Rarely seen, Never Discussed: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Isabella

Rarely seen, Never Discussed: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Isabella - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

20 billion pounds of the world’s plastics are annually disposed of in the ocean, covering about 40% of its surface (Center for Biological Diversity). Carried by water currents and wind combined, these man-made, non-biodegradable materials have accumulated to form the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, spanning from the West Coast of North America to Japan (GPGP). Also known as “the world’s largest landfill” this space is about twice the size of Texas, yet is difficult to view even by helicopter because the plastics disintegrate into microscopic plastic polymers (National Geographic Society). These tiny plastics raise concerns of bio magnification, animal harm, ocean pollution, and human use of plastics. Since the GPGP is so far from any country’s coastline and is difficult to track, no nation is willing to take responsibility or provide funding to clean it up. To create a solution to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, human behaviors must change to reduce use and consumption of plastic and to better address urban runoff/nonpoint waste at the local, national, and international level. It is for this reason that I would give a TedTalk about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, to raise awareness about an often ignored issue that is affecting our oceans.
The issue and search for a solution for the Great Garbage Patch needs to be better shared. It is time for people to understand that their use of plastic can lead to imbalances of sustainability that will affect them.This can be done by holding informational events such as TedTalks, to tell everyone about their impact. The way in which the world thinks about this issue should change from ignorance and minimal care to combined treaties/laws to mandate cleanup and target non-point pollution sources. If our behavior were to not change, the 2.5 billion people who rely on fish for at least 20% of their annual protein would continue to consume heavily concentrated toxins such as PCBs and other dioxins (Kostigen, Thomas M.). From such pollution, there has been a loss of algae and plankton, the bases of the ocean food web, and concentrations of toxic chemical pollutants in fish (Dautel, Susan). With an earth that has globally rising sea levels, unbreathable air, and a soon to be dirty, uninhabitable oceans, it is up to consumers and their governments to act fast. Plastic consciousness should be fostered and enforced to target the source of mass pollution directly.
Rarely seen, never discussed, and often not in one’s mind, it is difficult to harness support from populations for the GPGP. If people do not ask for innovation and demand change, the GPGP will continue to grow and our overuse of plastic will never change. The only way that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will stop growing is if individuals change their behavior. Once society learns about the issue and spreads awareness to change behavior, cleanup and pollution reduction will begin. The mentality of people not affected by an environmental issue whether it be the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, climate change, and or animal extinction is that it is either too far off in the distance or too grave to be reversed. We will soon all have to realize that these issues do impact us. Unless we begin to change now, our lives will be forever altered in a way that we will not like. By advocating for the spread of information and change, the undersized group of the "aware" will be able to educate the general population. Without a cry from the people, governments will not feel inclined to change.
The issue at large is plastic consumption, human use of plastics, and carelessness towards its disposal. Our group mentality must shift from living individual lives, not touched by one another’s actions to a more global perspective. Whether that be consumption of plastic, recycling, choosing sustainable products, and so many more ways of becoming an environmentally conscious citizen, we must act. Given the opportunity to host a TedTalk on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch would create the first step needed to spark change.