affecting humans today; the fact that it may not be visible in the seas or the toxins not visible in the air. The string, however, that links these disparate occurrences is truly remarkable. Because oil enters oceans sometimes in small sums and sometimes in large quantities, there is no exact amount of time that explains how long it can linger in the environment. Consequently, humans are experiencing the effects of oil and its toxins. According to the Environmental Pollution Centers, “the effects of oil [in the world’s oceans] on humans may be direct and indirect, depending on the type of contact with the oil…” (“Oil Spills’”). Despite being exposed directly, or indirectly, the effects are severe. Those who live in areas where oil has entered into oceans experience direct exposure, where they come in contact with its components and toxins. Because oil and petroleum emit many volatile products as gases, the air becomes polluted and those in the area are at risk of harming their bodies. Either they breath the contaminated air in or their skin can absorb the contaminants which then enter their body.

On the other hand, many can be affected even if they are not directly exposed. In this case, they experience what is called indirect exposure, which occurs when one bathes in contaminated water or eats contaminated food. As oil enters the ocean, due to its density, it will initially float on the water’s surface and stay concentrated. However, eventually it spreads out and is pushed across the water by currents and wind. As a result, its concentration level drops and the oil becomes more diluted. Over time, although it doesn’t fully leave the water, the oil ends up diluting so much to the point where it is not visible to the human eye. Unfortunately, dissolved oil contaminants often still exist in the water, even when an oil sheen is not visible. These leftover contaminants are that which are being absorbed into humans’ skin, and affecting one’s ability to function properly. Because they are imperceptible to the human eye, many are experiencing these effects without knowing. In terms of eating contaminated food, “some oil compounds bioaccumulate in living organisms and may become more concentrated along the food chain” (“Oil Spills’”). Humans, in consuming these living organisms, marine animals in this case, become exposed to these contaminants and are affected greatly. The most common and known effects of consuming such contaminated food is food poisoning. In essence, being either directly or indirectly exposed to oil and the volatile gases it gives off and can affect an individual negatively.

For millions of years now, pollution has been a global problem for the world’s oceans. However, never before had the world seen such an enormous amount of research and studies on the topic. Oceans today are becoming more polluted than they ever have in the past. Directly relating to this environmental crisis is the use and need for plastic and oil by society. Intrinsically, the world’s oceans are the destination point for a tremendous amount of the pollution that humans produce on land and out on the sea. Whether it be plastic products or oil entering the oceans, humans and marine life are being impacted greatly. Although today, many are acknowledging these issues and acting in response to this environmental disaster, not enough people have made a contribution for there to be a drastic change. Out of all the world’s problems, pollution, which is one of the worst and most preventable, has severely affected the Earth’s oceans, and it is nearing a point of no return.

Since its invention, plastic has been and still is vital to global development. Plastics have been on a straight-line trajectory of growth and prosperity – injecting immense amounts of fortune into the global economy. More than a century later and plastics still have endless possibilities. Today, half the weight of the Boeing Dreamliner 787 – which is one of the most advanced planes – is comprised of plastic. The digital revolution that ushered in the information age is driven by bits and bytes housed in plastic. Through contact lenses and prosthetics, plastics have even gifted people with sight and limbs. It is no doubt that plastic has been the critical enabler for sectors as diverse as packaging, construction, healthcare, and electronics. However, through human exploitation and ignorance, plastics have had severe and dire consequences. These negative impacts of plastics are becoming more apparent by the day.

Economic Problem

Plastic production has surged over the past 50 years, from 15 million tonnes in 1964 to 311 million tonnes in 2014. (ellen) Due to improper disposal of these plastics, approximately 8 million pieces of plastic end up in the oceans every day. It is predicted that there may now be around 5.25 trillion macro and microplastic pieces floating in the ocean (surfers). These figures are bound to increase to such an extent that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Not only is this affecting the ecosystem, but it also has had a severe impact on the economy. Plastic pollution has negatively affected the well-being of different sectors of the economy such as; fisheries, agriculture, and recreational/ tourism activities. This has caused a global decline of 5% in the benefits that humans derive from oceans – costing the global economy $2.5 trillion every year.

Causes and effects

The high degree of household and industrial improper disposal of plastic, in conjunction with the fact that plastic is not easily degradable, has created negative externalities of significant proportions. These externalities include; degradation of natural systems as a result of leakage, especially in the ocean; greenhouse gas emissions resulting from production and after-use incineration; and health and environmental impacts from substances of concern. The aesthetic damage created by landfills and hazardous emissions resulting from incineration are two examples of undesirable effects of the inefficient management of plastic waste. Externalities such as these result from failing to internalize costs associated with inefficient recycling. This then causes the marginal social cost to be greater than the marginal private cost creating (refer to diagram)

Inefficient recycling creates a serious aesthetic quandary in urbanized areas of the world. The chemical stability of plastic obviates plastic waste from decomposing at a rate commensurable to the rate of waste generation. As plastic waste accumulates, damages will elevate, and the economy will be negatively impacted. These damages include the quantified market and nonmarket welfare effects of plastics through their effects on the population of harvested marine species and species with significant conservation value (reference) E.g. the great barrier reef is considered a natural treasure of Australia. It injects $6.4 billion into the economy every year through tourism and currently supports 64000 jobs in Queensland. However, as plastic waste has been damaging the coral at an alarming rate, this $6.4 billion will be lost and 64000 jobs will be at risk. Loss of these jobs will then go against the economic objectives by increasing unemployment hence lowering the standard of living. If production and use continue within the current linear framework, these negative externalities will be exacerbated, as laid out in the figure

The major market failure from inefficient plastic disposal is the waste of materials and resources resulting from the relatively low recycling rate of 25%. This low plastic recycling rate implicatively insinuates that the great majority of polymer-based materials utilized for plastic products enter the waste stream never to be used again. This broadens the issue as there is a diminutive value placed on such a versatile material made from a finite resource – whose environmental legacy lasts decades after its brief use. This is a result of the current linear economic model of plastic production as shown in the figure (effects of plastic)

In this model, raw materials are processed into a product and thrown away straight after use – which wastes the finite resources that are available and is not an ecologically sustainable development.

Solutions

Solution 1

The US$ 2.2 trillion annual external cost of plastic pollution is not reflected in the production costs of the linear plastics economy, indicating a major market failure. Although measures such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and plastics-related legislation (reference) have made some positive steps towards reducing plastic pollution, a system-vast change is required to rectify this market failure. A pragmatic solution would be a government-based contribution, whereby consumers are offered incentives (cashback) for properly recycling the plastic. The supply chain will pass on this price premium on raw plastic resin equitably through to the trillions of plastic items purchased each year by end consumers, converting plastic waste into a cashable commodity. In coherence with this, the government should also start a properly funded recycling program. This then has the greatest potential to drive global manufacturing toward a circular economy. (refer to figure)

A number of countries today apply these strategies and have acquired positive results. These countries include Germany, Austria, and South Korea – the world’s leading recyclers.

Alternative Solution.

The government can also create certain regulations, taxes, and bans on plastics. Taxing plastics will increase the private costs of producers and encourage them to innovate and find new ways of reducing the amount of plastic used in the products. Taxing plastic producers will ensure that the external costs are internalized. Unless the producers find new ways of reducing the plastic content, their costs will rise, and their profits will fall. Although in theory taxing plastic will help correct the market failure, in practice it may not as producers will pass the tax onto the consumer by increasing the cost. 

Employment 

• The government funding recycling programs will create new jobs and employment opportunities for society. 
• Countries like the UK initiated this solution and found that 29,400 new jobs were created.
• Increasing taxes on producers might cause them to cut some of the laborers in order to account for the increased costs.

Standard of Living

• Increasing the number of jobs will mean that people will start earning wages hence increasing their standard of living.
• Government incentives (Cash backs) will reward consumers with money hence improving their standards of living
• The funding for these programs will be from taxes which means the government will have to increase taxes. • Producers can pass the tax on to the consumers by increasing the cost of the product. A tax on suppliers will cause an inward shift of the supply curve which will lead to an increase in retail prices. When prices rise, the real income of consumers will fall lowering their standard of living.
• The money gained from the taxes can be used for schools and hospitals.

Economic Growth 

• An increase in employment and standard of living will result in an increase in consumer spending resulting in economic growth
• Taxing plastic will result in producers increasing the price of the product which will lead to cost push inflation. Increased Inflation leads to negative economic growth.

Assessing the solutions with the above criteria, the best solution would appear to be solution one; which is incentives and proper funding to start recycling programs. It will create new jobs; a better standard of living and economic growth. With that said; it would be better to implement both solutions as it will balance the positives and negatives of each solution. The revenue gained from the increased tax of producers can be used to initiate incentives and recycling programs. If producers decide to cut laborers, solution one will provide new jobs. If producers pass the taxes to consumers by increasing costs, the incentives can be used to cover the higher prices.

Conclusion

Plastic has been a beneficiary of economic development. However, due to improper disposal, plastic pollution threatens the global economy. If this issue is not addressed, it will damage the economy. Therefore, it is recommended that both the above solutions are implemented simultaneously to acquire the best results.