The people of America can help reduce the ocean waste by recycling as well as reducing the use of plastic at home. The Ocean is filled with plastic from soda cans, plastic bags, to plastic rings that could get caught onto the sea lives head and kill them. Americans can also put in extra time to clean up the local beaches because all of the things that happen to make it in the ocean are from the shore side. Local beaches are open to the public and Americans usually go to the beach to have a good time and relax, sometimes forget to pick up the trash around them and it gets washed away into the ocean from the tide waves. Sea Life is suffering severely from packaging waste.
There are many other ways that Americans can help the ocean clean up that do not involve cleaning up and participating in local community events by just simply spreading the word. In today’s time social media and talking from friend to friend goes a long way, if we mention how bad the ocean is doing which is 10% plastic as of 2006 (plastic-pollution.org), the word will spread and make more people want to be involved. Spreading the word is superior to just not helping a cause that will eventually affect all Americans because the ocean is America’s biggest water source. Social media posts and just talking ear to ear is free, and that’s everyone’s favorite cost! Although spreading the word is free, there are some non-profit organizations that will put money up to help the cause of the ocean for just helping spread the word or a simple post.
Although there are many ways that we can help improve the ocean, there is more to plastic than we know, plastic contains these small particles called microbeads that is an increasing reason on why the ocean contains so much plastic. When plastic gets wet it starts to float to the top of the surface but the microbeads are so small that they float to the bottom and the creatures of the sea eat them on accident and it makes them sickly that they eventually pass away. Microbeads are found in Americans everyday routine, they are found in things like toothpaste, face wash, shampoos, make up, body wash, and more. Our daily use of soaps and cleaning supplies for ourselves usually comes in plastic bottles and the product itself contains plastic as well. I would recommend that all Americans read the label before purchasing, as well as going a more natural route to improve the oceans progress.
The result of the ocean will have improved so much throughout the process of most Americans putting in some effort to help the sea life. America as a whole needs to come together as one to help our planet progress and be just as healthy as we are. Although not every state in the U.S.A contains a beach, those states who do not have one can be trying to spread the word and the others helping with more on hand work. The ocean is one of the major sources of water not only for us but for other countries as well. We should protect and cherish it but instead we are just throwing our trash in it forgetting about the innocent animals who have done no harm to us that live there. The ocean is a home to many animals and us as Americans should devote a small amount of our time to helping them.
Essay by: Sanaya Boykins
Tempe High School
