Ocean Pollution and Plastic: Assignment
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Added on 2019-10-18
Ocean Pollution and Plastic: Assignment
Added on 2019-10-18
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CLASS EXERCISE ENVS 7711Ocean pollution and plastic[Type the author name]
Overview of the problemAmong the different ways, the human has polluted the planet and the affected the environmentthe disposing of plastic has been considered one of the most immediate and present threat. It hasbeen common for us to notice headlines in the newspapers like the “plastics threatening ocean”,“plastic affecting ocean life” or some other version of the same statement, which is some cases,are more specific. It true in almost every part of the world and often seen by us first hand whenwe visit the beaches informs of mountains of plastic waste wraps collected from the beach or anever existent crust of plastic covering the water edge that is an ugly blemish on the naturalbeauty. What we usually see is the least harmful portion of the issue as there are continent-sized plasticgyres that are floating on the ocean and scrap plastic that is present throughout the ocean. Theplastic polluting the ocean is not limited to the visual aspect but the plastic being non-biodegradable is an ever-present factor that is being accumulated in the ocean and affecting theocean life. however not one nation can be blamed for the threat as the western culture startedusing plastic wraps in the so-called convenience culture might have started the problem, but theother countries were fast to catch up on the use of the packing material that is readily availableand is cheap. The plastic providing not only a convenient and cheap packing solution but also amaterial that is not easily compromised by nature as other primitive forms of packing that wereused before carried a threat of the packaging to be compromised. However, this quality of theplastic is not affected by natural elements is also the biggest drawback form the environmentalperspective as the packaging material forms almost the entirety of the plastic floating through theocean and being deposited on the various beaches. The consumer culture of using throwaway ordisposable containers, bottles and food wrappers are therefore are the source of the issue that ispresent. The current condition of the oceans are threatening for the whole ecosystem as the differentocean animals and fishes are often choked by plastic debris that causes death and affecting thebalance of the ecosystem as due to the food habit some species are more susceptible than theothers. The different forms of plastic that are used throughout the world can take up to 450 yearsto degrade fully but these are the minority as the most of the plastics used and deposited in the
ocean is PET that is not biodegradable at all. However, recyclable plastic, while being a solutionis not full proof as only a third of the PET manufactured is recycled and the rest end up inlandfills and oceans. Therefore, the issue of the plastic deposit in the ocean is a severe one that iscausing millions of deaths of ocean animals in the world and compromising not only theecosystem but also one of the most varied of human food sources. Thus, it is clear that the issueneeds to be resolved and every person should be aware of the disaster one plastic food wrapperdropped on a fishing trip can cause. Exercise This class exercise is geared towards the development of the awareness of the individualsregarding the hazards of plastic deposit in the oceans and the way the throwaway culture affectsthe issue. The students are expected to read the different course materials and other sources onthe issue of the plastic garbage in oceans and develop an understanding of the importance andscale of the issue and its current and potential impact on nature and the human populationindirectly.Estimated durationThe classroom activities in the exercise would be conducted in the standard session of 90minutes but the essential readings and other additional research can take up to a week. To beclear on the purpose of the exercise, the overall scope of the exercise and understanding of one ofthe greatest environmental issues cannot be limited by time, as the different facts are beinguncovered as well as potential solutions every day as the problem escalates. Thus, while theunderstanding developed in the classroom is expected to be used by the students in the daily livesand their consumer culture. Learning objectives Develop research skillsUnderstanding the scope of the issueDiscover the different causes of the plasticaccumulation in the oceans
The extent of the escalation of the issue fromdifferent sourcesDeveloping evaluative skillsthrough evaluation of the problemUnderstand the contributing factors that are thesource of the problemEvaluate the comparative importance of the differentfactors that are causing the escalation of the issueAnalytic skills development Formulate a fact sheet outlining the issue and thescore them based on their contribution to theproblemDevelop practical problem-solving skillsBased on the fact sheet developed in the previousLO the students are expected to form a proposedsolution for each problem that should be from one ofthe following sectors (regulatory legislation,awareness development, bans and restrictions, cleanup efforts)the students are expected to develop animplementation procedure for each solution theypropose in their fact sheetTask 1Answer the following questions from your personal understanding of the issue from the essentialreadings. (Be aware that there are no wrong answers to this questionnaire as your answers maydiffer based on your personal opinion.)1.What, in your opinion, is the most numerous type of 'litter' on the planet?2.What is the most unrecyclable litter in your opinion?3.What item used in daily life do you think causes the most harm to the environment?4.What is the greatest source of plastic pollution affecting the seas? Please explain yourchoice of reference from eligible sources. (newspaper articles, research and generalconsensus)5.Do you think that a ban on plastic would mitigate the issue of plastic pollutioncompletely? Please support your answer with reference from eligible sources.
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