Why the weight of plastic in our oceans weighs heavily on humanity

An article by Uldouz Kharazi for RadPlant Industries. - May 15 2024

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Imagine diving into the deep abyss of the infinite ocean, feeling the motion of

water waves slightly slapping against your face and faintly pressing against your

ears. Hold your breath if you please, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the most

astonishing realm of the Earth: the Carrabin blue palace, reflecting the most

amazing natural masterpiece: The Ocean: the cradle of primary forms of life and

the chief nest for millions of beats. I can promise this journey would provide you

with one of the most exhilarating experiences, making you admire all these

majestic sceneries, and wanting to grasp and retain all these unforgettable

memories in your mind. We are about to step into a world of wonders and

eccentricities you would never get the opportunity to perceive on land: the

astounding and mesmerizing carol reefs swaying with water stream, the algae

showing off their delicate, long, and slender strands twisting and winding around,

and even numerous schools of a variety of fish in pursuit of their destination. In

addition, you would notice a broad range of all blue and green shades, merging and

creating the most beautiful and appealing natural canvas, and the dancing

reflection of sunlight above your head, trying to penetrate through the surface to

find its way into the deepest, dingiest, murkiest, and yet undiscovered territories of

the ocean.

However, after an imaginary visit to the ocean, an important question might come

up: will all these fantastic sceneries and creatures last forever? An ample quantity

of scientific and technical approaches, international news, documentary shows, and

systematic articles vindicate that the oceans are in danger. To be more specific, the

advent of this peculiar era of modernization, characterized by rapidly developing

civilizations accompanied by a tremendous effort to appropriately respond to the

elevated demands of this rapidly growing population, has introduced noticeable

changes in our lives. For instance, a wide variety of human activities, such as the

release of toxic materials into rivers and streams, the elevated concentration of

pollutants in the atmosphere, the utilization of fossil fuels, or the establishment of

wells to extract oil and gas, have created adverse ramifications. Particularly,

through altering seasonal temperatures, disrupting annual precipitation, introducing

global warming and climate change, thawing colossal glacial, as well as moving

and pulverizing ocean floor, all these activities have directly or indirectly

interfered with the marine ecology of oceans. This has led to the demise of

thousands if not millions, of creatures and putting a large number of them on the

verge of extinction. In addition, other humankind actions such as overfishing,

bycatch, and the illegal capture and trade of marine animals have had the same

devastating effects since they can directly reduce the population density.

Alluring in appearance, appearing in all shades of bright colors, and coming in a

broad range of fancy shapes, plastic products have a wide variety of consumption

in our daily lives. However, among all human activities, littering the ocean with

plastic debris produces an incomparably perilous situation. Some of the most

commonly used products include liquid and food packages, containers, vessels,

straws, and ropes. In addition, having been synthesized from non-biodegradable

materials (such as nylon, polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene), these goods

have a high resistance to degradation and therefore, are more likely to remain in

the aquatic environment. Once these objects have been compiled, they may cause

entanglement in marine beasts or enter their gastric system, leading to suffocation

and finally, painful death.

Apparently, plastic is considered the main culprit for threatening the health of

oceans and marine dwellers. Having introduced a grave peril to the oceans, this

catastrophic condition seems to be long-lasting and challenging to reverse.

Unfortunately, if this situation persists, all the fantastic oceanic creations will

vanish and instead, a grotesque, harsh-looking body of water might emerge. This

brings us to another, equally important question: should we stand aside and witness

the demise of these wonders? Alternatively, should we take immediate action to

put a halt to this disaster? All these aforementioned ramifications mandate every

single individual to take care of them with high precaution and great effort,

requiring us to think of approaches to overcome these obstacles or at least, mitigate

their influence. For instance, one of the most cost-effective approaches is to

purchase environmentally friendly merchants, which are biodegradable and are

thus easily broken down in nature. Furthermore, using refillable containers or

purchasing items in bulk are considered useful methods. However, a more

sustainable approach is reusing our properties by them fixed. It is not only

economical but also helps take a small but effective step towards ocean survival. In

addition, there is no need to worry about keeping pace with fashion, since there is

no need to worry: vintage style is always on a trend. Therefore, before procuring

the items you require, just take a pause and start thinking: do I require obtaining

this item? Alternatively: Is it worth endangering the ocean?

References:

1. https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/marine-rope-

could-contribute-billions-of-microplastics-to-the-oceans-353930

2. https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/marine-plastic-

pollution#:~:text=Impacts%20on%20marine%20ecosystems,stomachs%20beco

me%20filled%20with%20plastic.

3. https://environment.co/ocean-plastic-products/

4. https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/the-lifecycle-of-

plastics#:~:text=Plastic%20straws%20can%20take%20up,the%20age%2Dold%

20sipping%20technique

5. https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-2018/articles/a-

small-straw-s-big-environmental-impact

6. https://www.marineconservation.org.au/10-of-the-most-dangerous-plastic-

products-polluting-our-oceans/

7. https://www.fairplanet.org/story/the-top-10-items-that-are-polluting-our-

oceans/

8. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution

9. https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution

10. https://www.nps.gov/articles/straw-

free.htm#:~:text=Milo%20Cress%20founded%20the%20Be,million%20drinkin

g%20straws%20every%20day.

11. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/plastic-waste-packaging

12. https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/ocean-

warming/?intent=121#:~:text=Key%20Takeaway%3A,shown%20in%20the%2

0upper%20chart.

13. https://www.clientearth.org/what-we-do/why-we-

fight/climate/#:~:text=An%20increase%20in%20average%20global,for%20mill

ions%20of%20people%20worldwide.

14. https://ocean-climate.org/en/awareness/an-ocean-under-pressure/