Pollution: Ocean Pollution

Pollution takes on many forms but ocean contamination is killing millions of sea creatures every year. There is a vital connection between humans and the sea. When the ocean is damaged it directly affects life on planet earth. The next 100 plus years on earth depends on how we treat the sea. It is time to protect our oceans from pollution.

When was the last time you took a walk along the sea? Thankfully, for my wife and me it was only a few hours ago. Almost every Sunday afternoon we take our two dogs and walk along Moonstone beach located in Cambria, California. Our coastline is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Our little town protects our coastline as good parents protect a child. Yet, we still have pollution drifting down streams and floating onto the beaches. Our seawater also suffers from oil pollution and other contaminates dumped into drains and rivers. It is time to protect our waters with the diligence and fierceness of a lion. If we don’t protect her who will? It is our responsibility to take care of what God has blessed us with to enjoy.

Before moving to Cambria, California, I lived in Biloxi, Mississippi. The beaches were coated with white sand, polluted sand that you didn’t want to walk on. Giant machines worked endlessly cleaning up tons of debris left by humans. It was incredible to see how much trash people could deposit on the beautiful coast of Mississippi. The waters of the Mississippi sound became so polluted my of the locals didn’t want to eat fish, especially shrimp and oysters harvested in the waters. The waters stunk and the sea looked like a big chocolate shake.

After hurricane Katrina, I moved to California. After about 6 months I went back to work for the Mental Health Association as a counselor. I had never seen so much destruction in my life. I had seen hurricanes and been through a few, without leaving, but Katrina was different.

I didn’t stay long after returning to the coast. . Like many, I suffered tremendous loss. The last thing I remember seeing, before returning to California, is thousands of pillows; I mean literally thousands of wet, stinky pillows on the beach. I will never forget the site. I saw pollution and sea pollution took on new meaning after my experience. I know a lot of the contamination was directly related to Katrina but it was polluted before the storm. Every now and then in Long Beach, Mississippi and other coastal town’s sewage was actually dumped into the waters. This is no secret, all the locals knew it happened and we turned the other direction.

Today, in beautiful Cambria, California I am committed to stopping pollution of the sea. I hope you join with me in this fight return the sea to its natural form, free from human interference. It will not be easy but it is worth the fight.

What I am going to do on this page is provide you excerpts from a few really good articles on marine pollution. I am going to provide links so you can read the entire article and a few comments on each article. I hope you enjoy these articles.

Pollution: Green Peace Comes to the rescue!

Green Peace

The very thing that makes plastic items useful to consumers, their durability and stability, also makes them a problem in marine environments. Around 100 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year of which about 10 percent ends up in the sea. About 20 percent of this is from ships and platforms, the rest from land. -----------------------------------------------------------

Through the years I heard about Green Peace but I thought the group was only a radical fundamentalist organization that worshiped the earth and would kill anyone who didn't. I equated Green Peace with those who spiked pine trees in Mississippi to stop tree farming. I really didn't give Green Peace much thought. Today I realize the group is leading the fight to stop contamination of our seas. To learn more about Green Peace click on the link. Pollution: Green Peace

Ocean Pollution: Written by Kids

Protecting the Home We Live In: Environmental IssuesNovi Meadows Elementary, 2002

Pollution in the ocean is a major problem that is affecting the ocean and the rest of the Earth, too. Contamination in the ocean directly affects ocean organisms and indirectly affects human health and resources. Oil spills, toxic wastes, and dumping of other harmful materials are all major sources of pollution in the ocean. People should learn more about these because if people know more about pollution in the ocean, then they will know more about how to stop the marine contamination.

It is amazing what kids know. They are like dogs, much smarter than what you give them created for. I have to laugh because kids are not dogs what I mean is kids have a lot in-common with dogs or dogs have a lot in common with kids. I better shut-up before I stick my foot in my mouth again. This is a good article about ocean contamination written by kids. Kids, think quest

The Oprah Winfry Show

Currently, scientists believe the world's largest garbage dump isn't on land…it's in the Pacific Ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches from the coast of California to Japan, and it's estimated to be twice the size of Texas. "This is the most shocking thing I have seen," Oprah says. From The Oprah Winfrey Show Earth Day 2009: Go Green, Save Money Article written about a show on Oprah

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a great resource and the information provided on marine damage is great.

Marine contamination occurs when harmful effects, or potentially harmful effects, can result from the entry into the ocean of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, or the spread of invasive organisms.

Most sources of marine contamination are land based. The damage often comes from non-point sources such as agricultural runoff and wind blown debris.

Many potentially toxic chemicals adhere to tiny particles which are then taken up by plankton and benthos animals, most of which are either deposit or filter feeders. In this way, the toxins are concentrated upward within ocean food chains. Many particles combine chemically in a manner highly depletive of oxygen, causing estuaries to become anoxic.

When pesticides are incorporated into the marine ecosystem, they quickly become absorbed into marine food webs. Once in the food webs, these pesticides can cause mutations, as well as diseases, which can be harmful to humans as well as the entire food web. Wikipedia - Oceans

Oil in Water

gene carl feldman (gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-9428Judith Gradwohl, Smithsonian Institution (Curator/Ocean Planet)

When it comes to mixing oil and water, oceans suffer from far more than an occasional devastating spill. Disasters make headlines, but hundreds of millions of gallons of oil quietly end up in the seas every year, mostly from non-accidental sources §. Gene Carl Feldman

Join the Fight!

I hope these special articles have been helpful. It my desire to give back to this world and its people all that I have been given. It is a blessing to be alive and live next to the Pacific Ocean. I have learned to see the ocean in a different light since moving to California. I have never seen such beauty and I want to keep it beautiful.

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