Jeffrey Orrego

English 1010
English 1010 Assignment: Final Paper
107 years have passed since Leo Hendrik Baekeland first synthesized plastic. A great
benefit for humankind was developed that day. Synthetic plastic has modified our way of life and
improved it in some ways. Used frequently within a daily basis, almost common as breathing, we
dont even take notice of it. However, just as we are unaware of its usage, were also ignorant to
its repercussions. Our negligence of this inventions has been damaging our Earth which we so
dearly live upon for over 70 years! Now surely the plastic will eventually degrade and wither
away. Nonetheless, plastic is resilient like no other. Plastic has many ways to being synthesized,
about 12 different densities for more than thousands of different purposes. A plastic bag usually
takes about 100 years to degrade, but thats only an average bag. Imagine how long would it take
for specialized plastic? It must be our duty as fellow inhabitants of Earth to maintain our
environment alive and available for our future and our next generation. Or eventually there wont
be an environment which to live on. These facts endanger not only the environments, but also the
life within it. The fauna and flora found within these ecosystems are struggling to adapt in this
new contaminated habitat. Most will not be able to adapt, and eventually, will die. It is time for a
change, for we cannot ignore this problem any further.
In 2008 it was estimated that the plastic consumption worldwide is about 260 million
tons. The EPA calculated that about 30 million tons are of plastic waste alone, plastic being
discarded everyday; the rest being scattered across Earth. Plastic is a fairly new product and we
are barely witnessing the drawbacks from this new invention. These deficiencies could be, but
are not bound to, infection of ecosystems, disruption of food webs, extinction of entire species,
islands being flooded by trash, etc. Unlike we developed Homo sapiens, most marine animals
fail to differentiate prey from plastic and consume plastic remains instead of their actual meal.
Our wastes have infected the marine ecosystems and plague the fish and any aquatic organisms
to ingest plastic. The consumption of plastic by animals inflicts damage over their development
by malnutrition and eventually dwindling their lifespans. In November of 2013 a research led by
Chelsea M. Rochman, Eunha Hoh, Tomofumi Kurobe & Swee J. Tech; all graduates from the
University of California and San Diego alike. In this scientific endeavor they studied the effect of
plastic debris on aquatic habitats where animals risk ingestion of intoxication by chemical
pollutants. By tracking the amount of persistent bioaccumulative toxic substances (PBTs),
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polybrominated diphenyls (PBDEs) through close monitoring of
fish and later examination of them. They concluded that plastic ingestion of these chemicals did
exerted hepatic (Liver) stress on fish, ultimately leading to death if left unresolved. See? The
threat to fish IS real and if we do not act to clear the waters from toxic wastes then the fish will
eventually become extinct. Now that would hurt business wouldnt it?
About 35 thousand tons of consumed plastic converge in gyres, rotating ocean currents,
massive amounts of plastic garbage patches are accumulating here every day. These plastic rally
points are called the Great Garbage Patches, and there is one in each of the major oceans
between continents. These Garbage Patches are a threat not only because any animal can ingest it
by mistake, but their mere existence threatens with the structure of life. National Geographic
published an article where it demonstrated the threats of plastic. Unlike biodegradation, plastic
relies of photodisintegration it relies on the sunlight in order to break apart the chemical bonds
that bind the different monomers in plastic. This makes it way more deadly and they act like
sponges attracting different chemical components, these infest the waters fauna and flora of the
habitats. Also, even though plastic might be broken down into little pieces it is still concentrated
enough to block from reaching species dependent and who now are unable of having it. If plastic
is blocking sunlight for plankton and algae, the main producers on the food web, means that
there wont be as much food for everyone. If not enough producers are available to supply the
first consumers then theyll be endangered as well; if the first consumers begin to reduce in
numbers the second and third consumers will not be properly supplied. Competition among
predators will rise and the food webs will be reorganized to benefit only a few animals. This
would mean overall that the established carrying capacity of aquatic environments will
DRASTICALLY lower for everything and anything that its survivability relies on maritime
animals. The collateral damage this could cause would affect fish, whales, sharks, algae, birds,
etc to lower their numbers to the point of near extinction because there simply arent enough
resources for everyone. Having a dwindling resources and then add massive fishing? The fish
will become definitively become extinct and business is over. Of course this is all a This is what
would happen IF However, truth is it is already happening, it might take months or years but
if this keeps going there wont be any fishing to do. And that means no business.
So far we have labeled disastrous causes that are taking route if we do not act to stop it.
However what would happen if we did? What if we all made an investment in order to clean
these waters? Boyan Slat, a Dutch Aerospace Engineer student, developed a process that would
help to remove massive amounts of plastic debris from the Great Ocean Garbage Patches using
floating booms that would divert it to coastal recycling centers. This requires almost no expenses
and recycled plastic would become a profitable source while it lasts. According to Slat, it would
take about five years realistically to clean the ocean gyres. Imagine, lots of plastic ready to be re-
used! The reused plastic would also mean less expenses on new plastic and save ourselves from
the oil crisis while were at it.
We have labeled bad and good realistic options that will happen if we keep this Pandoras
Box open. Understand that if this goes on it will not only affect the ecosystems, nor the animals,
nor the plants but everyone, including you. We must put aside our petty strives and unite to
remove, recycle, and optimize our oceans. I ask for you to take a leap of faith for the benefit of
keeping our waters blue, our fish lively, and our pockets full.
















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