Is Plastic Destroying Our Oceans?

By Chris

Did you know that currently there is a giant field of plastic trash, twice the size of the continental United States, floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean stretching between our West Coast to Japan? This pollution is indirectly affecting humans, because it harms many animals that we eat, not to mention all of the other marine life in the Pacific area. How did the plastic get there? From steams and rivers, beaches and boats. Marcus Eriksen says that "There is no technology to get rid of plastic. The only solution is to stop adding it to the ocean."

Some countries have already announced bans on free plastic bags. China will outlaw the thinnest bags beginning June 1, and Australia is also working on a plan to eliminate them. In America, Whole Foods Market chain has pledged to be plastic bag-free on Earth Day, April 22.

Plastic bags aren't the only thing being targeted, though. In January, Chicago became the first major U. S. city to put a 5 cent tax on bottled water, in order to encourage recycling and discouraging consumption. Other American cities are debating a similar tax.