...Plastic pollution in the ocean is continuing to increase, causing the death of marine animals and ruining islands that are habitat to many animals. Even uninhabited islands in the middle of the ocean are not immune to the issue even though they are located thousands of miles from any civilization. In particular Henderson Island has been severely impacted by plastic pollution, despite its tiny size and remoteness. This rural island is covered in over 38 million pieces of plastic debris (Parker). Plastic pollution is a current issue because despite the many organizations and people that are working to reduce the amount of plastic pollution, the amount of plastic in the ocean continues to increase and harm the most important parts of the ocean....
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...about the ocean pollution? Because everything in the world we use comes from the ocean in some way. The ocean provides us with everything we need like; the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat, new medicines, climate, and products we use daily. Our ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and maintain our climate change impacts. The ocean holds about 97 percent of the worlds water supply. Is it the largest ecosystem on earth and it provides most of the animal protein we eat. Researchers says that there’s is about 50-80 percent of life underwater, and only 5 percent of it has been explored. Leaving thousands of millions undiscovered species. Here are some various types of ocean pollution and does it affect our ecosystem. Oil Pollution An oil spill happens when a crude oil and a refined oil spill on lands and into the water. For example, trucks can be a major cause of oil spill, because they transport oil from one place to...
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...Ocean Pollutants Found in Tuna Weaken the Immune System There is actually an island of garbage twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean. Has anyone ever wondered where all that trash came from? Where all that trash ends up? Or who gets affected by it? A solution should be made for ocean pollution for the sake of ocean life, but specifically, Yellowfin tuna. Ocean pollution is caused by many reasons, oil spills. Fertilizers, garbage, sewage disposal, and toxic chemicals. Ocean pollutants found in Tuna are weakening our immune system, is affecting the entire food chain, and is also harming sea life. With this in mind, ocean pollution is being detrimental to not only Tuna, but also the ocean and humans as well. As an illustration, ocean pollutants were found in Yellowfin tuna and is making our immune system weaker. Meaning, “Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POP, affected an important cellular protein found in most animals and plants.” (Ocean Pollutants Found in Tuna Weaken the Immune System, TakePart) TakePart also explains that, “The protein, called P-gp, usually ejects toxins from the body. But the team found that all 10 pollutants weakened P-gp’s protective function.” In other words, pollutants were found in yellowfin tuna which affects our protein cells and also weakens our immune system. Thus, ocean...
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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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...2014, p.173). Wicked problems are one of these issues addressed by it in a successful way. It is also useful in solving recurring problems which prove difficult to solve. Basically it is composed of various parts which are related either directly or indirectly. They all entail processes which produce outputs from inputs. It is not only dynamic but also holistic and seeks to produce results of the complex problems. Systems thinking is the only critical way to solve complex issues impeding sustainability challenges and develop quality solutions. Since its conception in 1920 by Jan Smuts Holism, it has developed and solved many issues (Gharajedaghi p.2013 558). Pollution is a complex issue which is intertwined in different processes and impacts in diverse ways. Thus, the topic is significance in pursuing ways to help solve the pollution. Ocean pollution also referred to as marine pollution is a wicked problem which has been increasing in complexity day in day out. This is because of the increasing population growth which stands at 7.2 billion worldwide (Noga & Wolbring 2013 p.3615). The increased industry establishment is directly proportional to chemical waste which settle in the oceans. It causes death of marine animals and plants hence poor marine ecology. The aim of this essay is to use the knowledge and skills acquired in role of systems thinking to address Ocean pollution as a sustainability challenge. It will explore various sources of ocean pollution, types and elucidate...
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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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...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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...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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...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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...have been spilled into the ocean. The specific damage of these pollutants to animals in the ocean is mentioned in the article “Who is responsible for marine debris? The international politics of cleaning our oceans”. Plastic debris and trash caused malnutritions in sea animals, since the consumption of waste in the ocean make them feels like they are full and no longer need to in. While in fact, the plastic and trash they consumed have no nutritious values to keep the sea animals healthy. Plastic debris can also caused damage to internal organs of these animals, causing internal bleeding that can lead to a premature dead. And according to the EPA, also...
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...protect and restore the world’s oceans performed an analysis on illegal dumping by cruise companies, compiled from reports by the Environment Protection Agency and the cruise industry (Johnson, T. & Arnold, D., 2007, p. 554). The research shows that the typical cruise ship can produce up to 30,000 gallons of sewage a day (Johnson, T. & Arnold, D., 2007, p. 554). Also known as “black water” it may or may not be treated before being dumped into the ocean (Johnson, T. & Arnold, D., 2007, p. 554). Water produced from laundries, showers, kitchens, and engine operations, also known as “gray water” generates more than 200,000 gallons daily (Johnson, T. & Arnold, D., 2007, p. 554). Add in the oily bilge and ballast water and other debris, multiply the output by the number of ships plying the oceans, and it is easy to see the pollution problem and the harm being done to the fragile coastlines and reef ecosystems (Johnson, T. & Arnold, D., 2007, p. 554). With cruise companies using images of excursions in pristine waters in their marketing campaigns, they should have more respect for the oceans’ life. Despite multiply fines and numerous punishments given to cruise ship companies, illegal dumping continues to occur. It is the cruise companies’ responsibility to cease illegal dumping in the oceans. It is the cruise ship companies’ obligation to follow the Clean Water Act, the Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2004, and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, not the responsibility...
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...Environment Nicole Braddock SCI/275 2/10/2013 Final: Water Resources and the Environment Pollution happens on a daily basis by everyone in the world, and pollution is a major cause of the world’s problems we face today. One type of pollution problem that we face would be water pollution, which is a huge problem. We use water for everything in our daily routine lives, such as for drinking, cleaning, swimming, bathroom, and taking care of our plants and animals. This should be enough of a reason to want to take care of water, and to make sure that we do not abuse the fact that it is there. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. It is sad that for as much as we use water we do not take care of it at all, and this is how we have water pollution. One of the biggest parts of water pollution is everyday garbage. There is always some kind of garbage in our oceans, lakes, and our rivers. Plastic garbage is by far the worst; it is made up of materials and chemicals that are non-biodegradable. Some materials that are made of this would be water bottles, soap containers, grocery bags, and unless you recycle this material it never leaves the earth. Wildlife in the ocean suffers by plastic rings that hold pop cans together, because they can get caught in the rings. It can cause them to lose circulation; they may grow around the ring and become deformed, and with ingestion can cause internal problems or death for some. Around the world we produce more plastic faster than we can ever recycle...
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...The ocean is able to do this because of the plankton in the water they absorb the CO2 and turn it into O2 using photosensitise. 3) It Prevents the world from overheating, it takes up to 80% of the heat caused from climate change (Life in The worlds Ocean, Wiley-Blackwell) (Book) If it were not for the ocean the cities that boarder it would already be under water. 4) It gives a massive habitat to much marine life that may help in medical development and where we get a lot of medical ingredients come from. Also gives a place for breeding to take place and...
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...The issue I chose to my freshwater resource issue is water pollution. There is an astonishing seventy percent of water covering the earth’s surface. That is a very substantial amount of water with an equal amount of water pollution opportunity. The definition of water pollution is the contamination of water bodies. Any variation of lakes, oceans, rivers, and groundwater are vulnerable to various bacteria and chemical compounds. There are many origins that water pollution can derive from. Man made pollution practice are the most scrutinized and influential on human life. However, natural pollutants belonging to origins such as plant matter present the same harmful pollutants. The main components surrounding pollutants either direct or indirect vary. Pathogens, chemicals, and ocean thermal pollution are all issues associated with water pollution. Consider the seventy percent of earth that is water. Of that seventy percent, how much is drinkable, usable, or harmful? Natural water pollution presents itself in different circumstance. Storm water runoff from plants being poisonous or possessing bacteria infiltrates the water system of things. Ocean water, which is predominately salt water, is non drinkable or preferred for human use or consumption. Ocean water, as well as untreated water that are polluted offers harmful disease and health risks to humans and animals alike. Prevention of bacteria spreading and disease requires human water treating to remove harmful...
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...been a continuous activity for more than a decade, One can not help but wonder why offshore drilling continues when considering the pollution caused, how it eliminates the supply of natural resources, murders innocent sea creatures, and actually damages the national economy. There are, however, solutions to this problem. Before solutions can be presented, it is important to discuss the various problems. First, offshore oil drilling results in both sea and land based pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, claims that "with offshore drilling comes substantial routine pollution in the forms of oil and gas." By routine, the EPA means "a near constant flow from oil rigs and derricks" (Sisskin). Nothing is ever done about the pollution, and until something is done about the oil being put into the sea, our oceans are at risk. So just how much oil is put in the oceans? According to a study conducted by the World Research Institute, "...between 3 and 6 million tons of oil are discharged into the oceans every year" (Gorman 48). To put this in perspective, that is approximately 4 football stadiums filled to the top with oil. That is just every year...and this has been going on for more than a decade. In total, 45 million tons of oil in the past ten years that have been put into the oceans. There are several ways that oil ends up in the oceans. One method is through drilling accidents and another is through spillage from tankers and other transports. These large concentrations...
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