Many regard earth as a beautiful planet, teeming with wildlife and greenery, however times have changed. Along with the technological development of humanity, more and more waste has been neglectfully dumped into our oceans.
To many, plastic pollution is no bigger problem than a power shortage, however it’s the unawareness and laziness that allows plastic pollution to thrive today.
5.1 trillion pieces of plastics exist in our oceans, killing off 100,000 sea animals and releasing 108 million metric tons of Carbon Dioxide into our atmosphere, resulting in bigger problems such as Global Warming. In fact, so many plastics exist in our oceans that garbage patches as big as triple the size of Texas are formed. However, these consequences aren’t even close to the biggest problem that plastic pollution creates for humans—microplastics—. 14 million tons of microplastics lie on the ocean floors, ranging from 1 millimeter (about 0.04 in) to 10 millimeters (about 0.39 in). These small yet deadly microplastics contaminate our food and water, and once consumed, cause organ damage, reproduction problems, blockage of digestive system, poisoning, and more. The worst part is that microplastics aren’t biodegradable, meaning that they will forever lie on the ocean floors if we don’t act.
Luckily, as of today, many organizations and individuals have already started to fight against plastic pollution, gaining more members over time.
In fact, as stated by recent study conducted by greenpeace.org, 36 companies here in China have already adopted the use of biodegradable products as well as eco-friendly packaging. Such change can also be seen in customers and individuals. As a result of companies adopting the use of eco-friendly materials, a recent study conducted by bussinesswire.com shows that customers are 76 percent more likely to buy products that are labelled environmentally friendly. This is great news as this data shows that great progress has been made in terms of reducing plastic waste. Furthermore, individuals can be seen acting against plastic pollution, one example is 19-year-old, Joshua Caraway. According to Global Citizen, young Joshua Caraway was spotted picking up littered trash at Miami Beach after his friends had refused to help. As a result, Joshua’s heroic actions were photographed by a police officer patrolling the area, which later went viral on the internet, inspiring people across the world. Such examples of individuals taking actions show many that they are not alone in the prevention of plastic pollution, acting as encouragement for others.
As a result of the increased awareness of plastic pollution, more individuals strive to learn how to raise awareness and support the campaigns against plastic pollution in our oceans.
According to seasave, an international program dedicated to the prevention of plastic pollution in our oceans, we can avoid the consequences of plastic pollution by being more responsible with our plastic products in ways such as avoiding littering, throwing them into recycling bins, and helping to pick up littered plastics. We can also decrease plastic pollution by using permanent water bottles rather than plastic one-time-use ones and using products made from biodegradable and eco-friendly materials. We can also support those in the field by donating to funds such as the UN global fund and/or Team Seas as they research specific alternatives to plastics and create machinery that can pick them up. As a result of such actions, epagov has concluded that we recycle around 35 million tons of plastics annually nowadays, which is great news compared to the 15 million tons recycled annually during the 1990’s. Furthermore, the help of individuals has led to many influencers spreading the message, leading to 90 percent of all humans believing that a global plastics treaty is necessary, as stated by a survey conducted in 28 countries by the WWF.
Lastly, plastic pollution in our oceans is a deadly problem that has been neglected for over two decades. It’s the neglect and laziness humanity give towards plastic pollution that allows it to thrive on our earth. Therefore, it is necessary that we act now, before it’s too late, and give our future generations the beautiful earth we once knew.
Works Cited
Batkai, Morgane. “These 19 Companies Are Ditching Plastic Packaging.” Foodtank, Apr. 2022, foodtank.com/news/2022/04/these-companies-are-ditching-plastic-packaging/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpv2TBhDoARIsALBnVnmiWW6n3xVr4Pw6LqbvhpWbEHKcTu-6Ab-Jm22XQymmQU897x-PW6waAqaiEALw_wcB. Accessed 14 May 2022.
Bradley, Georgienne. “Plastic Pollution.” Sea Save, 1 Nov. 2021, seasave.org/plastic-pollution/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpv2TBhDoARIsALBnVnmTwKnP6xELg-9Sb4uYglQ1cKy81YJSIKLIPwAcsShSgwyIGlajMWgaAip1EALw_wcB#. Accessed 14 May 2022.
Excell, Carole. “4 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution.” World Resources Institute, 6 Apr. 2021, www.wri.org/insights/4-ways-reduce-plastic-pollution. Accessed 5 May 2022.
Law, Kara Lavendar, and Richard C. Thompson. “Microplastics in the seas.” Science, 11 July 2014, www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1254065. Accessed 14 May 2022.
“Wasser 3.0.” Background and overview of microplastics, 2022, wasserdreinull.de/en/microplastics/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpv2TBhDoARIsALBnVnllqXpWUoxLfiJy6IvAQsSS_l_dfYI30IhvlSSTAZIB6qr4JoyPpOoaAv9TEALw_wcB. Accessed 14 May 2022.
June 2, 2022 at 11:09 am
Great article Andy. You send a very clear message and have strong vocabulary making the problem seem important (because it is). I might have been nice if their were headings to separate the paragraphs a little bit more and a works cited at the bottom but overall very good.
June 2, 2022 at 11:12 am
Also I noticed that it was listed as science. I might add humanities as well but that works.