btaylor40
Registered: April 2009
City/Town/Province: Jasper
Posts: 1
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Brittany
4/28/09
Could you imagine a life in nothing but highly contaminated garbage and trash all around you, that guarantees you an early grave? That sounds horrible, but what most people don’t realize is that this happens everyday in aquatic ecosystems. Marine pollution is one of the most under-reported types of pollution. This topic comes from an article selected from the Tennessee Electronic Library called The Garbage Patch: How the Pacific Ocean Became the World’s Largest Dump. The objectives of this presentation include promoting the conservation of an endangered species or an imperiled natural area, describing the importance of protecting an aquatic area for natural wildlife and marine life, and educating others about wildlife conservation issues. Information about this topic was displayed through a PowerPoint presentation. An overview of this presentation is as follows:
• What the Garbage Patch is
• When the Garbage Patch was discovered
• How trash gets to the Garbage Patch
• Why the Garbage Patch is important
• Tested solutions and future plans to help control/ prevent the trash and debris
from entering the Garbage Patch
Many have asked why should they put this issue high on their list of world problems that need our immediate attention. The answer is that water is an important necessity that we all use in our everyday lives, and can harm us if it is contaminated. Anything that is placed in the open water, eventually goes into the sea, and ultimately makes its way to the Garbage Patch. The Garbage Patch was discovered by Captain Charles Moore. According to Moore’s research, the ratio of plastic to zooplankton is 6 to 1. Fish and birds mistake plastic for food, eat it, and die. Plastic debris release chemical additives and plasticizers into the ocean. The plastic absorbs pollutants such as PCB’s and DDT. The pollutants make their way to the food chain and eventually into the foods we eat.
There have been many ideas for a solution to this problem. One idea is to collect the larger pieces of trash by skimming the most polluted areas with troll nets. These nets would be attached to helicopters which would then deposit the trash into the lava flow for incineration. Other ideas include vacuuming the sea and converting the plastic into an alternative energy source. However, the only true solution is to prevent more trash from entering the ocean in the first place.
Participating in the Apprentice Ecologist Initiave Scholarship Program has enriched my life by educating fellow students about this important issue and promoting awareness. Hopefully by promoting awareness about pollution, in some small way, I have made the world a better place. Understanding the world around us is the first step in protecting our resources. Preventing pollution, protecting natural wildlife, and conserving energy are responsibilities everyone should follow.
It is important to me that the students in my school learn about the issue of marine pollution. Since there is not an ocean near Tennessee no one really thinks about the water, and where their trash goes. Not only is educating students about marine pollution important, but also telling them about recycling, and energy conservation as well. There is no recycling program in our town, but, through education, perhaps one will be developed in the future. Recycling is something that is rarely reflected upon, therefore the importance of our environment is often neglected. I am only one person, but by reaching one person at a time, maybe we can have a positive impact on the environment
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