Research Log #1 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: February 15, 2021

Name: Logan Dias
Central Question: What are the root causes of the plastics that litter beaches on the Hawaiian island and what can
be de done about it?
Thesis: Plastic pollution on Hawaii beaches is mainly the cause of marine life dying and to stop it, we need to do
clean the beaches, put more trash cans along the coastlines, and come together and solve Hawaii’s ocean pollution
problem.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #1 What is the problem

Excerpts:

In the very beginning of the article, Harvey reports that there are. “more than 20,000 bits of debris on
the main Hawaiian Islands — and most of it is plastic, a form of waste that’s considered particularly
harmful to marine life”.

Harvey explained that plastic debris is “frequently found tangled up in the stomachs of birds who mistook it
for food or wrapped around the bodies of drowned sea turtles and other swimming animals”.

Hawaii’s citizens aren’t the only things contributing to the plastic pollution, “Hawaii is in a part of the
Pacific strongly affected by a system of rotating ocean currents known as the Central Pacific Gyre, which is
fed by currents stretching from Japan to California”.

Commentary and Analysis:

This article talks about the plastic pollution in the Hawaiian Islands. The Department of Land and Natural
Resources (DNLR) released a survey about the ocean debris on the Hawaiian Islands. There are more than 20,000 bits
of debris in the Hawaiian Islands and most of it is plastic, which is very harmful to marine life. Many things are found
in the ocean like buoys, fishing lines, tires, foam, metal, and fabric. All of these are harmful to the marine organisms.
Harvey explains that in recent years the biggest issue is microplastics, they are tiny bits of plastic that are less
than 5 millimeters in diameter. Plastic is a huge issue because plastic doesn’t decompose in the way that other
materials do. When plastic is dumped into the ocean it breaks down into smaller pieces. Animals such as birds, small
fish, clams, and sea cucumbers easily mistake the small pieces of plastic for food.
Harvey says that Hawaii is part of the Pacific strongly affected by a system of rotating ocean currents known
as the Central Pacific Gyre, which is fed by currents stretching from Japan to California. This means that The citizens
of Hawaii aren’t the only people contributing to the ocean pollution. The coastlines of Hawaii receive significant
quantities of debris each year because of the circulating body of water. The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan also
contributed to the ocean pollution in Hawaii. Harvey also says that the debris could threaten human health by creating
obstacles for boating and other forms of recreation.

MLA Work Cited:

Harvey, Chelsea. (2019, April 29). “Hawaii's beloved beaches are covered in huge amounts of Plastic, survey
finds”. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-
environment/wp/2016/06/04/hawaiis-beloved-beaches-are-covered-in-huge-amounts-of-plastic-survey-
finds/
This is a reputable and reliable article because it was written by a writer from the Washington post and they are a
very well-known news company. The Washington post is known for their best writers and they are a very trust worthy
source.

Research Log #2 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: February 24, 2021
Name: Logan Dias
Central Question: What are the root causes of the plastics that litter beaches on the Hawaiian island and what can
be de done about it?
Thesis: Plastic pollution on Hawaii beaches is mainly the cause of marine life dying and to stop it, we need to do
clean the beaches, put more trash cans along the coastlines, and come together and solve Hawaii’s ocean pollution
problem.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #1 What are the systematic causes

Excerpts:

At the very start of the article, Barney tells us that, “Larson and fellow members of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund (HWF), a
team of Conservation volunteers, collected 1,400lb of it”

Barney tells the reader that, “A 2019 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
found that Hawaiian fish begin eating plastic particles just days after being born”

Kamilo Beach is one of the most polluted beaches in the world: “On Kamilo Beach, plastic pollution accumulated
unchecked for decades due to inaccessibility. The very first cleanup here was organized after the group’s founder, Bill
Gilmartin, witnessed the birth of a rare Hawaiian monk seal pup on the massive piles of plastic. In 2003, he led a team
in removing more than 50 tons of marine debris over three days”.

Commentary and Analysis:

This article talks a lot about some statistics of Hawaii’s ocean pollution problem. Many people and
organizations work together to clear plastic off Hawaii’s beautiful beaches. Kamilo Beach is known as “Plastic
Beach” because its filled with plastic rubbish and debris. Along the coastlines there are Toothbrushes, plastic brooms,
plastic bottles, and the back of a TV. The Hawaii Wildlife Fund (HWF) is a team of conservation volunteers and they
went to Kamilo Beach and picked up 1,400lb of plastic debris.
Hawaii sits in the center of swirling ocean currents, just east of the Great Pacific garbage patch. As a result,
it’s shoreline catches plastic from all over the world. Plastic pollution has accumulated for decades due to
inaccessibility. Hawaii’s wildlife has been hit the most. Across all Hawaiian Islands, marine wildlife agents continue
to find humpback whales ensnared in abandoned fishing nets and turtles hooked on plastic bags, while fisherman catch
fish with plastic- filled bodies. Citizens of Hawaii describe their home transformation from pure to plastic- riddled.
Hawaii efforts to push back plastics consumption have been the boldest in the country. In 2015, Hawaii
became the first state in the US to ban plastic bags at grocery stores. Maui and the Big Island banned polystyrene
containers. Hawaii has also passed one of the most restrictive plastic bans in the US, prohibiting all single- use plastic
food containers, including straws and utensils, as well as Styrofoam. Steven Colbert, the department chair of the
marine science program at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, says the bans are positive steps towards cleaner beaches.

MLA Work Cited:

Barney, L., & Dyke, M. (2020, January 10). “Welcome to Hawaii’s 'plastic Beach', one of the world's dirtiest places”.
Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/10/kamilo-beach-plastic-
hawaii-pollution

This is a reputable and reliable article because The Gaudian is a very well-known news company and the writers are
from Hawaii which means they are very passionate about telling the people about Hawaii’s ocean pollution.

Research Log #3 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: February 24, 2021
Name: Logan Dias
Central Question: What are the root causes of the plastics that litter beaches on the Hawaiian island and what can
be de done about it?
Thesis: Plastic pollution on Hawaii beaches is mainly the cause of marine life dying and to stop it, we need to do
clean the beaches, put more trash cans along the coastlines, and come together and solve Hawaii’s ocean pollution
problem.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #2 What has been and is being done?

Excerpts:

In the very begging of his speech, Cohen explains that, “It’s a bad thing that plastic breaks down into smaller little
bits”

Cohan gave her own experience: “I then in the last few years, learned about the Pacific Garbage patch and the gyre.
And my initial reaction- and I think this is a lot of peoples first reaction to learning about it- is, ‘Oh my God! We’ve
got to go out there and clean this thing up’”.

Cohen reported that, “Another thing that we're looking at and asking people to think about is we've added a fourth R onto the
front of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," three R's, and that is refuse. Whenever possible, refuse single-use and disposable
plastics”.

Commentary and Analysis:

Dianna Cohen is a visual artists and co- founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition. She works with plastic
bags, which she cuts up and sews back together. She turns them into two and three- dimensional pieces, sculptures,
and installations. She noticed that the plastic she was using was breaking down into smaller pieces, she later found out
that it was a bad thing. Cohen began talking with people who had been out to the gyre and were studying the plastic
problem in the marine environment. She then realized that doing cleanups would only help the problem for a short
period time because more plastic generates every day. She looked at the big picture and she wanted to do more than
just cleanups.
Cohen came together with a group of people who were looking at the same issue, they created Plastic Pollution
Coalition. They have many initiatives, but one is: if 80 to 90 percent of what they are finding in the ocean is plastic,
why don’t they call it as it is. The other thing they are looking into is asking people to think about is we've added a fourth
R onto the front of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," three R's, and that is refuse.
Cohen says that ocean plastic pollution is a huge problem but it’s a problem that we can solve. Cohen says we
can solve ocean plastic by raising awareness of the issue and teaching people to choose alternatives. So whenever possible, to
choose alternatives to single-use plastics. We can cut the stem -tide the stem of this into our oceans and in doing so, save our
oceans, save our planet, save ourselves.

MLA Work Cited:

Cohen, D. (Director). (n.d.). Tough truths about plastic pollution [Video file]. Retrieved February 23, 2021,
from https://www.ted.com/talks/dianna_cohen_tough_truths_about_plastic_pollution

This is a reputable and reliable article because it’s a Ted Talk. Ted Talks are very famous and educational videos
where people talk about things. The people who are giving the speeches are very knowledgeable and very smart.

Research Log #4 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: March 11, 2021
Name: Logan Dias
Central Question: What are the root causes of the plastics that litter beaches on the Hawaiian island and what can
be de done about it?
Thesis: Plastic pollution on Hawaii beaches is mainly the cause of marine life dying and to stop it, we need to do
clean the beaches, put more trash cans along the coastlines, and come together and solve Hawaii’s ocean pollution
problem.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and
who benefits?

Excerpts:

At the very start of the editorial, Nichols says, “The oceans have become one giant refuse bin for all manner of
plastics. Environmental and health concerns associated with plastic pollution are a long recognized international
problem”

Nichols reported that the problem starts with the everyday use of plastic, “ Well over a billion single-use plastic
bags are given out for free every day.

Plastic pollution harms and kills many varieties of marine life: “Over 260 species, including invertebrates,
turtles, fish, seabirds and mammals, have been reported to ingest or become entangled in plastic debris,
resulting in impaired movement and feeding, reduced reproductive output, lacerations, ulcers, and death”

Commentary and Analysis:

This editorial talks about plastic pollution harms and kills marine life. The ocean is filled with debris and
trash, the main type of trash is plastic and micro plastic. The ocean is a giant bin for all the debris and trash to go.
80% of waste accumulates on land, shorelines, the ocean surface, or seabed is plastic. Plastic have many different
types of properties. They are inexpensive, lightweight, strong, durable, corrosion resistant, and with high thermal and
electrical insulation properties.
The problem starts with the people, we use plastic every day and we don’t dispose of them correctly. The.
Problem is also the plastic manufacturing increasing every year. Well over a billion single use plastic bags are given
out for free every day. Around 0.2 to 0.3% of plastic production eventually ends up in the ocean. Close to half of
plastics are buoyant and remain so until they become waterlogged or amass to much epibiota to float. Plastics don’t
biodegrade. Through photodegradation and abrasion plastics only break into smaller and smaller pieces which is
consumed by the smallest marine life.
Plastic pollution harm mostly all marine life. Entanglement is discarded or lost plastic netting, rope, and
monofilament lines from commercial fishing is one of the more visible impacts of plastic pollution. Over 260 species,
including invertebrates, turtles, fish, seabirds and mammals, have been reported to ingest or become entangled in
plastic debris. Plastic can be found all over marine life: plastic turn up in bird nest, are worn by hermit crabs instead of
shells, and are present in sea turtles.
MLA Work Cited:

Nichols, W. J. (2010, April 7). Editorial: Plastic Pollution: An Ocean Emergency. Retrieved March 11, 2021,
from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wallace-
Nichols/publication/268187066_Editorial_Plastic_Pollution_An_Ocean_Emergency/links/54c622550c
f256ed5a9c8f3c/Editorial-Plastic-Pollution-An-Ocean-Emergency.pdf

This is a reputable and reliable article because the editorial was published by the university of British Columbia.

Research Log #5 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: March 11, 2021
Name: Logan Dias
Central Question: What are the root causes of the plastics that litter beaches on the Hawaiian island and what can
be de done about it?
Thesis: Plastic pollution on Hawaii beaches is mainly the cause of marine life dying and to stop it, we need to do
clean the beaches, put more trash cans along the coastlines, and come together and solve Hawaii’s ocean pollution
problem.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #1 who is hurt and who benefits?

Excerpts:
In the beginning of the documentary, Leeson says, “a meter below was just horrible, crappy, emulsified mess of oil and
bits of, you know… it’s horrible, and looking through it you could see the tendrils of the net hanging down”.

Throughout the documentary, Streeter gives an example of a brydes’s whale, “it’s dying, taking its final breaths. It
was found to have six square meters of plastic sheeting inside it, it couldn’t eat, and it died of malnourishment.”

Millions of animals die because of plastic pollution: “absolutely no doubt that this bird died as a result of that plastic”

Commentary and Analysis:

Craig Leeson is a man who loved whales and loved everything about them. When he was young and the first
time he seen a whale, he knew he’d want to study them. he later took a drip with his team to Sri Lanka to film whales,
when they got to the whales, they jumped in and noticed pollution everywhere, they thought that the water would be
very clean because no one has gone there in a while.
Tanya Streeter is an outstanding free diver and she did a ted talk. She said that a whale had six meters of
plastic inside of it and it died because it couldn’t eat. Plastic pollution in our waters cause so many problems. Many
marine life eat the pollution and end up dying from it. Whales, birds, fish, etc. all die from eating plastic and other
pollution in the water. Tanya Streeter went to Italy to talk with a professional who helps animals live. She learned
that turtles float unusually after eating plastic, they later die, the professional and her team work together to remove
plastic from animals’ bodies which help them live
The documentary talks about how plastic is deadly for earths environment. Tanya and Craig refuse to buy this
that are associated with plastic. They all say that it’s impossible to take every single piece of plastic out of the ocean.
They want to shift the focus from taking out plastic to cutting out plastic completely. Scientists all over the world are
recalling the governments to reclassify plastic as a hazardous substance. They believe that governments aren’t doing
enough to encourage development of circular supply chains.
MLA Work Cited:

A plastic OCEAN [Video file]. (2017, April 19). Retrieved March 10, 2021, from
https://www.netflix.com/title/80164032

This is a reputable and reliable article because the documentary was on Netflix and Netflix is one of the biggest movie
and documentary platforms in the world
Research Log #6 - Solutionary Project 2021
Date: March 11, 2021
Name: Logan Dias
Central Question: What are the root causes of the plastics that litter beaches on the Hawaiian island and what can
be de done about it?
Thesis: Plastic pollution on Hawaii beaches is mainly the cause of marine life dying and to stop it, we need to do
clean the beaches, put more trash cans along the coastlines, and come together and solve Hawaii’s ocean pollution
problem.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #2 what has been and is being done?

Excerpts:
In the beginning of the article, the Center for Biological Diversity states that, “Plastic accumulating in our oceans and
on our beaches has become a global crisis. Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences that
make up about 40 percent of the world's ocean surfaces.”

A study from the Center for Biological Diversity states that, “there are now 15–51 trillion pieces of plastic in the
world's oceans from the equator to the poles, from Arctic ice sheets to the sea floor. Not one square mile of surface
ocean anywhere on earth is free of plastic pollution.”

At the very end of the article, the Center for Biological Diversity says that, “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a gyre
of plastic debris in the north-central Pacific Ocean. It’s the largest accumulation of plastic in the world.”

Commentary and Analysis:

The article talks about how the oceans around the world have become polluted with plastic and other debris.
Billions of pounds of plastic are swirling which make up about 40 percent of the worlds ocean surfaces. At current
rates the plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish by 2050. Thousands of animals eat the plastic in the water and die
from the plastic. Endangered species like the Hawaiian monk seal and Pacific loggerhead sea turtle are among 700
species that get caught in plastic litter.
We are surrounded by plastic and we use plastic every day. Billions of pounds of plastic end up in our ocean
which eventually break down into micro plastics. A study shows that there are about 15- 51 trillion pieces of plastic in
the ocean. The fossil fuel industry plans to increase plastic production by 40 percent over the next decade. Plastic is
so durable that the EPA reports that every single piece of plastic still exists. All five of the Earth’s major ocean gyres
are inundated with plastic pollution. The largest one is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The great Pacific Garbage
Patch is a gyre of plastic in the north central Pacific Ocean.
Fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic every year. This causes intestinal injury and
death. Sea turtles mistake floating plastic garbage for food. Hundreds of thousands of seabirds ingest plastic every
year. Plastic ingestion reduces the storage volume of the stomach, causing starvation. Marine mammals ingest and get
tangled up in plastic. Large amounts of plastic debris have been found in the habitat of the Hawaiian Monk seal.

MLA Work Cited:

Ocean plastics pollution. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2021, from
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/#:~:text=And%20every%20year%2C
%20billions%20of,sheets%20to%20the%20sea%20floor.&text=This%20means%20more%20toxic
%20air%20pollution%20and%20plastic%20in%20our%20oceans

This is a reputable and reliable article because the center for biological diversity is a very well-known group. They
also have done many studies proving their statements.