Ocean Plastic Pollution

An area that I previously lived at was Costa Mesa, California, approximately two miles from the Pacific Ocean. I lived near the coast for twenty years and frequently visited the beach. I consider myself privileged to have resided near a beach ecosystem with high biodiversity and perfect year-round weather. Plastic pollution is an enormous problem at the beach, and its mass production needs to cease.

Plastic bottles are inconsiderately littered everywhere, and they accumulate in our oceans. “There are five garbage patches, and the Pacific garbage patch is the biggest” (Great Pacific Garbage Patch, 1:23-1:29) Dreadfully large, these patches affect biodiversity after marine life gobble toxic miniscule plastic specks that appear to be nourishment. This plastic is toxic. According to our textbook, “Bisphenol A or BPA as it is more commonly known, is a synthetic chemical. Since the

late 1940’s, it has been a staple ingredient in the linings of metal food cans and plastic products of every kind.” (Karr, et al, p. 44)

According to Dianna Cohen, Cofounder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, “We need to cut the spigot of single-use and disposable plastics, which are entering the marine environment every day on a global scale.

(Tough Truths About Plastic Pollution, 2:09-2:17) I agree. Can you visualize every inch of the ocean covered in plastic? I hope we never see that day. Additionally, production of plastic water bottles is unsustainable. “The process of producing bottled water requires around six times as much water per bottle as there is in the container.” (Plastic Oceans Foundation) I believe using up precious resources in this manner is wrong when water scarcity already afflicts many parts of the world. Sadly, the manufacturing of plastic also fosters air pollution and assists in ozone depletion of our stratosphere. Dr. Newman stated: “If there’s less ozone, more UV radiation gets to the Earth, if there’s more ozone, less UV radiation gets to the Earth. (NASA, Exploring Ozone, 00:12-00:17) Consequently, additional UV radiation may contribute to increased probabilities of acquiring skin

cancer.

Another form of adulteration that can’t readily be seen is fertilizer runoff that infiltrates our water. “Synthetic fertilizers are made from fossil fuels, which include natural gas and petroleum.” (Karr, et al, p. 321) Although high-yield crop outputs increase with fertilizer, the tradeoff of increased crop production is cultural eutrophication due to excess nitrogen that builds in our water from this runoff. Consequently, marine life has less oxygen availability after algal blooms grow, which results in aquatic hypoxia.

In California, one solution to plastic waste was implemented after Proposition 67 passed in 2016, which prohibited the distribution of thin plastic bags. This was a win for our environment, and a loss for the industry. However, a thicker plastic bag which can be reused multiple times replaced it at a cost of ten cents apiece. The scale of banning thin plastic bags is enormous as California encompasses over thirty-nine million people (Quick Facts) and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Thus, eliminating thin plastic bag availability is beneficial, since none of it will find its way into our environment.