Make Our Oceans Safer

Make Our Oceans Safer

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Abstract

Before the advent of the 21st century, humans were not familiar about the disruptions existing beneath the surface of water to a significant extent. Strict regulations were in place to keep the environment clean and refraining from polluting it. People deemed it a sacred aspect as they honored the existence of sea animals dwelling underneath the water as eatable seafood and fish. In the contemporary century, pollution has become pervasive as toxic waste, dumping garbage, trash and pills in the water have also accelerated. The water human drink is contaminated and casts grave impacts on the health of living beings. As per Chris WoodFord, “We know that pollution is a human problem because it is a relatedly recent development in the planet's history before the 19th century industrial revolution, people lived more in harmony with their immediate environment. As industrialization has spread around the globe, the problem of population was much smaller, no one believes pollution would ever present a serious problem. It was once a popularly believed that the oceans were far too big to pollute. Today, with around 7 billion people on the planet, it had become apparent that there is limits pollution is one sign that humans have exceeded those limits ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"yb8hoD5O","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Water pollution,\\uc0\\u8221{} n.d.)","plainCitation":"(“Water pollution,” n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1652,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/338KUQIQ"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/338KUQIQ"],"itemData":{"id":1652,"type":"webpage","title":"Water pollution: An introduction to causes, effects, solutions","container-title":"Explain that Stuff","abstract":"Information about the types, causes, and effects of water pollution and what we can do to solve the problem.","URL":"http://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html","shortTitle":"Water pollution","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,19]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Water pollution,” n.d.).” It is essential to combat the menace of water pollution and save human and marine life by minimizing the dump, reducing usage of plastic and promulgating stringent regulations pertinent to oil spill.

Makes Our Oceans Safer

Introduction

In essence, more than one thirds of the surface of the earth is covered by water. With the explosion in the population bomb, people are consuming the available resources at an accelerated and vigorous rate. The menace of water pollution is casting adverse impact on the living beings which is manifested in the polluted and toxic waste. It is significant to highlight the actions of human beings which harm the sea life as flying trash, dumping garbage on the beach and spilling oil. As per a study published by Ted Henry, plastic is causing detrimental consequences and the amount of plastic in the oceans has reached an alarming level ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"LxN6GALA","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}How does oil impact marine life?,\\uc0\\u8221{} n.d.)","plainCitation":"(“How does oil impact marine life?,” n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1654,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/N4YUJ9GE"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/N4YUJ9GE"],"itemData":{"id":1654,"type":"webpage","title":"How does oil impact marine life?","URL":"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oilimpacts.html","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,19]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“How does oil impact marine life?,” n.d.). A rubbish heap has been made them in the Pacific Ocean that is postulated to equal the size of France. Spilling oil is the other prominent adversity contributing toward polluting and poisoning the water as a wide range of birds and aqua creatures drink the poisonous water and can harm themselves. To address these perils, it is imperative to educate the population through mass awareness and urge them to regulate living standards equipped with strict recycling methods, mitigating spilling oil and eradicating the plastic debris in the oceans.

Factors Contributing to Unsafe Ocean

The unsafe and careless practices of dumping garbage are the preeminent sources making the oceans unsafe and these practices are essentially accelerating with the surge in industrialization and massive increase in population. In streets and public places, plastic, garbage and waste can be observed flying as if humans are utterly unaware of the adverse ramifications of overlooking the threatening peril. The aquatic life is vulnerable and several images and instances offer an explicit illustration of the adversity where fish and birds have ben entangled in plastic. As per the scientific studies of the National Climatic Data Center (NOAA), “Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur- bearing mammals, such as severe otters, and water repellency of a bird’s feather, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh events. Many birds and animals also ingest oil when they try to clean themselves, which can be poison them ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"sHtxx8yl","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Plastics in oceans are mounting, but evidence on harm is surprisingly weak | The Independent,\\uc0\\u8221{} n.d.)","plainCitation":"(“Plastics in oceans are mounting, but evidence on harm is surprisingly weak | The Independent,” n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1657,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/HVJQEMBG"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/HVJQEMBG"],"itemData":{"id":1657,"type":"webpage","title":"Plastics in oceans are mounting, but evidence on harm is surprisingly weak | The Independent","URL":"https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/plastic-oceans-pollution-microplastics-evidence-harm-recycling-dumping-waste-a8275416.html","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,19]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Plastics in oceans are mounting, but evidence on harm is surprisingly weak | The Independent,” n.d.).”

In addition, the huge black oil slicks and accidents represent a modicum fraction of the pollution affecting the oceans. The tanker spills are also not the dominant contributors as the oil entering the oceans from tanker accidents constitute only 12 percent of the oil entering the oceans. Primarily, over 70% of the oil pollution in seas are a manifestation of the oil poured down drains on land and routine shipping. The tanker spills wreak havoc when they release a sheer quality of oil at once. For instance, the biggest oil spill occurred in Alaska in 1989 where the tanker Exxon Valdez broke up. Approximately 12 million gallons of oil was spilled into the pristine wilderness. The reports concluded that marine life was desecrated as 220.000 sea birds and 2000 sea otters were killed because of the poisonous water ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"ordyiByr","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Plastic Pollution - Our World in Data,\\uc0\\u8221{} n.d.)","plainCitation":"(“Plastic Pollution - Our World in Data,” n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1662,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/ZWESEUE3"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/ZWESEUE3"],"itemData":{"id":1662,"type":"webpage","title":"Plastic Pollution - Our World in Data","URL":"https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,19]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Plastic Pollution - Our World in Data,” n.d.). In addition, humungous amount of herring eggs and salmons were also destroyed which account to billions.

Irrefutably, plastic has assumed an integral and significant role in the life of human beings and further the most common substance which washes up the waves. Three fundamental objectives contribute toward adversely affecting the marine life: it is light and floats to travels enormous amount of distance in oceans, several plastic are non-biodegradable and thus can survive in the marine space for significant time and it is utilized in making a wide range of manufactured object from automobile parts to clothing. As per an estimate, a plastic bottle is capable of surviving 460 years in oceans and plastic fishing line can last up to 550 years. A critical appraisal of the matter reflects they are not poisonous as toxic chemicals but they are a major threat to fish, seabirds and pertinent marine species.

Treatment

To save the planet earth, it is imperative to put efforts and halt radical activities as dumping waste and plastic on beaches and spilling oil. Launching mass awareness programs through potential campaign in communities and media can prove to an instrumental role to prevent people from contributing toward the polluting oceans. In addition to being an obligation, it is the moral and ethical duty of the human beings to refrain from leaving garbage and throwing sharp objects at beaches to preserve the aquatic life in true letter and spirits. Moreover, the regulation of polluter pays principle ought to be promulgated. It states the person causing pollution must pay for it to clean it up and polluter pays can be operated in diverse ways. For instance, the tanker owners will be obliged to seek insurance which addresses the worth of spill cleanup. In essence, an integrated and collaborated efforts of all the stake holders is necessary to put a halt on the alarming rise in water pollution and consequent threat to human beings and aquatic life.

Conclusion

Human beings can either live with dead rivers, sewage-strewn beaches and fish which are too poisonous to be eaten. The other plausible option is striving together to minimize the waste, plastic and oil spill to preserve the environment and keep both the aquatic and human life strengthened and healthy. The onus, irrefutably, relies on public and policy makers to promulgate stringent regulations, subject the perpetuators to heavy fine and combating the menace of water pollution thoroughly. Water is the essential element which lies at the very heart of regulating the operations and survival of human life. Therefore, critical regulations and profound policies ought to be dictated to rejuvenate the spirits of a healthy environment, preserving marine life and eradicating the pollutants as plastic from everyday life.

References

Water pollution: An introduction to causes, effects, solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2019, from Explain that Stuff website: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html

How does oil impact marine life? (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2019, from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oilimpacts.html

Plastics in oceans are mounting, but evidence on harm is surprisingly weak | The Independent. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2019, from https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/plastic-oceans-pollution-microplastics-evidence-harm-recycling-dumping-waste-a8275416.html

Plastic Pollution - Our World in Data. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2019, from https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution