Ben Van Hook  
English 102  
Professor Hickman  
26 July 2018  
  
## A Call to Action Against Pollution

  
The world is now seeing animals going extinct, such as the Western Black Rhinoceros and Dodo bird, at an unprecedented rate. If the rate of pollution continues as it is now, animals that are more important to the ecosystems will become extinct. Major nations can make a difference in marine pollution and that this pollution is an issue that is just as important as the other major world issues and needs to be handled with accordingly. Pollution is expected to increase greatly in the coming years, as exemplified in many studies.  
  
This pollution effects the atmosphere just as much as the ocean, and since the effects of atmospheric pollution can be seen in increased CO2 emissions, concerns should start to shift to the ocean soon. Linda Baker explains, "Aviation is on target to increase contributions to global CO2 emissions from today's 3% to 22% by 2050. Emissions from marine activity show a similar trajectory" (Baker Par. 3). Current pollution from aviation alone is destroying the atmosphere while human marine activity is expected to have similar impacts. Marine and atmospheric pollution will eventually be hard to reverse, which will be a large problem in the future based on current trends. The effects of marine pollution may only directly impact sea animals right now, soon it will impact humans.  
  
Humans will start to see the effects of marine pollution soon and at an alarming rate. Jenssen exemplifies the impact of marine pollution on humans when he explains that "The rapid population growth and enormous urban and coastal development in many of the world's coastal regions have caused considerable concern that anthropogenic pollution may reduce biodiversity and productivity of marine ecosystems, resulting in reduction and depletion of human marine food resources" (Jenssen Par. 1). Development of civilization near the coast is harmful to the wildlife near those coasts. This eventually will, and already has, started to kill sea animals resulting in decreased fishing yield for those coastal cities. This could be devastating if a coastal city relies on the fish as a main part of their food source. The lack of fish is not the only concern with marine pollution, "Human health concerns related to marine pollution center around toxic chemical substances and pathogenic microorganisms that are found in living marine resources from natural resources or as a result of human activities" ("Federal 5-year Ocean Pollution Plan Told" Par. 3). Continued marine pollution will affect the animals which then effects human through the consumption of fish products. These pollutants will eventually come back to humans because of the consumption of fish as food. The legislators who do not see marine pollution something that will affect them directly are wrong. The concerns about marine pollution for humans is dire but since humans are only indirectly impacted by the fish, a greater concern should be put on the sea life since they are directly impacted. These concerns are a serious matter that cannot be taken lightly.  
  
Micro-plastics and other pollutants are starting to be found in the systems of marine animals which can shorten life expectancies and cause pain. The effects of marine pollution can be seen in the development and livelihood of sea animals, "High concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) found in the tissues of multiple marine mammal species have been associated with impairments in organ and immune function, reproduction, and increased strandings (Reijnders et al., 2009). All of these outcomes reduce physical health and may be associated with pain and suffering, thus also reducing welfare" (De Vere, et. al Par. 22). Marine pollution can effect different animals differently. The livelihood of sea animals is impacted greatly, these same infractions of life because of human interference would not be tolerated if the information was more common place in the American public. "The impact of discharge of either raw or partially treated sewage wastewater on marine environmental quality is most noticeable in the nearby intertidal zone sediments, Asfari (2001) indicated that due to aging of some treatment plants and over loading of sewage plants, raw sewage discharges can occur from some of these outfalls. This situation has resulted in serious negative impact on both marine biota and general marine environmental quality" (Al-Muzaini Par. 8). In a case study involving the marine pollution because of industrial activities show that the high amount of pollutants released in the water are shortening the lives of sea animals. It is also detrimental to the marine environment for humans and the ecosystem as a whole. The environment as a whole will feel the impacts of marine pollution.  
  
Concerns of the environment need to be taken seriously because there is not much longer until these effects are irreversible such as human health impacts and wildlife extinction. If people saw what all the consequences of these material advancements will have given nothing changes, there would be no need for essays and research why we need to clean up the environment, people would change their attitudes and habits immediately to keep the world as they have it now or even better than now.  
  
Works Cited  
  
Al-Muzaini, Saleh. "Management of Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution." Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management  
  
Baker, Linda. "Elephants in the Room: As Air Travel and Overall Consumption Skyrocket,A Move Is Afoot to Slash the Pollution Generated by Maritime and Aviation Activity." Oregon Business Magazine  
  
de Vere, Amber J., et al. "Anthropogenic Impacts on the Welfare of Wild Marine Mammals." Aquatic Mammals  
  
"Federal 5-year Ocean Pollution Plan Told." Marine Fisheries Review, vol. 51, no. 3, 1989, p. 48+. Academic OneFile  
  
Jenssen, Bjorn Munro. "Marine pollution: the future challenge is to link human and wildlife studies. (Guest Editorial)." Environmental Health Perspectives