The Destruction of Earth's Oceans

Earth’s Oceans: Natural Sanctuary or Mankind’s Toxic Playground

Every year oceans around the world face a battle of monumental proportions. That battle is the pollution, and toxins mankind produces that run freely into ocean shores. The oceanic world is one like no other known to humans. The underwater world of earth is so large that humans have yet to reach some of the deepest locations, or discover undetermined amounts of oceanic creatures not yet know to humans. However, mankind has left its mark on the world’s oceans. Pollution from major cities runs through storm systems that take countless toxic materials directly to major shorelines. Deep-well oilrigs clutter the once tranquil waterscape of California’s shores, and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Although these unsightly skyscrapers of the sea provide a tarnished view of shorelines, they also produce large amounts of byproducts, and on occasion, catastrophic failures that dump thousands of gallons of oil into the waters. Oceanic destruction is a major concern on a worldwide spectrum, but one cannot change the world without finding a place to start.

Puget Sound Washington

The Puget Sound is a major waterway that runs deep into the sate of Washington from the Pacific Ocean. The sound has a fjord-like physiography, and stretches deeper inland than any other waterway of it’s kind in the lower 48 states (Encyclopedia of Puget Sound, 2013). Other unique features of Puget Sound include a large range of depths, and a limited exchange of seawater between the Sound’s sub-basins, which can result in long residence times, increases in biota to contamination introduced through human society (Encyclopedia of Puget Sound, 2013). This major waterway provides shipping access to the major ports of Seattle and Tacoma, a major industry in both cities. Besides major shipping lines, Puget Sound supports recreational cruise lines with northern ports. Puget Sound also provides safe harbor to companies in the mining, logging, and chemical industries. Puget Sound has numerous islands that support both human and wildlife activities. Vashon Island, my hometown, is one of the largest islands in Puget Sound not connected to the mainland by bridges; residents rely completely on water transportation to travel to Seattle, Tacoma, and other parts of Washington. 

Toxicity Problems

Because Puget Sound is a diverse location that is home to dozens of water species, avian species, wildlife, and human beings, there is a concern about toxicity in the Sound. In Washington State the estimated amount of rainfall that falls on a single home in the region is 26,600 gallons. Using an estimation of 4.5 million homes, the Puget Sound region is exposed to approximately 14 million pounds of toxic chemicals (People for Puget Sound, n.d.). On an annual basis, it is estimated that 710,000 to 800,000 pounds of petroleum contaminates, 250,000 to 300,000 pounds of zinc are deposited into Puget Sound (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2011). In addition, 61,000 to 140,000 pounds of copper, and 300 to 600 pounds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are being released into Puget Sound on an annual basis (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2011).

It is estimated that over the past 100 years, a wide array of toxic chemicals have been introduced into Puget Sound. Many of these chemicals are responsible for health problems and death in the people, plants, and animals of Puget Sound (Puget Sound Partnership, 2008). Most of the toxic discharges that flow into Puget Sound come from sources like industrial discharges, sewage treatment plant discharges, oil spills, exhaust and fluid leaks from motor vehicles, emissions resulting from fossil fuels, pilings and railroad ties coated with creosote, and chemicals from pesticides, herbicides, and other products used by people in the surrounding areas (Puget Sound Partnership, 2008). This contaminates produce high risks to human health because they settle into shellfish, and are digested by fish in the Sound. Marine plant and animal life including seals and orca whales are showing higher levels of toxic contamination from continued exposure (Puget Sound Partnership, 2008).

Besides these chemicals there are other forms of pollution that invade the Puget Sound area. Because Puget Sound is home to numerous islands, and is a separating waterway that stretches through a large portion of Washington State, Puget Sound is home to the largest operating ferry system in the United States (Welch, 2013). Ferry service runs from island to island, and connects the islands to the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. The continual ferry schedules produce a large amount of noise pollution, and water disturbances that hamper the well-being of native water inhabitants (Welch, 2013). In addition to the ferry system, Puget Sound is also the main waterway to the ports of Seattle and Tacoma where hundreds of shipping freighters, and recreational cruise ships dock regularly (Welch, 2013)

Marine pollution is not just about chemicals released into the waters. Pollution also refers to the thousands of pounds of trash that flows into the oceans (National Geographic, 2013), and into various deltas on a annual basis. Each year a New Jersey-sized flotilla of garbage forms in the Mississippi Delta, and a thousand-mile wide area made of decomposing plastic is evident in the Pacific Ocean (National Geographic, 2013). These islands of trash are made of a variety of items disposed of by humans on an annual basis (National Geographic, 2013).  New reports indicate the new formations that include the Pacific Trash Vortex, which is estimated to be the size of Texas, and a newly discovered patch in the Atlantic Ocean that was discovered in early 2010 (National Geographic, 2013).

Promoting Eco-Friendly Behavior

Promoting eco-friendly behavior is becoming more important in mainstream society because environmental groups, major corporations, and various government agencies are producing information that is easily accessed by the average individual (United States Environmental Agency, 2012). One of the most effective methods of increasing environmental awareness is community activities like recycling programs. These programs encourage residents to recycle items they would normally place in the trash. Local rubbish collection companies, and agencies in some areas provide residents with special recycle bins to place plastic, paper, and glass. These bins are collected by special trucks that take the contents directly to recycling facilities instead of the local garbage dump (United Sates Environmental Agency, 2012).

Another effective method used to promote environmental friendly behavior is a wider reaching program known as Earth Day. This annual day of recognition for environmentally friendly behavior is celebrated around the globe (Scholastic.com, 2012). Earth day promoted various activities designed to educate children and adults on how to promote earth friendly activities that include special teaching sessions that cover recycling, composting, water conservation, gas emissions, and natural resources (Scholastic.com, 2012). Events like Earth Day are designed to reach out and energize people on the concepts of “going green”. Promotion of Earth Day is not regulated to educational materials. There are games, clubs, contests, and other activities that excite people, and help gain interest into the cause (Scholastic.com, 2012).

Increasing Pro-Environmental Behavior

Promoting environmental behavior can transpire in both positive and negative methods. Positive reinforcement goes back to B.F. Skinner’s (1904-1990) behavioral model of operant conditioning. B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) believed the best way to understand human behavior was to study the root cause of an action, and the consequences of that action (McLeod, 2007). This process can be used as a positive method of conditioning people to use more environmentally friendly approaches to daily life. Using a laddering technique, one can focus on particular behaviors and values of an individual, and use these to develop an eco-friendly method of changing or shaping environmentally friendly behavior (Mirosa, Lawson, & Gnoth, 2013). Negative influences also change an individual’s mind or perception of environmental concerns because these influences can complicate an individual’s daily life. Issues like sewage treatment plants overflowing after major rain storms can cause street closures, evacuations, and the release of thousands of gallons of raw sewage into the soil and water table (Butler, 2013).

Technology

Technology has produced both positive and negative influences on the environment. In the days of early man, there were no machines or factories (Youthkiawaaz.com, 2011). Mankind used simple methods of collecting materials for housing, hunting, and personal comfort. The use of spears and stone axes produced little impact on the environment because these tools were not used in scales large enough to result in any ecological harm (Youthkiawaaz.com, 2011). As technology advanced into the modern age, simple tools advanced to machines that rip large portions of earth from the ground in search of minerals, and cut down vast areas of rain forests to produce wood for construction and other uses. But just as technology produced negative influences on the environment, it has also produced positive influences. Oil rigs drill deep into the ocean’s crust, destroying and damaging the ocean floor, and releasing pollutants harmful to oceanic life, but the same technology has lead to the development of containment measures to reduce the harmful affects of an oil spill (Youthkiawaaz.com, 2011). Automotive industries have invested in eco-friendly power sources to drive cars of the future, and shipping manufacturers are developing ways to muffle propeller sounds so they will not cause harm to whales and other marine life (Youthkiawaaz.com, 2011).

Environmental Policies

Environmental policy can be a double-edged sward in the world of politics and public relations. These policies regulate certain aspects of environmental control like automotive exhaust emissions, and the amount of pollutants a factory can release into the atmosphere. But these policies also come at a cost. Many environmental policies promote eco-friendly behavior by producing educational materials, and developing incentives for those who follow policy. However, many environmental policies have loopholes that permit companies to purchase pollution credits, or place unrealistic restrictions on building codes (DeYoung, 2013). Because environmental policies vary from state to state, and even on a federal level, they are difficult for the average citizen to understand. This can lead to people becoming frustrated with the policies in place, which results in people completely ignoring the policies all together. On the other hand, policies that give the public the ability to relate on a personal level enhances interest, and leads to people becoming more active in conservation programs (DeYoung, 2013).

Conclusion

Conservation of the environment should be a major concern for every living person on earth because the very future of mankind hinges on how the environment reacts to the constant barrage of toxins and various pollutants mankind throws at it n a daily basis.  The oceans are a becoming toxic waste dumps that poison oceanic life, and threaten the health of hundreds of thousands of people that either live near or survive on the resources the ocean provides. Conservation of oceanic territories like Puget Sound can reverse the decades of harmful influences that mankind has produced, and make the waters of these regions safe for both human and oceanic life. Education, preservation, and new technology designed to improve conservation of the waters should be a major focus of those who make policy today, and generations of policy makers to come.

References

Butler, K. (2013). Mother Nature Network. Retrieved from http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/when-waste-attacks-5-big-sewage-disasters

DeYoung, R. (2013). Environmental Psychology. Retrieved from http://www-personal.umich.edu/~rdeyoung/envtpsych.html

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.eopugetsound.org/topics/categories/14

Mirosa, M., Lawson, R., & Gnoth, D. (2013, May). Linking Personal Values to Energy-Efficient Behaviors in the Home. Environment and Behavior, 45(4), 455-475. doi:10.1177/0013916511432332

National Geogrpahic. (2013). Retrieved from http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-marine-pollution/

People for Puget Sound. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pugetsound.org

Puget Sound Partnership. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.psparchives.com/our_work/toxics.htm

Scholastic.com. (2012). Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/earth_day/

United States Environmental Agency. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/localgov/

Washington State Department of Ecology. (2011). New Ecology study refines understanding of toxic contamination in surface runoff. Retrieved from http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2011/136.html