The oceans are arguably the most important ecosystem on our planet. They clean the air, contain a majority of wildlife, and feed millions of people. We are destroying our planet by polluting the ocean, we are destroying our own livelihood. Whenever we pollute the ocean, we are killing everyone, whether they contribute to it or not. Polluting the ocean is bad because it puts can put people out of work, will eventually kill every living thing, and kills wildlife.
While polluting the ocean is cost-effective for big businesses, it’s not worth the ease at all. What good is money if you’re dead? Drilling can do devastating, irreversible damage to the marine ecosystem. The United States has regulations on pollution from businesses, so not every business can just dump their waste into the ocean. But in areas in Asia, they don’t have regulations, so they will just dump all their waste into a river. Indonesia Citarum River has been called the most polluted river in the world. To really solve the problem worldwide pollution problem, we need to regulate and enforce alternatives to dumping in bodies of water.
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The ocean produces around 70% of the oxygen that we breathe. The ocean is very important, it also provides a food source for a majority of coastal civilizations. But its pollution has been not only affecting aquatic life, but it’s affecting human life as well. The fish we eat consume the trash that we dump into the ocean, just making a disgusting full-circle loop back into our bellies. Pollution of water can lead to different problems in the human body if consumed, such as hormonal problems, reproductive problems, nervous system damage, and kidney damage. Bacteria in metals can be eaten by plankton, making their way up the food chain until it reaches us. Heavy metals and toxins in the water are known, if consumed, to cause mental retardation, especially if consumed at a young age. They can also cause Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer's disease, and/or heart disease. Some people may think that polluting the ocean doesn’t affect us at all, but obviously, it affects someone in one way or another, whether it be now or later, it has to be reduced soon, or else these symptoms will be more common, making a less productive society. 250 million clinical cases of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease are caused annually by bathing in contaminated waters. Eating infected shellfish causes 50,000 to 100,000 deaths a year.
6.5 million tons of litter into the world’s oceans each year. 50% of it is plastic that will drift for hundreds of years before it degrades. More than 50% of packaged goods and bulk cargoes transported by sea today can be regarded as dangerous or hazardous from a safety standpoint or harmful to the environment according to the criteria set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The global economic cost related to pollution of coastal waters is 16 billion dollars annually, most of which is human health related. With all this being said, not only would it be cost-effective to an extent to get rid of your trash in a correct way, but people would be better off, not being unhealthy from bathing, drinking, or consumption. What’s more ethical than doing something for the greater good of the world? If you have that kind of power to stop pollution on a mass scale, you’d owe it to the world.
In the future, our population will be much higher, meaning that we will create even more trash that has the potential to be littered into the ocean. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than there are fish. No one in today’s world is setting global rules, and to my knowledge, trying to enforce them globally. It’s awesome to think about, but no one is taking the time to bother with an acceptable global ruleset/ criteria for oceanic pollution. Apparently, in today’s world, over 60% of plastic waste comes from only five countries: China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In conclusion, ocean pollution is bad for the environment and the people in the world. Everyone would be better off without it and by cutting off the corporate greed that humans created for themselves, everyone would thrive. It’s time to get back to the basics of life everyone! #savetheturtles!
Works Cited
- “Blog.” How Ocean Pollution Affects Humans - Planet Aid, Inc., www.planetaid.org/blog/how-ocean-pollution-affects-humans.
- Denchak, Melissa. “Ocean Pollution: The Dirty Facts.” NRDC, 6 June 2019, www.nrdc.org/stories/ocean-pollution-dirty-facts.
- Leung, Hannah. “Five Asian Countries Dump More Plastic Into Oceans Than Anyone Else Combined: How You Can Help.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 22 Apr. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/hannahleung/2018/04/21/five-Asian-countries-dump-more-plastic-than-anyone-else-combined-how-you-can-help/#74f5fbc81234.
- “Ocean Pollution.” Ocean Pollution | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts-education-resources/ocean-pollution.
- “Plastic Oceans.” Future Agenda, www.futureagenda.org/insight/plastic-oceans.
- “Pollution - Facts and Figures.” World Ocean Network, www.worldoceannetwork.org/won-part-6/carem-wod-2014-4/thematic-resources-pollution/facts-figures-pollution/.
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