G06: Ecosystem Problems & Solutions: Oceans & Plastic Pollution

Marine science graduate student Elizabeth Lopez maneuvered a huge steel claw over the side of a 134-foot sailboat. Carefully, she lowered it through swaying seaweed and schools of fish. She was hoping to catch pieces of something scientists are calling the plastisphere.

You might think that life in the skies would make birds safe from the dangers of plastic. Think again.
The sheer scale of global plastic production means that no species is beyond its reaches, and if we allow things to continue as they are the situation is only going to get worse.

A new study has found that balloons are the highest-risk plastic debris item for seabirds -- 32 times more likely to kill than ingesting hard plastics. Researchers looked at the cause of death of 1733 seabirds from 51 species and found that one in three of the birds had ingested marine debris.

This is an annual estimate of plastic emissions. A country's total does not include the waste that is exported overseas and that may be at higher risk of entering the ocean

What is plastic pollution?
How does it get in the sea?
How much plastic pollution is there?
How long does it last?
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Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming animal and possibly human health. Can it be cleaned up?

This is our main data entry on plastics, with a particular focus on its pollution of the environment.

We worked with McDonald's and Hubbub to provide Bournemouth council with over 90 recommendations to reduce their environmental footprint across the region.

Plastic accumulating in our oceans and on our beaches has become a global crisis. Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences that make up about 40 percent of the world's ocean surfaces. At current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050.

Henderson Island is a tiny, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 3,000 miles from major population centers. Though it is half the size of Manhattan, more than 19 tons of trash litter its white, sandy beaches.

First log into getepic.com as a student with your class code: ecs1182. Then click on this link to get access to the books. The books can only be read during school time unless you have a home subscription.

In September 1987, countries from around the world came together to sign the Montreal Protocol. The goal of the protocol was to reduce the damage being done to the Earth’s ozone layer, which at the time was seen as one of the most pressing dangers facing humanity.

Humanity's dependence on plastic grows stronger with the passing of every year. It is lightweight, flexible, relatively inexpensive, and durable - and it is used in everything from grocery bags to 3D printed rocket nozzles.

Each year, at least 14 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans,1 and the consequences for sealife are tragic, from choking turtles to poisoning whales. Clearly, the main solution is reducing the amount of plastic we use at the source, but people are also turning to technology, lateral thinking and even other species to find the answer to the monstrous behemoth of plastic on planet earth.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is getting greater. Twice the size of Texas, the floating mass is up to 16 times larger than previously thought. According to scientists who performed an aerial survey, it is carrying about 79,000 metric tons of plastic.

The Pacific Ocean is home to a massive collection of floating trash twice the size of Texas called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. How to address this ever-expanding accumulation of trash and debris has long stumped scientists, but a new approach from the non-profit The Ocean Cleanup is showing promising results. During testing, the organization reported that the half-mile installation pulled a whopping 20,000 pounds of plastic from the ocean.