‘The goal of this essay is to examine a business, organization, or government agency that positively impacts the environment through advocacy, protection, or sustainable practices.
Choose ONE of the topics below
A local or state business or organization that promotes or educates on sustainable practices
An organization that lobbies for sustainability or conservation to government entities
A local or state organization or government agency whose mission is to protect ecosystems or restore habitats.
Find ONE business, organization, or government agency to research further.
To help your audience understand the purpose of the mission of the business, organization, or government agency, you must also conduct research on the issues being addressed.
Further research considerations
Identify environmental challenges such as water, pollution, garbage, energy, etc
Discuss ways the environment has been adversely impacted that require legislative action
Studies on drastic environmental changes that require habitat protection
Defend reasons why sustainability education is important
Examine a place or region that was in environmental decline
Essay 2 Draft
The topic that I have selected to conduct this study is ocean pollution and the urgent need to protect it. Over 90% of the livable space on the planet is contained in water, which covers 71 percent of its surface. It weighs more than 1.3 billion tonnes and has a volume of about 300 million cubic miles. Arthur C. Clarke, a physicist, and author, initially argued that naming the planet Earth was inaccurate because it is unquestionably an ocean (Associated Press). The need to clean up our seas is critical as “ocean pollution” spirals out of control. In modern time, one of the main bodies that has been trying to keep up with the requirements is the Ocean Conservancy, which has its headquarters in Washington, DC.
Today, we deal every day with the critical problem of “ocean pollution.” We have been working for years to stop the discharge of chemicals, trash, and hazardous waste into our oceans, but people in power are always coming up with ways to get around the rules and regulations we have set in place. Why should we be made to live close to a body of water if we will soon be unable to even fish or swim in it? There are several doable solutions to the “ocean pollution” problem. We are accountable for eliminating the “ocean pollution” we have caused. Since we represent the future, we need to be looking for methods to halt it. Our ecosystem and way of life will be severely impacted if we continue to pollute the ocean. For instance, our community largely relies on the water as a significant food supply and a big lure owing to its closeness to the beach. What if pollution had eliminated them both? Do you think a place like this, beside the lake, would be lucrative year-round? There wouldn’t be an issue if only one beach town existed, but there are others.
Many communities depend on the ocean for their livelihood all across the world, not just in our nation. The phrase “ocean pollution” is used to describe how human waste pollutes the ocean. The National Research Council estimates that up to 8.8 million tonnes of oil enter the ocean annually as a result of human activity. A different assertion is that there are constantly 280,000 tonnes of tar balls in the water. Fishing nets, trash, cargo ship debris, and beach litter are just a few examples of garbage that finds its way into the ocean and coastal waters.
It catches, ensnares, and entangles a variety of aquatic animals here, including seagulls, sea turtles, and other marine mammals. In defiance of the “National Academy of Sciences” estimate that more than 14 billion pounds of rubbish enter the ocean annually from sea-based sources alone, a cleanup effort on the Texas coast turned up 15,600 six-pack rings across 1.8 miles of beach (Associated Press). There are 21,000 plastic pellets per square mile on the Pacific’s surface. According to estimates from the 1980s, marine debris- typically lost or abandoned fishing gear- killed 30,000 northern fur seals every year.
Mercury, lead, and other heavy metals, as well as organochlorine substances like PCBs and DDT, have all been linked to a range of negative effects on marine animals. In October, a hazardous type of “ocean pollution” might start to make its way to the New Jersey coast. Sandy Hook, New Jersey, which is adjacent to New York Harbor and has hazardous chemicals, including mercury, is now being dredged by the New York Port Authority. This is what sparked the argument. New York will dump 40 million tonnes of hazardous trash six miles offshore. Degener claimed that just as you were about to jump back into the water, dumping started up again off the coast of New Jersey.
The fates of the water and the land are inextricably intertwined. One of the key factors contributing to the increase in “ocean pollution” is the expanding population near our coastlines. More trash is being dumped along our beaches as more people choose to live there, which contributes to an increase in “ocean pollution” and other types of pollution (Ocean Conservancy). Living near the water causes us to interfere with the area’s natural ecology, and when it rains or storms, our waste and pollutants from our homes, boats, and cedars wash into the sea.
Another contributing factor to “ocean pollution” is the thinning of the ozone layer. Our businesses, autos, and power plants emit CO into the atmosphere, weakening the ozone layer. Mulvaney claims that the “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” (IPCC), a 300-member worldwide scientific organization, has established that global warming has the potential to significantly affect the biological diversity in ocean and coastal areas (Associated Press). A species’ distribution, population size, and rate of extinction may all be impacted. The species’ geographic range of habitats and ecosystems will also be affected.
Several organizations are working to combat “ocean pollution.” The EPA, Green Peace, the WWF, and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) are a few of them (Environmental Protection Agency). All of these groups have urged the government to act to stop “ocean pollution.” Numerous “ocean pollution” accords have been established in the past, but polluters have always found a method to circumvent them. The Law of the Sea Treaty turned ten at the end of the previous year, but there was little reason to celebrate. Only 52 of the required 60 nations have ratified the agreement as of the start date. On paper, it is still just a concept.
There are several excellent options that may be used in place of “ocean pollution.” Again, if we as a species are at fault for the pollution in our waters, we must clean it up. Due to the scale, extent, complexity, and diversity of the issues the marine environment confronts, addressing threats to it often requires a number of different solutions. Many environmentalists concentrate on arguing for legislation to regulate these activities since they impact the ocean on a global scale. If necessary, they want it to be outlawed by international agreements.
Mulvaney claims that in addition to “ocean pollution,” problems with the overproduction of waste, the disposal of oil and gas, and the underutilization of minerals must also be addressed. The necessary study must be done to address the “ocean pollution” issue. We must think about our goals and what we can do to stop it- or at the very least, slow it down (Ocean Conservancy). Even though some coastal countries refuse to sign the treaty, we continue. We need to apply a lot of pressure to get our argument through.
According to a few studies, recent investigations have revealed that “ocean pollution” is being overestimated. In addition to four organic compounds, including DDT, chlordane, and PCBs, NOAA found seven trace metals, including chromium, mercury, and lead. Is the “ocean pollution” problem now settled? No, it just means that pollution levels have typically fallen since we strengthened control over it. This demonstrates that our message is being received clearly, and we must maintain our pressure. Our issue might eventually be solved if the pollution in our oceans keeps going down.
Already, the ocean is being sanitized. Many scientists have found methods to clean up “ocean pollution” that are quicker and simpler. Even common people are helping with the cleaning. the elderly, environmentalists, international students, and other regular people who care about our ocean enough to take action. It needs to be well known how serious of a problem the growing ocean pollution is. It is unlikely that any questions will ultimately have their answers revealed if we raise awareness of our problem among more people.
It will be easier and faster to clean up the water. In order to clean up the oceans, new, sensible regulations on ocean dumping are needed. We must urge scientists to organize cleanups of the ocean and beaches and to look for all-natural ways to cleanse the water. Overall, “ocean pollution” is a significant problem for us, even if you weren’t aware of it previously (Ocean Conservancy). We have gone over the data, examined the problems, and considered the solutions. Just start letting people know about the ways we can stop it. More people will be aware of “ocean pollution” if we raise everyone’s awareness of it. Because we have a right to a clean planet and ocean, we should resolve this conflict.
Works Cited
Associated Press. “Ocean and Algae Pollution”. Orlando Sentinel, https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/environment/os-ne-orlando-lakes-algae-pollution-alum-20220429-4mfx73ixljfodgx6qwfkhnhqce-story.html. Accessed on 6the December 2022.
Associated Press. “Plastic Pollution in Oceans on Track to Rise for Decades.” U.S. News, www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2022-02-08/plastic-pollution-in-oceans-on-track-to-rise-for-decades. Accessed 6 December 2022.
Ocean Conservancy, Home, https://oceanconservancy.org/ Accessed on 6 December, 2022
