The Ocean Pollution Problem
Turtles and Ocean Garbage Patches
Imagine walking on a beach and coming across a dead turtle chocked on plastic debris. For some reason, turtles have a high affinity for plastics; call it a case of deadly attraction. Marine biologists claim that turtle’s poor eyesight does not distinguish between plastics and jellyfish, its favorite one-course meal on the menu. Unluckily there are no ophthalmologists to correct the poor eyesight and no death penalties for turtle killers; otherwise, we would all be on death row.
Sadly, such cases have become commonplace and will increase in the coming years as the plastic waste deposited in world oceans doubles. The Pacific Ocean is littered by extensive plastic islands and garbage patches stretching hundreds of kilometers. The North Pacific Gyre has nearly four million tons of plastics covering an area equivalent to Texas. The North Pacific Gyre is just one among many gyres.
Marine Ecosystems and Environmental Skepticism
The dead turtles on the beaches epitomize the threats facing all marine species — sharks, seals, whales, and other species are equally affected by ocean pollution. Environmentalists are concerned that plastic ocean waste would decimate endangered species due to the loss of biodiversity. The risk is most pronounced in the US, where 350 billion tons of plastics are generated each year; this represents about 30% of the global plastic volume.
Even though the US leads in plastic production, it has rolled back measures to protect the environment; this is clear from Trump’s administration decision to roll back EPA environmental protection regulations and opt-out of the Paris Agreement.
Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence, the current US establishment is yet to acknowledge the link between ocean pollution, climate change, and anthropogenic pollutants. The fight against ocean pollution and the accumulation of plastic waste in oceans may be lost due to institutional barriers, politics, and growing climate change skepticism.
Oil Spills, Dolphins and Pelicans
Plastic waste debris accumulation in oceans is a microcosm of the threats facing global oceans adjacent to industrialized countries. Global oceans have become grounds for the disposal of raw sewerage, farming effluents, fertilizers, oil spills, and industrial chemicals, which trigger harmful algae blooms, eutrophication zones leading to the death of marine species.
BP’s 2010 deepwater horizon spill was categorized as the worst ocean oil spill and environmental disaster in US history. The accident contaminated 176,100 km2 in the Gulf of Mexico and led to 11 BP employees’ death. Even though BP reached a $7.8 billion financial settlement with the US government, the long-term damage is immeasurable.
Scientists have recorded a drastic reduction in marine species’ fertility and reproduction within the contaminated bio-diverse Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. The reproduction rate of bottle-nose dolphins in the contaminated areas reduced from 83% to 20% within the Barataria Bay. Mortality, lung, and heart complications have been documented in other species.
Since the noble vision that defined the Paris Agreement has been hijacked by partisan political interests. A new global commons approach is vital to the protection of ocean environments from pollution. Until a new consensus is reached, we all need to act responsibly.
