Research Plastic Pollution in Water Essay Example

Research: Plastic Pollution in Water Paper Solutions to Plastic Pollution in our Oceans The Basics Were treating the oceans like a trash bin: around 80 percent of marine litter originates on land, and most of that is plastic. Plastic that pollutes our oceans and waterways has severe impacts on our environment and our economy. Seabirds, whales, sea turtles and other marine life are eating marine plastic pollution and dying from choking, intestinal blockage and starvation. Scientists are investigating the long-term impacts of toxic pollutants absorbed, transported, and consumed by fish and other marine life, including the potential effects on human health. What it means to you Plastic pollution affects every waterway, sea and ocean in the world. When we damage our water systems, were putting our own well-being at risk. This pollution also has huge costs for taxpayers and local governments that must clean this trash off of beaches and streets to protect public health, prevent flooding from trash-blocked storm drains, and avoid lost tourism revenue from filthy beaches. NRC analyzed a sunny of 95 California communities and found their total reported annual costs for preventing litter from becoming pollution is 5428 million per year. See Marcs Waste in Our Waterways: Unveiling the Hidden Costs to Californians of Litter Cleanup. Solutions The most effective way to stop plastic pollution in our oceans is to make sure it never reaches the water in the first place. We all need to do our fair share to stop plastic pollution: individuals need to recycle and never litter, but producers of single use plastic packaging need to do more too. We need producers to design packaging so that it is fully recyclable, and so there is less waste. We also need producers to help cover the costs of keeping their products out of the ocean. Http://www. 3rd. Org/oceans/plastic-ocean/ The Problem of Marine Plastic Pollution Most marine debris (80%) comes from trash and debris in urban runoff, I. E. Land-based sources. Key components of land-based sources include litter, trash and debris from construction, ports and marinas, commercial and industrial facilities, and trash blown out of garbage containers, trucks, and landfills. L Ocean-based sources, such as, overboard discharges from ships and discarded fishing gear, account for the other 20%. We will write a custom essay sample on Research: Plastic Pollution in Water specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research: Plastic Pollution in Water specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research: Plastic Pollution in Water specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Food containers and packaging are the largest component of the municipal solid waste stream (80 lions tons or 31. 7 %). 2 These items, together with plastic bags, also represent the largest component of marine debris (that is, barring items less than mm such as pre-production plastic pellets, fragments, and polystyrene pieces). 3 Packaging and single use disposable products are not only ubiquitous in marine debris, they represent an unsustainable use of precious resources (Oil, trees, energy sources, water). The quantity Of marine debris is increasing in oceans world-wide. Researchers at the Legality Marine Research Foundation documented an increase in plastic debris in the Central Pacific Gyred five-fold between 1 997 and 2007, where the baseline in 1 997 showed plastic pieces outnumbered plankton on the ocean surface 6:1. 4 Off Japans coast, the quantity of pelagic plastic particles floating increased 10 fold in 10 years between the sass and 1 sass, and then 10 fold every 2-3 years in the sass. 5 In the Southern Ocean, plastic debris increased 100 times during the early sass. These increases in plastic debris occurred at the same time that worldwide production of plastic fibers quadrupled. In the ocean, plastic debris injures and kills fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Marine plastic elution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species. The impacts include fatalities as a result of ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning, and enta nglement. 7 In 2010, a California grey whale washed up dead on the shores of the Upset Sound. Autopsies indicated that its stomach contained a pair of pants and a golf ball, more than 20 plastic bags, small towels, duct tape and surgical gloves. Seabirds that feed on the ocean surface are especially prone to ingesting plastic debris that loots. Adults feed these items to their chicks resulting in detrimental effects on chick growth and survival. 8 One study found that approximately 98% of chicks sampled contained plastic and the quantity of plastic being ingested was increasing over time. Because persistent organic pollutants in the marine environment attach to the surface of plastic debris, floating plastics in the oceans have been found to accumulate pollutants and transport them through ocean currents. 10 Floating and migrating plastic debris has also been found to transport invasive marine species. 1 1 Increasingly, research shows hat marine life that ingests plastics coated with pollutants can absorb these pollutants their bodies. Plastic debris is polluting the human fo od chain. In a 2008 Pacific Gyred voyage, Legality researchers began finding that fish are ingesting plastic fragments and debris. Of the 672 fish caught during that voyage, 35% had ingested plastic pieces. The plastics industry, through the leadership of the American Chemical Council (AC), spends millions of dollars each year to convince policy makers and Californians that solutions to plastic pollution lie in anti-litter campaigns that attribute the responsibility for urine debris on individual behavior. Yet they have devoted little funding to public education and much more on promoting policies that support increased use of plastics. While increased public education to prevent littering is important, proper management of litter fails to address the unsustainable consumption of resources involved in producing packaging and single use disposable goods. Furthermore, as the amount of disposable packaging and products continues to increase, controlling litter through public education and cleanup of streets and waterways requires significant and sustained funding. Preventing the generation of disposable products as much as possible reduces the amount of money needed for controlling and managing trash and litter. Prevention is both cost-effective and better for the environment. Http://www. Clearwater. Org/feature/problem-of-marine-plastic- pollution Plastic is literally at my fingertips all day long. Plastic keyboard. Plastic framed computer monitor. Plastic mouse. The amount of plastic encounter daily doesnt end there. Chances are, you can relate. Plastic is an epidemic. But where does all this plastic go? We ship some of it overseas to be recycled.

This book is so relevant for us adolescents at thi Essays

This book is so relevant for us adolescents at thi Essays This book is so relevant for us adolescents at this conference as we are moving from childhood to adulthood. This novel set in the 1950s is as relevant sixty years later as it was when it was originally published [Published in 1950s but set in 1930s]. It challenges us adolescents to grow from our naive view of the world like scout at the beginning of the novel into an understanding that prejudice exists in our world. It is our challenge to become adults like scout in the novel, and to accept our place in the adult world "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his [their] point of viewuntil you climb into his skin and walk around in [it]"-Atticus finch to Scout [chapter ] We see life from another point of view which is a true enjoyment of this book. Relevant because it critiques social issues relevant today, the morals and values are timeless as they still happen today It was written during a period of a huge change [1950] -Mockingbird is nostalgia [looking back at the past- beautiful moments] and criticism "The thing about it is, our kind of folks don't like the Cunningham's, the Cunningham's don't like the Ewells and the Ewells hate and despise the colored folks." Jem talking to Scout about hierarchy The role of woman - dresses, lady like Very strong roles of women Cant play sports Growing up Part of growing up to move from the pleasant to the unpleasant, to move on. i.e. Dill coming to Miss Maudie's house burning down they also learn their father is courageous and learn to admire him all over again [we need more of him today in our world -ms mcdonald] They have to learn not to accept the dominate view of Maycomb that negro's are inferior [racist views] Race and Racism The trial shows how racism shapes society i.e. How does racism shape Australia, aboriginals etc. Justice How should you treat people Justice isn't only about the law it is also about treating people nicely; with justice Difficult to do right in a system that is corrupt [scout tries to do the right thing but the community is corrupt - the trial, the jury] In the novel the novel both shows the unjust of Tom Robinson's death and the hope of justice with Bob Ewells death How to write an introduction **use personal pronouns as it is a persuasive text trying to convince others on your view and perspective** Example introduction: The quote of Maya Angelou, " Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible," is a timely reminder that this element present in all societies and time needs to be acknowledged and addressed. Prejudice lessens the potential of both the individual and society. We must always be vigilant of our own responses when faced with prejudice and fight for justice when evident within our communities. It is an honour to be invited to submit this paper to the Annual United Nation's Youth Conference to persuade you that Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mocking-bird should be included in a list of novels studied by students as it explores ideas relevant in the 21st century. Harper Lee brilliantly underpins the issue of prejudice in this Pulitzer Award winning novel. The narrative is set in 1930's in the small Alabama town of Maycomb. Although over eighty years separate this cultural context from today, its message of tolerance and understanding is as relevant then as today. Lee reveals the ugly face of prejudice in a myriad of societal situations. I will focus on how this plays out in racism, the role of women and the justice system. In all three it is evident that prejudice diminishes many individual's lives and therefore the potential for Maycomb to fully utilise the potential of its inhabitants. Hopefully, you will take Lee's analysis of the pernicious effects of prejudice and be inspired to fight against it in your own communities. This novel is truly a warning about how prejudice can undermine the healthy function of a community. For this reason it is truly a novel for all seasons and times, as relevant then as today. Steps to write an introduction Hook in Thesis Expand on the thesis Go back to