The Great Pacific Garbage Patch and its Impact on Sustainability

Running Head: THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH
THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH
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THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH1
This article talks about “The great Pacific Garbage Patch”, which was first discovered in
the year 1988. According to this article, great Pacific Garbage Patch is a heap of marine debris,
which is the result of constant plastic accumulation. As per the estimation provided by the
article, every year, plastic materials of nearly 2.41 million tonnes are being added to North
Pacific Ocean. This article states that the sources of this plastic material, are rivers or other water
bodies. Researchers have marked the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’, as the biggest of all the
plots marked as plastic accumulation plots (The Ocean Cleanup, 2019).
Identification of the sustainability theme in the article:
For the purpose of identifying the theme of sustainability, first the question related to the
issue of sustainability should be discovered. According to this article, most of the plastic in the
garbage patch is lighter as compared to water. Moreover, they are not decomposable. This is
indicative of the fact that, when the plastics will enter the sea, neither will it sink nor decompose
into the sea water. Rather, it will pile up on the surface of the sea-water and form a ‘plastic
island’. Scientists has also explained that, it is very dangerous and the plastic entered through
rivers lakes and other water-bodies will are reluctant to be degraded into smaller microplastics.
Even if they are transformed into the smaller microplastics, trey will not decompose. Both the
larger plastics aw ell as the smaller microplastics are harmful for aquatic animals. This is because
sometimes the larger aquatic animals attempt to eat plastics which are not degraded into
microplastics. With their attempt to eat indecomposable material they invite their deaths. This is
because, their stomach fails to digest plastic material. Same happens with the smaller aquatic
animals, even when the larger plastics are transformed into smaller micro-plastics. Again, it is
true that, even if larger plastics are turned into smaller microplastic, due to the excessive use of

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plastics, the under-water soil is being filled up with plastics. There arises the question of
sustainability. If initiatives to control the use of plastic is not taken immediately, the day will be
no far when, no aquatic animal will be alive, and there will be no productive soil left on this
earth. Rivers lakes, oceans and soil all will be covered by plastics (The Ocean Cleanup, 2019).
Justification of the sustainability theme:
The issues affecting the environmental sustainability as well as the marine biodiversity
can justify the theme of sustainability. The industrial as well as household wastes mixes with the
river water. Most of the household wastes contains plastic bottles, food packets made of plastics.
Again, plastic wastes are indecomposable. This is the reason, when the plastics will enter the sea,
neither will it sink nor decompose into the sea water. Rather, it will pile up on the surface of the
sea-water and form a ‘plastic island’. Even if large plastics are transformed into smaller
microplastics, due to the sunlight and current of the ocean waves, both the sea surface as well as
under water soil will be filled with plastic only. This will be fatal for the aquatic animal, as they
will die out of indigestion when they will attempt to eat plastic. Moreover, the small bushes,
orchids beneath the water level of the ocean will die due to excessive amount of plastics in the
soil under the sea water the soil in sea shore will also covered by. The plants and trees on the
shore of the sea will also die as the productivity of the soil will be destroyed. Excessive plastic s
in the soil will break the concentration of the soil and soil erosion will be the inevitable
consequence of all these. Not only the aquatic animal as well as marine eco-system will be in its
way to extinction, but, also the plants and trees will disappear gradually; if no step is taken to
prevent the accumulation of plastics. In short, the sustainability theme in the article indicate to