Plastic s Toll On The Deteriorating Earth - 1720 Words

Zvonimir Jarak Ms. Thayler Research paper May 26th, 2016 Plastic’s Toll on the Deteriorating Earth Everyday people visit grocery stores where the majority of products sold are liquids wrapped in plastic. The top sold item in supermarkets today is water. Many people believe that drinking bottled water in grocery stores is safer than drinking tap water, and as a result, plastic is damaging our animal life and oceans. These plastic bottles are often stored in open face refrigerators, freezers and non refrigerated aisles. Unfortunately plastic, after manufactured with coal, is simply used once then thrown away. It is within our reach to educate the general public on more viable resources for obtaining drinking water rather than encourage†¦show more content†¦This very action traps lots of debris in the center. The debris stays in this garbage patch for not just months in the ocean but lingers for years. Seasonally when weather patterns change, big chunks of the garbage patch will detach from the center and go onto the coast line, which can cover a range of up to Oregon and California. We tend to see lots of debris come out to the coast in the fall and winter due to a pattern shift in weather and surface water movement moves toward coast. There tends to be less debris in the spring and fall because the water heads in the opposite direction. Just like with birds, there is a seasonal pattern of debris. In addition, some environmentalists strongly believe that there might be different types of debris coming during the different times of the year. Due to the larger amounts of debris coming to the coast in the fall and winter, communities should advertise coastal clean ups to avoid plastic from interfering with the ocean’s animal life. Where exactly is this debris coming from? Most debris falls off of boats, is swept out of rivers and usually from the land. It s not where the debris comes from that is the main issue but how long the debris lasts sitting in the ocean. There have been pieces of debris that are currently being found from Japanese fishing boats that have not been used in years. Not only