Plastic Brains are the Future

Ocean Fever 

I absolutely love the ocean a little more than the next person. Everyone's stress reliever is sitting and listening to the ocean waves and looking at the beautiful scenery. However, there is a world wide issue that recently has been brought to the attention of the public. This issue includes plastic in the ocean, chemicals going into the ocean and just bad water pollution. We have little to no time left. We have about 5 years from 2020 till we start seeing some of those long term consequences, and they're already starting to occur (Forrest). The nanoplastics floating around are invisible to the naked eye. They're so small they are able to seep right through the pores of our skin and through the blood barrier that protects our brain (Forrest). Yes, we could have toxic, pathogenic nanoplastics invading our most vital organ.

"El Plastico Mata" image by Rasande Tyskar

Chemistry Isn't Always Fun 

We often think about marine pollution being about plastic waste. But did you know not only plastic can pollute our precious oceans? The states bordering the Gulf of Mexico acquire most of America's hefty farms. These farms often use many types of fertilizers that include a multitude of chemicals. These chemicals, including nitrogen and phosphorus, along with sediment from the farms get washed right offshore and into the Gulf.

Wrong Type of Marine Growth 

Not only are these chemicals just polluting our waters, but the nitrogen and phosphorus in the fertilizers promote a specific type of growth. Algal blooms appear as thick, light green paste that floats on top of bodies of water. They are deeply toxic to marine life as well as harmful to humans. Algal blooms are causing fish to evacuate due to a lack of oxygen that they need to survive(Rabalais). As these fish leave they are causing issues in he fishing industries. The Gulf of Mexico brings in he majority of the sea food bought, prepared, and eaten in the U.S. As these alarming algal blooms continue to grow, our economy will suffer the consequences. In a Ted Talk by Nacy Rabalais, "The 'dead zone' of the Gulf of Mexico", she beautifully explained exactly what algal blooms do and how they arise. She mentions why it's hurting us and our environment as well as us.

"Pacific Garbage Patch" image by Atlas Obscura

Floating Issues

We often don't think about that latex balloon we let go on accident. Three hundred thousand balloons were found just along U.S beaches by the Ocean Conservancy's annual International Coastal Cleanup (Shepard). I can't even imagine how many strings are in marine stomachs. There's a unsettling amount of plastic floating in a colossal size island in the Pacific Ocean right off the coast of California. Marine animals are ingesting is plastic thinking its colorful fish. These plastics could end up in our own digestive tracks. This plastic will never go away in our lifetime. People say the older generation as doomed us for global warming. Lets not doom the next generation with water pollution.

Catching Up With Plastic

We can all help contribute to ending this plastic era, including:

• Using reusable water bottles
• Limit all single use plastic such as, plastic grocery bags, plastic sandwich bags, plastic water bottles
• Attending clean ups, here's one in New Hampshire: Blue Ocean Society 
• Influence change in our community 
• Recycle properly 
• Switch to metal straws 

Finding little ways to help out our planet is a huge deal. We can all pitch in to save our oceans and bodies of water. I have started taking action by bringing my Hydroflask everywhere with me, to work, school, or even going out with my friends. We can all start out small and we will make a huge difference. 

How are you going to start your impact? 

-Paige R

Works Cited:

Atlas Obscura. Pacific Garbage Patch. Flickr, 10 May 2011, . Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.

Forrest, Andrew. Videoconference interview. Sept. 2019. https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew
_forrest_a_radical_plan_to_end_plastic_waste#t-647036

National Geographic. "Marine Pollution ." National Geographic ,

National Geographic Society , www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedi /marine-pollution/
. Accessed 21 Nov. 2019.

Rabalais, Nancy. Videoconference interview. Nov. 2017. https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_
rabalais_the_dead_zone_of_the_gulf_of_mexico#t-703456

Shepard, Marshall. "Why the Balloon Tradition Is Terrible for the

Environment ." Forbes, 28 May 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/
2019/05/28/why-the-balloon-release-tradition-is-terrible-for-the-environment/#

68d6267741b6. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.

Blog Citation:

Rousseau, Paige R. "Plastic Brains Are the Future ." Paige's Enviroview,

     blogger.com, pr-enviromentsaves.blogspot.com/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.