Plasticproblem

Plastic Problem
How trash in the ocean is harming the environment

and what you can do about it
By Natalie Smith
ast May, a hawksbill sea turtle named Nicky arrived at the Turtle
Hospital in Marathon, Florida. People had spotted the small turtle
in a canal not far from the ocean. He looked sick, so the people who
found him brought him to the hospital for a checkup.
We took X-rays and noticed that there was something in his
intestines, says Liz Miska. Shes an educational specialist at the hospital.
The hospital staff could see that objects were blocking Nickys digestive
tract.
After about a month, the mystery objects finally passed through the
turtles body. When the staff saw the items, their suspicions were confirmed:
Nicky had swallowed trash.
It looked like some pieces of a balloon and pieces of plastic bags,
remembers Miska. It was just a ton of plastic for such a little guy to ingest.
Unfortunately Nickys story is all too common. Every year, hundreds of
thousands of turtles, whales, seabirds, and other marine animals get sick
when they eat ocean trash or get tangled in it. Many of them die.
One of the biggest problems is discarded plastic. A recent study
estimated that more than 500 million pounds of it are floating around the
worlds oceans.
Environmentalists say the best way to stop this pollution is for people to
use less plastic. Recently, several places in the U.S. have taken steps to make
that happen.
Plastic Pollution
Plastic makes up about 80 percent of the trash in some parts of the ocean.
But how does it get there? A lot of it starts out as litter on land. Then wind
and rain sweep it into the ocean.
Once plastic is in the water, it can stay there for decades. Unlike many
things you throw away, such as paper or uneaten food, plastic is not easily
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biodegradable. Over time, sun and waves break down plastic into smaller
and smaller pieces. But even then, it doesnt disappear.
Many plastic pieces drift into swirling ocean currents called gyres (JYerz). The largest is in the Pacific Ocean. Debris collects within the gyre in
areas called garbage patches. The water there is filled with plastic particles,
both large and tiny.
Even though the particles may be hard to see, theyre still affecting
animals, says Miska.
Marine animals often mistake pieces of plastic for food. Sometimes
they choke on them. More often, as in Nickys case, the trash blocks their
digestive tract. These animals can starve if they arent treated. Animals can
also become tangled in large pieces of trash, making it hard for them to
survive.
Taking Action
Its extremely difficult to remove plastic thats already in the ocean. Experts
say the best way to protect animals from plastic is to prevent any more of
it from reaching the water. In recent years, several areas in the U.S. have
passed laws to cut down on plastic trash.
For example, the city of Concord, Massachusetts, passed a law in 2013
banning the sale of plastic water bottles. Several national parks, universities,
and government buildings have done the same. People in favor of the
bans hope they will eliminate some of the 39 billion plastic bottles that are
thrown away each year.
More than 100 cities and counties have also passed laws banning or
taxing plastic grocery bags. This past September, California banned the bags
statewide. Shoppers must use reusable bags or pay 10 cents for a paper bag
instead.
Advocates hope that laws like these will reduce the amount of plastic
that gets into the worlds oceans. But they say theres still a lot more work
to do. Were the first to ban these bags, and we wont be the last, says
California Governor Jerry Brown.
Rescue Mission
Every year, the Turtle Hospital in Florida treats 10 to 20 turtles who have
swallowed plastic. Most, like Nicky, recover and are released. But without
the hospitals help, most of these animals would die in the wild.
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Miska and the rest of the hospital staff work with schools and local
communities to educate people about ocean pollution. Their biggest
message: Anyone can make a difference.
Just by picking up after ourselves and other people, says Miska, we
can have a major impact on the environment in our oceans.
Words to Know
ingestto swallow
marineliving in ocean
biodegradableable to break down naturally over time
gyrea giant circular current in the ocean
Garbage Breakdown
Some types of ocean trash break down quickly. But other types, like plastic,
can last hundreds of years.
Newspaper: 6 weeks to break down
Plastic Bag: 10 to 20 years to breakdown
Aluminum Can: 200 years to break down
Plastic Bottle: 450 years to break down
Glass Bottle: More than 1,000 years to breakdown
Where Ocean Trash Goes

Moving currents carry floating trash across the ocean. The debris collects in
areas called garbage patches. The biggest ones are in the Pacific Ocean.
What You Can Do

How can you keep plastic out of the ocean? Here are three simple things
you can do.
1.BAN BAGS Reduce the number of plastic bags you useor cut them out
entirely. Use reusable bags instead.
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2. RECYCLE

Recycle as much as you can, especially plastic. If an item gets
recycled, its much less likely to end up in the ocean.
3. TRASH

IT When you throw your trash away, make sure it actually
makes it into the garbage can. If you see someone else drop trash on the
ground, pick it up and toss it in a garbage bin.
From Plastic Problem: How Trash in the Ocean is Harming the

Environment by Natalie Smith. Published in Scholastic SuperScience, April
2015. Copyright 2015 by Scholastic Inc. Used by permission. Scholastics
copyrighted material shall not be republished, re-transmitted, broadcast,
downloaded, modified or adapted (rewritten), manipulated, reproduced or
otherwise distributed and/or exploited in anyway without the prior written
permission of Scholastic, Inc.
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How does plastic end up in the ocean?

What harm does plastic cause to marine animals?

Plastic Problem

How trash in the ocean is harming the environment

Where Ocean Trash Goes

What You Can Do

From Plastic Problem: How Trash in the Ocean is Harming the

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