Plastic pollution is a major problem affecting the world's oceans. Plastic does not biodegrade and instead accumulates in massive garbage patches in the gyres of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. Marine life is severely impacted as animals often eat or get entangled in plastic debris. The plastic also releases toxins into the water and food chain which threatens both wildlife and humans. Reducing single-use plastic and improving recycling and policy efforts are key to addressing this growing environmental issue.
2. What is plastic pollution?
• Plastics are by far the most versatile product
in the world. It can be manufactured into just
about anything, it is light weight and
waterproof.
• Plastic is also extremely inexpensive to
manufacture.
• The things that make plastic so wonderful to
use is also what makes it so bad for the
environment.
3. Where is this happening?
• This is happening all over the world, I am
focusing on the United States
• The North Atlantic Gyre and in the North
Pacific Gyre (The Great Garbage Patch)
5. What is being affected?
• Marine life and the ecosystems are what is
being affected the most.
• Animals eat the plastic, or get caught up in it.
6. How does it affect people?
• Toxins are being released back into the water
which changes the pH levels.
• For the animals that ingest the plastic, the
plastic releases toxins into the animal causing
it to die or become ill before it is caught or
eaten by another animal.
7. How long has this been happening?
• We have lived in the plastic age since the first
piece of plastic was formed.
• Because of that there are few things in the
world that are produced that do not contain
plastic.
• This problem will continue unless we change
our relationship with plastic.
8. Solutions?
• RECYCLE!!!
• Use re-useable water bottles and bags.
• Governor Jerry Brown signed the first ever
statewide ban of single use plastic bags.
• Support activist groups that support change in
legislation against plastic, sign petitions,
donate money, participate in a beach clean up
day.
11. Why did I pick ocean pollution?
Because I love the ocean!
Editor's Notes
Plastic never fully degrades, it keeps breaking down in to smaller pieces. Of 260 million tons of plastic that is produced world wide every year, it is estimated that 10% of it ends up in the ocean.
The North Pacific Gyre was found by Charles Moore in 1997 when he was returning from a yacht competition. It is said to be twice the size of Texas.
Animals mistake the plastic for food and ingest it, killing them. Another animal comes along and eats the dead animal and starts the process all over again and in turn affecting us.
Plastic production has quadrupled since the 1980s, and every piece is still intact
Oceana: a non-profit international advocacy organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the world's oceans through policy advocacy, science, law, and public education.
Surfrider Foundation: a non-profit organization that works to protect our oceans, waves, and beaches through its 60 chapters located along the East, West, Gulf, Puerto Rican, and Hawaiian coasts, and with its 37,000 members in the USA and International Surfrider Foundation chapters and affiliates in Japan, Brazil, Australia, France and Spain.
NRDC: seeks to preserve and restore the extraordinary diversity of ocean life and the quality of coastal waters.
Environmental Defense: a non-profit organization based in New York bringing together experts in science, law and economics to tackle complex environmental issues that affect our oceans, our air, our natural resources, the livability of our man-made environment, and the species with whom we share our world.
National Marine Sancuary Program: the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) program that identifies, designates, manages, and protects national marine sanctuaries.
Earthjustice: “Was created by a small group of attorneys with a passionate belief that the power of the law could be used to preserve the environment. They helped establish the right of citizens to go to court to enforce environmental laws when the government couldn’t or wouldn’t.” Trip Van Noppen
19 year old Boyan Slat is from Delft, Holland. When vacationing in Greece in 2012, he went snorkeling and found that there was more plastic than fish. He realized that there was a problem with plastics in the ocean and started working on a way to fix the plastic problem.
By using the ocean as the vehicle, winds and currents move the floating plastic along the floating barrier (40 meters = 43.7445 yards), as it becomes more concentrated the plastic gets so thick you can hardly see the water. Once it gets to the center point it gets picked up by this solar powered conveyer and stored. 80% of the plastic that makes it into the floating barrier will be collected.
