We need to protect the oceans from plastic pollution because it's not only fun and entertaining to visit but it is needed for all life on Earth.
70% of the Earth's surface is covered in ocean. Oceans create weather, push wind, power storms, bring rain and create clouds. Every single living thing that you can think of relies on the ocean such as humans, animals, plants, coral, trees and many, many more. Our oceans can control Earth's temperature and are home to millions of marine life. If we keep polluting the ocean with plastic then all of these wonderful things that it has helped create will be destroyed. This is why we need to protect our outstanding oceans. They are in extraordinary trouble and extreme danger that we can stop.
Plastic pollution is a frightening problem for the world's oceans because it has turned these once pristine environments into huge, ever expanding garbage patches. These floating garbage patches were first found by oceanographer Charles Moore in 1997 and they have continued to grow each year ever since then. There are in fact five giant floating plastic garbage patches across the world's oceans and the largest known is the Great Pacific Garbage patch. The patch is the size of Queensland and stretches for 1.6 million kilometres. That is astounding! It is made up of millions of pieces of plastic from fishing nets, and toothbrushes to bottle tops, drink bottles and plastic bags. With the enormous amount of plastic litter in the garbage patches, marine animals are dying, the ocean is polluted and the quality of the water is threatened. Many creatures like sea turtles and seals become entangled in litter and drown, whilst other animals like fish and seabirds consume the plastic, mistaking it for food.
The time for action is now; the time for change is now. It is the responsibility of all citizens to reduce and eradicate plastic pollution. If we don't, the future of our oceans is one of horror and ruin.
Plastic is a toxic problem for the world's oceans because marine animals are being contaminated by digesting human litter. The sea is polluted with plastic mimicking food. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, filling their stomachs leaving no room for proper food. Algae develops on plastic giving off an enticing scent attracting seabirds and marine animals. Even though algae is on plastic it still has deadly chemicals, which causes illness or death. Seabirds and marine life consume plastic mistaking it for food which causes them to starve and die. This was shown by the shocking death of a whale which had consumed a devastating 80 plastic bags. It is a catastrophe that any marine animal should have plastic presented as food. Imagine having a whole 80+ plastic bags filling your stomach. This terror must end.
Plastic pollution is continuing to expand into an everlasting tragic problem, for not only sea life, but also for us humans. It takes centuries for all plastics to decompose but does not biodegrade. Over the continuing years, plastics still shrink into microplastics and nano plastics. This causes us human beings to consume this awful unwanted plastic in our everyday lives. It is found in every part of the food chain and our waterways, this is not good for us humans to be ingesting.
Plastic pollution is a terrifying problem all over the world because it is covering entire beaches, ruining tourism and destroying natural habitats.
No plastic collection systems and no recycling system causes rubbish to pile up and when that happens, it can blow away into the ocean. Henderson Island is not inhabited by humans and is already estimated to have 37.7 million pieces of plastic trash which is no help to our environment whatsoever. We need to put a stop to this now!
All throughout this text you have read about the wonderful ocean and the devastating trouble it is in because of our human actions. It is awful that marine life are swallowing, being entangled and drowning from plastic waste. It is unfair for all sea creatures that our plastic litter is in their home and that it is making ever expanding garbage patches. We are destroying their home, their life and our future. It is time for change. Time for us humans to take action and make our oceans a wonderful place to be. This needs to happen now or our future and our oceans will be ruined forever.
