Re: Removing trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Gyre
Dear ,
Pollution all around the globe in an increasing problem effecting the entire planet. As human beings continue to consume more and more products, the waste produced by these products also increases. Unwanted bottles and packaging from land as well as buoys and netting from boats is finding its way to the sea. These items float on the surface of the water and drift at the mercy of the ocean’s currents. Gyres, which are circular surface currents, gather the trash from offshore and spin it into a massive rotating vortex of pollution in the middle of the world’s oceans. This trash has a negative effect on the organisms that interact with it and it needs to be cleaned from the water and prevented from ever entering it again. As an administrator for NOAA I hope that you will support and fund my project to remove pollution from the ocean and prevent further contamination.
How pollution enters a gyre:
Charles Moore first discovered the garbage patch in 1997 between Hawaii and the coast of California. It is roughly double the size of Texas and can be 100 feet deep in some places. The increase in the amount of garbage in the gyre is due to the increased use of plastic on land (Kostigen 2008). The pollution that is non-biodegradable in the ocean comes directly form the carelessness of human consumers. When a consumer discards litter, such as a plastic bag or empty soda bottle, it has the potential to reach the ocean through ocean dumping or blowing wind. These methods of pollution are the causes of this great mass of pollution. The trash that makes up these landfills comes from both the eastern shores of Japan as well as the Western coast of the United S...
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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest garbage dump in the world. According to estimates made by experts, the patch holds approximately three and a half million tons of garbage. Majority of this garbage is made of plastic. This waste is a threatening problem to the patch’s surrounding wildlife. Many animals are caught in the floating pieces of trash and it is the cause of the deaths of about one million birds and about one hundred thousand other sea animals. Due to the oceans nature and constant moving currents, the trash is also constantly moving. Therefore the size of the patch never stays the exact same. However, scientists believe it be approximately two times the size of Texas. The plastic is mostly broken down from larger materials into small pieces. The patch has been referred to as one scientist as a, “plastic soup”. This garbage poses such a threat mainly because it does not biodegrade. These plastics will be in the ocean essentially forever. Many plastics also contain chemicals, and absorb other chemicals and pollutants they become exposed to. These newly absorbed toxins are then leaked and distributed back into the ocean over time. The chemicals can directly enter the bodies of the animals which consume them. A study was being conducted by scientists of the fish that inhabit the area around the patch. What the researchers found inside the belly of one fish (that was no larger in size than that of a finger), was eighty four small fragments of plastic. It does not take scientists to recognize the impact of this problem, Zach Gold, who is sixteen, is from Santa Monica California. Zach enjoys s...
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific trash vortex, is a collection of litter which has ended up in oceans, seas and other large bodies of water. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch spans from the West Coast of America to Japan. These areas are linked together by the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone; this convergence zone acts as a highway for litter to move from one patch to another. It has also been theorised that the ocean floor beneath the Great pacific garbage patch is also littered with a lot of rubbish on its own. This is a valid theory because it has been proven by Oceanographers and Ecologists that 70% of marine debris actually sinks down to the ocean floor. Although the scientists have researched this garbage vortex, they did not find it. However, when the founder of this garbage vortex, Charles Moore, was boat racing, he found this garbage vortex while he was travelling from Hawaii to California. He and his crew members noticed that their ship was surrounded by millions of
We, as humans, need to take action, be accountable for our oceans and prevent the waste we produce from entering our waters. On a daily basis, thoughtless men, women, and children are polluting our waters and killing our marine life.
This pollution problem is so ubiquitous plastic can be found throughout the marine environment from coastlines to near shore lagoons to remote ocean hotspots where plastics caught up in marine currents. And gathered up into huge garbage patches that swirl
Do you know that people are polluting oceans in so many ways, and what we are doing about it. First, my evidence shows that two billion people within thirty miles of the coast create 100 million metric tons of coastal plastic waste (Doc.1). In my own words, this evidence show that all this pollution is really harmful to ocean creatures and us. More evidence is that the North Pacific Gyre has collected lots of these pollutants, so it is nicknamed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (O.I.). This shows how we are polluting the oceans. My next evidence shows that a Beach Act was passed in 2000 saying the EPA or the Environmental Protection Agency will help states test and monitor coastal water pollution to protect swimmers (Doc.2). This evidence
Finally, 33% of ocean pollution comes from atmospheric toxins. (“We” 1942) Pollution could end if people helped each other clean up stuff. If the government put more garbage cans in neighborhoods and in the cities. If people didn’t drive cars so much. Use less plastic products.
Marine debris can be defined as “any manufactured or processed solid waste material that enters the marine environment from any source” (Ten Things). Usually, we just call it litter. But, where does this litter come from? All marine debris comes from man-made waste. Most of this makes its way into our waterways from land, while 20% comes from ocean-based sources, such as fishing vessels and cargo ships (Problem). Once this waste enters the ocean it moves from currents and wind. It does not stay put, and it is usually carried far from its origin, which makes it difficult to determine where this waste comes from. Not only is it difficult to locate because of relocation, but this debris comes in many different forms, ranging from small plastic cigarette buds to 4,000-pound fishing nets (Ten Things). Plastic, rubber, Styrofoam, glass, metal, rope; the list is innumerable. The most known of all these, is plastic. “Plastic marine debris affects at least 267 species worldwide; 86 percent of all sea turtles, 44 percent of all sea bird species, and 43 percent of marine mammal species” (Problem). Other than plastic, these are just a few things that marine animals might mistake as food and ingest. On top of that, we can accidentally eat marine animals that have ingested this waste, causing us to get sick. Marine animals might even become entangled and can lead to suffocation, starvation, drowning, increased vulnerability to predators, or other injuries (Impacts).
Ocean Pollution is a serious issue in today's global politics. The delicate balance of Earth's ecosystem is put in jeopardy when the ocean is not clean. Problem evolving from ocean pollution directly harm marine life and indirectly affect human health and the Earth's many valuable resources. Ocean Pollution is a Broad term that encpompasses any and all foregin matter that directly or indirectly makes its way into the ocean. This includes everything from the extreme: oil spills, Toxic Waste dumping and industrial dumping-- to the small scael: human activities and basic carelessness. Because the oceans and all other water bodies are invariably, somehow connected, and because they account for 3/4 of the Earth's surface, they are an ideal method of transportation for pollution, allowing the rapid spread of seemingly far away toxins into a river near you! It is increasingly important that we educate ourselves as to what, exactly, ocean pollution is, so that we can identify the causes at their source and take action in small and large ways, and hopefully, prevent this terrible form of pollution from getting any worse than it is today.
While a beautiful sunset on the beach can be astounding, a spectacular scene is not the only benefit oceans provide. Without the oceans, we would not have adequate amounts of oxygen to breathe or enough protein to eat. The Earth's climate would not be inhabitable for human beings and many animals. The oceans supply medicines, food and drinking water which arise from ocean processes. Out of the five oceans, the Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest and deepest ocean. It spreads over an area of 165.2 million square kilometers. More than 25,000 islands float within the Pacific. Within the Pacific Ocean lies an unusual island, an island that is more than twice the size of Texas and is earth’s largest landfill, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (McLendon). Society is unaware that the excess use of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials has ended up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and is the main source of ocean pollution. The solutions, ranging from manual clean-up to eliminating any further obliteration to the Garbage Patch, will reduce the amount of effluence the world has to endure.
Our oceans take a large beating every day by the extremely large amount of pollution humans produce. Our society easily dumps their waste into the oceans to dispose of the excessive amount of garbage, sewage, and chemicals, but this small and simple solution is creating an even bigger problem. The way humans dispose of their wastes is causing the death of our beloved marine life. Not only are we killing off our animals, our food source, and our resources, we are also minimizing our usable water. By having a better understanding of the problem on the severe dumping, it will be easier to find ways to help minimize the pollution that is going into the ocean.
The ocean is an abundant source of life. It is home to thousand of different creatures, provides a great source of food, and provides the earth with about one half of the oxygen needed to sustain life. (National Geographic) Pollution especially plastic, is a catastrophic problem. Ironically plastic, which is a material designed to last forever is generally used for things we tend to throw away. Every year about one hundred to two hundred billion pounds of plastic are manufactured. Only 31% of that plastic is actually recycled. Biomass packaging estimates 10% of that plastic ends up in the ocean annually. About 20% of it coming from ships and other platforms, and the other 80% coming from land derived sources, such as international garbage dumping, winds or tides either way it finds its way to the ocean.(Biomass Packaging Co., et al)
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is sometimes referred to as the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch and the Pacific Trash Vortex is a floating patch of garbage that has collected in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, which is located in the middle of two high-pressure areas between Hawaii and California. The majority of the garbage, which is also called marine debris, in the patch is plastic, but items made from other materials such as glass and rubber are also present. Though the garbage patch is too large and goes too deep under the surface of the ocean for scientists to determine exactly how much garbage is in it, they have collected up to 750,000 bits of plastic one square kilometer (CITE). This sort of debris floating around in the ocean is dangerous for several reasons. One important reason is that marine animals mistake some of the garbage, especially plastics, for food (CITE). Another reason that the floating debris is so dangerous is because it can block sunlight from reaching deeper levels of the ocean, and thus, it removes the energy source for many autotrophs like alga...
The existence of the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” was predicted by many oceanographers and climatologists. However, the actual discovery of the patch was made by a racing boat captain, Charles Moore. Moore was sailing from Hawaii to California, after competing in a yachting race crossing the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Moore and his crew noticed millions of pieces of plastic surrounding his ship. (National Geographic)
This problem may seem prevalent and it is very important to know about. It affects marine life in many ways, but humans are also greatly affected.by this problem. People don’t realize what this problem does to them. However the human race can always work and solve this issue. People shouldn’t dump trash in the ocean or any water source. Trash can destroy coral reefs and other important ecosystems and ruin marine life. Most important sewage plants shouldn’t dump raw sewage into the ocean because it provides nutrients to harmful algae. Governments around the world should put more restrictions on sewage and the disposal of it. But if the solution wants to be solved people must work together.
The reason why I chose this topic was because I don’t like seeing trash in the oceans, lakes or ponds just anything. It’s annoying how people don’t know how to take care for stuff. Especially that other people see it not just one or two people but thousands of people see it. When people see that there’s trash all around the area there not going to want to go back to that ocean or that part that they went to because they see that it’s all trashy there and it’s not healthy for humans and the ocean. I just don’t like seeing trash anywhere just all over the place I think it’s gross. So I want to talk about this because I don’t like it and I think it’s a good subject to talk about.