Plastic

Usually, people do not know how much plastics help us and how much plastics attack us. Plastics help us achieve a convenient world. However, I must not forget plastics have a bad effect too, because plastics have a good effect on human lives, but bad effect on humans and the environment. Human is a very egoist animal; however, we must not conscience. First, we should start learning about what plastics problems are. “Plastic waste blocks drains and gutters, stopping the flow of rain water and sewerage, causing an overflow which becomes the breeding ground for germs and bacteria causing many diseases (Abdulla, 2007, para.10-11.). The toxic smoke produced while burning plastic kills thousands each year. Workers and people living near a plastic or resin factory are prone to certain kinds of cancer and birth defects. Plastic bags that fly and land in agricultural land retard the growth of the crops by wrapping itself around the plants. Domestic animals like cows and goats are often found dead after swallowing bits of plastic that gets mingled with the grass they eat. More than one million sea birds and approximately 100,000 sea mammals die each year after ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic debris. Some marine life has been found with plastic fragments in the stomachs and plastic molecules in their muscles” Those problems are just a few of the many problems, but we have a lot of problems. Second, I want to introduce about what plastics is and history of plastics. “1839 - Polystyrene or PS discovered - Eduard Simon. 1872 - Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC - first created by Eugen Baumann. 1909 - First true plastic Phenol-Formaldehyde tradenamed Bakelite. 1938 - Polystyrene made practical. 1941 - Polyethylene Terephthalate or Pet - Whinfield and Dickson. 1953 - Saran Wrap introduced by Dow Chemicals” (The History of plastics, 2007, paras6-8). These sentences tell us that the history of plastics is very short, but it has grown very quickly. And these plastics are more and more complex. Next, we should know what plastic is. “Plastic covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. They are composed of organic condensation or addition polymers and may contain other substances to improve performance or economics. There are few natural polymers generally considered to be ‘plastics’. Plastics can be formed into objects or films or fibers. Their name is derived from the fact that many are malleable, having the property of plasticity” (Plastic, n.d. para.1.). This article gives basic information. Plastics have some characteristics; why do not transmit electricity, are strong in weather and with chemicals, and are weak with ultraviolet rays.

I suggest that we should look for new plastics that do not attack humans and the environment, because the earth is not just for ourselves. All creatures and in the future must share the earth; that means we must think about the next generation.

First, many animals were killed for plastic bags because we do not bother for other animals. “In the marine environment, Planet Ark estimates that plastic bags kill at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year” (Plastic Bags Reduction Program, 2007, para. 5.). Like that, many animals are damaged by plastics that are from human activity. Especially, plastics can kill many animals because plastics do not come back naturally. That means plastics have a special characteristic; they are strong in weather and arith chemicals; therefore, usually naturae cannot resolve plastics. “A wide array of marine creatures, including threatened species such as Green Turtles, Loggerhead Turtles, Blue Whales and Humpback Whales, albatrosses and petrels, may be severely injured and even die after ingesting and becoming entangled with plastic waste” (Keep the sea plastic free-bin it, 2006, para.7-8.). “Fishing line, fragments of trawl netting, and synthetic ropes can cut into their skin, leading to infection or the slow and painful amputation of flippers, tails or flukes.” Thus, harmless animals suffer from our oppression. I think it is not an allowable action.

Second, plastic pollution is not just for the sea; of course it is for the earth too. Plastics “are a significant source of pollution. The stuff last decades. Some 95% of all plastic produced since the material was introduced in the 1930s is still in existence, much of it buried in landfill sites. Plastic bags have even been found littering relatively untouched Himalayan mountains” (The problem with plastic, 2006, para.3.). Most plastics can remain until people dump it. Moreover, “Every year 20 million Australians use around 5 billion plastic check-out bags. A person’s use of a plastic check-out bag can be counted in minutes – however long it takes to get from the shops to their homes. Plastic bags however, can take between 15 and 1000 years to break down in the environment. Over 200,000 plastic check-out bags are dumped in landfills every hour” (Why are plastic bags a problem?, n.d., para1,2+9). This article told us that we do not start now. That means, those numbers tell almost nothing, and it is just talk about Austrarlia. If we think on the global scale, it becomes very huge numbers. Like this, the earth has a big problem too, so we must start to think about the earth problem from plastics.

Finally, I will suggest how to fix those problems well. My first suggestion is that we should reuse plastic bags. Usualy, after we buy something, we use plastic bags just one time. However, if all people reuse twice, we can reduce usage by a half. “Some said that many consumers reuse the bags, saving them for household jobs such as lining trash cans or picking up after a dog. They also said lawmakers are misdirecting their efforts” (Plastic bags may be banned in Boston, 2007, para.10.). My second suggestion is that we must reduce plastics. “San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to become the first U.S. city to ban plastic bags from large supermarkets to help promote recycling. Under the legislation, beginning in six months large supermarkets and drugstores will not be allowed to offer plastic bags made from petroleum products. ‘Many [foreign] cities and nations have already implemented very similar legislation,’ said Ross Mirkarimi, the city legislator who championed the new law. ‘It's astounding that San Francisco would be the first U.S. city to follow suit’” (Newsroom blog - get the inside track on plastic bag news, trends & ideas worldwide, 2007, para.2). That article said that San Francisco's Board of Supervisors gave bags to people, and they try to stop that people from using plastic bags. My final suggestion is that people should think about recycling. “The key to San Francisco's recycling success is our ability to find markets for the recyclable products we pick up from residents and businesses. If there were nobody making paper out of recycled fiber, then all that paper we collect would end up in the landfill. So SF Environment and our partners at Norcal Waste Systems work hard to maintain existing relationships, and build new ones” (Now accepting plastic tubs & lid, n.d. para.1.). We have the success example, so it is not impossible. Fixing those problems is very difficult. However we have obligation to fix those problems.

We have a lot of problems; however, we can fix them because we know what we should do. Only we will or we will not. Notmally humans cannot think of other another animals seriously. However, we will fix those problems, and that action can help our next generation. I think no one hopes our kids are unfortunate. Therefore, we must fix plastic problems now, because the time flies fast.

Reference

Bellis, M. (2007). The History of Plastics. About.com. Retrieved June 20, 2007 from
http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/plastics.htm

Keep the sea plastic free-bin it. (2006, May 06). Australian Government. Retrieved June
20, 2007 from
http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/publications/waste/bin-it/index.html

Newsroom blog - get the inside track on plastic bag news, trends & ideas worldwide.
(2007, March 28). reusablebags.com. Retrieved June 20, 2007 from
http://reusablebags.typepad.com/

Now accepting plastic tubs & lids. (n.d.). SF Environment. Retrieved June 20, 2007 from
http://www.sfenvironment.com/aboutus/recycling/plastic.htm

Plastic (n.d.) Wikipedia. Retrieved June 20, 2007 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic

Plastic bag Reduction Program. (2007, June 21). Zero Waste SA. Retrieved June 20,
2007 from
http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/index.php

Plastic bags have long been a waste problem that harms the environment. (2007).
PLANET ARK. Retrieved June 20, 2007 from
http://www.planetark.com/
campaignspage.cfm/newsid/52/newsDate/7/story.htm

The problem with plastic (2007, May 23) DAVE’S PART. Retrieved June 20,
2007 from
http://www.davidosler.com/2007/05/the_problem_with_plastic.html

Viser, M. (2007, April 26). Plastic bags may be banned in Bostion. Boston.com.
Retrieved June 20, 2007 from
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/04/26/plastic_bags_may_be_banned_in_boston/

EAP2
Shota Watanabe
Summary Response #2
Plastics

Many beautiful sea animals are tormented by garbage, because many people have a mask, which means that on the outside, they said we must worry about the ocean, however in their minds, they do not matter about that. The author of “Part 14: Plague of plastics-forever!”, Frosty Wooldridge, explains that plastic is the worst invention in human history, because 30 years ago, he dove into the ocean at the Caribbean. It was very beautiful. However, after 30 years, he dove again. He was surprised because many plastics had killed many sea animals and the sea environment. He explains much of his experience. After words, he quotes Alan Weisman, the author of “Polymers are forever,” which talks about the terror of plastics. This book discusses the fact that many animals were killed by plastics, the way plastics kill them, plastics with the Second World War, the diapers from plastics, the Hopis problem, and recovering and throwing away plastics. After that, he said that if clerk asks “paper or plastic bags?” you would answer, “I have a cotton bag”. He continues to say, “It is a start. Nature thanks you.”

I strongly agree this author’s opinion that is if we start to fix those problems, “Nature thanks you.” because we should not be despotic toward for the other animals.

First, many animals are affected by small environmental change; on the other hand, if it is a big environmental change, do you know what the animals do? Plastics ware a bad effect on all animals. However, people do no know what we did. We must know our guilt. In “PVC-The Poison Plastic” the author said, “The production of PVC powder involves the transport of dangerous explosive materials such as vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and the creation of toxic waste, notably ethylene dichloride (EDC) tars. Tar wastes in particular contain huge quantities of dioxins that are then incinerated or dumped, spreading dioxins into the wider environment. Previously these tar wastes were burned on ocean incineration vessels until a world wide ban was imposed in 1991 due to their toxic emissions and threat to the marine ecosystem. These wastes are now burned in land incinerators or dumped into deep wells.”(1997, para.7-8 ). This author said plastics are the most dangerous elements. We know that from chemistry. However, the problem of plastic has not stopped yet. Many animals are affected by our egoism, but we must not do that. We must stop the bad effects for every environment.

Second, the dangerous effects of plastics are not just for animals, they affect humans too. Plastic affects human in two ways. First, there effects come to the human indirectly. For example, people eat the fish. If this fish is affected by dioxin, those people’s body saves dioxin. That means dioxin concentration increases in the body. Another way is very directly. In “Trash in our Oceans--You Can Be Part of the Solution,” the author said, “Humans can also be directly affected by marine debris. Swimmers and divers can become entangled in abandoned netting and fishing lines like marine organisms. Beach users can be injured by stepping on broken glass, cans, needles or other litter. Appearance of debris, such as plastic, can also result in economic consequences. Floating debris, either as a floating slick or as dispersed items, is visually unappealing and can result in lost tourism revenues. New Jersey now spends $1,500,000 annually to clean up its beaches, and $40,000 to remove debris from the New York/New Jersey Harbor (YOTO Discussion Papers, 1998)” (2007, para.13). This author said plastic hurts the human body immediately. The ocean is a big part of human amusement. However, people hurt themselves by our plastic garbage. We must clean up an order to protect ourselves.

Third, too much plastic garbage has many bad effects; usually people think just animals eat plastic or plastic makes the dioxin. However it is not enough. In “Are Plastic Grocery Bags Sacking the Environment?” the author said, “But like candy wrappers, chewing gum, cigarette butts, and thousands of other pieces of junk, millions of the plastic bags end up as litter. Once in the environment, it takes months to hundreds of years for plastic bags to break down. As they decompose, tiny toxic bits seep into soils, lakes, rivers, and the oceans, said Cobb” (Roach, 2003, para.8). As this author said, we dump plastic garbage easily; but it is over million pound. The environment needs to spend a lot of time that become harmless, and the ocean absorbs small plastics. We must know this reality and we must fix this problem soon.
In recent years, plastic has made or lives more convenient. However, this revolution had a reverse effect. People exchanged convenient and the environment. As a result, we have made a lot of problems. Those problems are our responsibility. In
addition, we could trouble for many animals. We must recover the environment.

Reference
Wooldridge, F. (2007, May 11). Part 14: Plague of Plastics-forever!. Retrieved June 11, 2007, from Opednews.com.

PVC-The Poison Plastic. (1997).Greenpeace Toxics Archive Site. Retrieved June 11, 2007, from http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/html/content/pvc1.html#life

Trash in our Oceans—You can be Part of the Solution. (2007, March 15). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved June 11, 2007, from http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris/

Roach, J. (2003, September 2). Are Plastic Grocery Bags Sacking the Environment? National Geographic. Retrieved June 11, 2007, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0902_030902_plasticbags.html

EAP2 WW
Shota Watanabe

Plastic and Ocean

I think the ocean is not just our tool because the ocean takes care of many different types of animals’ lives. Usually, humans start to think about themselves, after that they think of others, because humans are egocentric, or ethnocentric; however, it is mistake, because we are just one of the animals in the food chain. The author of “Are Plastic Bags Harming the Environment?,” Proditia Sabarini, explains that the ocean has a big problem which is fly-tip, especially plastic. It causes harm to sea animals and the shelves of coral. And people torture sea animals, shelves of coral and other people by the action of throwing garbage away in the ocean. Especially, the shelves of coral get destructive damage such that 20 percent are almost dying, and 50 percent, if we do not start to protect the shelves of coral now, will die. However, recently, many volunteer groups have tried to clean up the ocean, especially on the 22nd of April, which is Earth Day.

I agree with this author’s suggestion and opinion, because I found mach evidence that the ocean was dirtied by people.

First, in the world, a lot of sea animals are endangered by people who litter many plastic garbage items on the ocean. Usually, people throw the plastic bottle anywhere. If we throw the plastic bottle in the rivers, this bottle flows the ocean. Sometime, many sea animals are mistaken that the plastic garbage is foods. Regrettably, plastic is digested slowly, and is difficult to discharge. Therefore, if they eat plastic, they save plastic in their stomachs. Besides, it is not just plastic bottles. Plastic bags can suffocate sea animals. In “Are Plastic Bags Harming the Environment” the author said, “Plastic bags in the ocean can choke and strangle wildlife. Endangered sea turtles eat the bags and often choke on them—probably because the bags look like jellyfish, the main food of many sea turtles” (Ives, 2004, para 6). This article tells the cruel truth. Plastic items become a weapon against sea animals; we should start to think about sea animals’ life soon.

Second, sea animals are bothered by plastic’s characteristic; which are very strong in water. This characteristic is very convenient for us. Plastic must be strong in water because usually, we use a plastic bottle that has some liquid in it. However, this characteristic did the sea animals a disservice, because if plastic were not strong in water, many sea animals would not need to be killed by plastic items. If we saw just that information, I think we would feel we cannot solve this problem. However, we can. In “Amcor to start producing biodegradable bottles,” the author said, “Many analysts believe that biodegradable packaging has a bright future. Growing environmental awareness and consumer power coupled with the inexorable rise in pre-packaged disposable meals means that food manufacturers and packagers are increasingly being targeted to improve their environmental performances” (EIAmin, 2005, para.3). This plastic has the possibility of helping to make a good environment. I hope environment and plastics can coexist then, the sea animals will not be killed by plastic items that people make that will break the relationship.

Finally, the shelf of coral protects us; however, we break the shelf of coral with plastic. My country, Japan is an island. Especially, Okinawa has a lot of the shelf of coral. The shelves of corals were called a living bank by Japanese, because growing the shelf of coral can relieve big waves. However, people have killed a lot of the shelf of coral. One of the reasons is that plastic can stop their breathing. They always help us, but we forget that and there’s no way that we would try to kill them, so we must think about how we can stop the breaking of the shelf of coral and fix it.

In the world, many sea animals are dying, because people throw many plastic items away. This author told what we can do and gave good ideas. I agree with her ideas that we must pick up trash. It is not difficult. Children can do that. If we start to think about sea animals eating plastics, the relationship of the environment and plastics, and the shelf of coral, we can create a good future.

References
Sabarini, P. (2007, May 10). Saving Ocean Reefs the Jakarta Port. Retrieved June 4, 2007, from LexisNexis.
Ives, S. (2004, April 05). Are Plastic Bags Harming the Environment? National Geographic Kids News. Retrieved June 4, 2007, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/2004/04/pasticbags.html
EIAmin, A. (2005, October 31). Amcor to start producing biodegradable bottles. Food USA productiondaily.com. Retrieved June 4, 2007, from http://www.foodproductiondaily-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=63610-amcor-natureworks-pla