Social Studies - Plastic Pollution/Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Social Studies

This term in Social studies our unit topic is based around the environment. So far we have learnt and explored about Plastic Pollution and Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Plastic are everywhere, in our home, school, work, playground, parks, and beaches. It is such a popular material because it is flexible, lightweight, moisture resistant, and inexpensive. Even if plastics are found deep inland, they eventually find their way to the sea or ocean through rivers and streams. The global consumption of plastic was 260 million tons in 2008. It is estimated to reach 297.5 million tons by 2015.

Bio-degradation is the natural break-down of organic substances. For example, dead plants and animals eventually decay. Plastic does not bio-degrade. Nature does not know how to break down plastic because of what plastic is made of.

Photo-degradation is the break-up of materials by the sun. When something is photo-degraded, it does not change its composition the way it does if it were bio-degraded. The only thing that changes is its size. Plastic can photo-degrade. In large periods of time, plastics break down into very small pieces of plastic that float around.

Landfill

In many developed nations, such as New Zealand, the final destination for the majority of our waste is the landfill, where it is typically crushed and buried. Landfill waste generated in New Zealand has steadily increased in recent years. We do not know exactly how much and what is in our landfill waste, as reporting is only required from 45 of the 426 facilities currently operating under a resource consent. These 45 facilities account for over 3.3 million tonnes of waste in the year ending 30 June 2016. Plastic represents approximately 12% of landfill waste as estimated by regional council surveys conducted between 2011 and 2017.

Plastic debris in the environment

Factors that can affect loss of

plastics to the environment include waste collection and management infrastructure; population density; regulations that apply to commercial and industrial sectors using plastics; import and export policies; and the social practices, priorities and values of the population. These in turn may depend on a variety of factors including national, regional and global policies and legislation, as well as the financial, human, and technical capital of the country. The lightweight and durable properties that make plastics so useful also means that plastics discarded into the environment are persistent, highly-mobile pollutants that are easily transported around the globe. Wind patterns and oceans currents can result in floating plastic debris travelling thousands of kilometres, where they may accumulate in areas far from their source. Researchers have detected plastic pieces in almost every imaginable place on Earth including air, soil, mountaintops, shoreline, freshwater, estuarine and marine environments. These extend to the deepest parts of the ocean, water surrounding Antarctica and frozen into Arctic sea ice.

How plastic affect human and animal health, and the environment

The majority of plastics produced

are still in existence in some shape or form and it is only in the past 15 years that researchers have begun to understand that complexity and scale of this issue. For example, plastics lost to the environment can have ecological effects by changing soil structure and affecting the microbes and plant life growing there. Plastic pollution may damage habitats, reduce biodiversity, and pose a threat to health and welfare. This threat will continue, and worsen, if the input of plastics into the environment continues to increase. the impacts on seabirds and marine animals are best understood. Many of the species affected are already rare and endangered, including some of New Zealand's marine birds and mammals. For Maori, understanding and connecting with the natural environment is integral to identity, whakapapa and culture. Plastic waste and debris can affect the mauri, or the life force, of the environment, which can therefore affect cultural heath and well being. Customary harvesting practices that may involve higher levels of consumption of raw fish, shellfish, and whole fish also give greater exposure to potential health risks. These factors, and the depth of cultural connection with the natural environment, mean that Maori will experience a disproportionate burden of of risk from plastic waste in Aotearoa New Zealand.

How can we reduce plastic pollution?

Policy makers, organisations, manufacturers and consumers can take action to improve the management of plastic waste and reduce the effects on the environment. Social attitudes, to plastics are evolving, with a gradual switch to practices that reduce plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is now not just seen as a nuisance or an eyesore, but a problem that causes extensive harm to our environment and poses potential risks to human health. Waste plastics that are not reused and recycled also represents a wasted resource from loss of material in the economy.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Far out in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean,

there are waters where few ever cross. It is called the North Pacific Gyre. It is filled with an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of garbage. This littered stretch of ocean is called The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It's made up of debris, or garbage, such as old fishing gear, bottle caps, and plastic bottles. In the late 1980's, Alaskan researchers found relatively high amounts of marine debris in certain areas of the ocean. These areas are known as gyres. A gyre is formed when water currents move around in a kind of clockwise motion. The current catches and holds floating pieces of garbage. The Garbage Patch is estimated to be double the size of Texas. Most of this garbage comes from the Pacific Rim. This includes Asia and North and South America. The garbage gets funneled into this central location. Over time, the garbage breaks down due to the wind, rain, and waves.

Cleaning Up Concerns

Cleaning up this mess is not easy. Large plastics may be easy to clean up. However, microplastics make the task a bit more complicated. Many of these tiny particles are the same size as small sea animals. Nets that could be used to scoop up the garbage would also scoop up these tiny creatures. The sea creatures are essential to the ocean's food web. Getting rid of them could put the entire ecosystem at risk. The cost is another problem. Due to the size and location, no nation will take the responsibility or pay the massive expense of cleaning it.

Taking Action

What can we do to help? We can help by preventing more garbage from getting into our waterways. The most obvious way is not littering. Never throw trash out of boats or alongside roadways. Rain and wind can carry this debris into our drains and out into our waters. Another way we can help is by eliminating the use of plastic or recycling. Plastic is not biodegradable which means that they never completely break down over time. There are reusable and biodegradable materials that can be used instead, such as reusable straws and cups. Some cities are even banning the use of plastic straws for this reason. Finally, we can do our part by educating the people around us. Remind others to always throw away trash in the proper bins and to recycle used plastics. Taking care of our planet is important. Prevention is the first step towards a cleaner, more beautiful Earth.