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Causation – Reasons and factors behind the widespread issue of plastic pollution.

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Causation – Reasons and factors behind the widespread issue of plastic pollution.

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Project Save the Oceans - Video Challenge

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Connection - how does Ocean pollution affect other things?

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Connection - how does Ocean pollution affect other things?

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Causation - what causes Ocean Pollution?

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Causation - what causes Ocean Pollution?

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Connection - how does Ocean pollution affect other things?

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Connection - how does Ocean pollution affect other things?

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A 38-Foot-Tall Whale Made From 10,000 Pounds of Plastic Waste Surfaces in Bruges — Colossal

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In response to the Bruges Triennial’s 2018 theme “Liquid City,” Brooklyn-based architecture and design firm STUDIOKCA designed a 38-foot-tall sculptural whale composed of over five tons of plastic pulled from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The studio, led by Jason Klimoski and Lesley Chang, wanted…

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A 38-Foot-Tall Whale Made From 10,000 Pounds of Plastic Waste Surfaces in Bruges — Colossal

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In response to the Bruges Triennial’s 2018 theme “Liquid City,” Brooklyn-based architecture and design firm STUDIOKCA designed a 38-foot-tall sculptural whale composed of over five tons of plastic pulled from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The studio, led by Jason Klimoski and Lesley Chang, wanted…

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Meet Manta, a sea-cleaning sailboat that feeds on plastic waste

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This giant, plastic-eating catamaran can collect between 1 to 3 tonnes of waste per hour.

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Greenpeace 2023 vision: the world we all want to see

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Whale's eye view: Footage reveals hidden whale world - BBC News

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Our Incredible Ocean: Now Is the Time to Protect It | National Geographic

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POWERFUL VIDEO: Why We Need to Stop Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans FOR GOOD | Oceana

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The Importance of Our Oceans (feat. Dr. Steve Simpson)

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The Ocean is the foundation of all life, an extraordinary and largely unexplored place, teeming with fascinatingly diverse plants and animals which, together with currents and natural systems, shape our planet. The Ocean provides us with food and facilitates pleasure, as well as livelihoods for millions, if not billions of people.

But the Ocean is not just a commodity. The Ocean is restorative. It calms and connects us. The positive impact it can have on our wellbeing is immense.

Our relationship with the Ocean

From mermaids to the kraken, the Ocean has been fascinating humans for centuries. It is difficult to imagine what it must have been like to set off across the Ocean without knowing 'what was on the other side', or even if you might fall off of the world!

There a millions of works of art, poetry and fictional stories written about the sea, as well as religions and worship of the gods of the Ocean in communities across the world. One of our favourite quotes is:

"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." John F. Kennedy

All life on earth started in the Ocean, so JFK's quote is technically correct for us all. The salt content of our blood is remarkably similar to the Ocean and when our Neanderthal relatives started to fish, the addition of Omega 3 intp their diets helped to increase their brain function, thus directly affecting our evolution as a species.

We truly are tied to the Ocean. We must take care of it, because it is us.

The Ocean is a part of all of our daily routines, sometimes in ways that you might find surprising.

It doesn't matter where you live - whether you're near a beach, in the countryside, or in the middle of a big city - the Ocean still has a profound affect on your life, every single day.

When you turn on your tap in the morning to brush your teeth, the water you use, as well as the algae in your toothpaste, comes from the Ocean.

When you watch TV or use the internet, some of the materials used to make that happen have come from the Ocean.

When you buy your favourite foods at the supermarket, many of those have been shipped over to the UK, via the Ocean.

The Science Bit
Breathing!
Right from the word go, we rely to the Ocean to just breath. 50% of life-giving Oxygen comes from the Ocean. Tiny plankton and the Ocean's plants absorb CO 2 and through a process called photosynthesis and release O 2 back into the atmosphere. So every time you breathe, half of the oxygen you take in has come from the Ocean - so we literally need it to survive.
Weather and climate
The Ocean drives our weather and climate. In fact, 98% of the heat from the sun's rays are absorbed by the Ocean. This heat is then moved around the earth via currents, so the warm water at the equator is moved around the earth, up to the poles.
Water Cycle
The Ocean plays a key part of the water cycle. When the sun shines and the warm currents heat the Ocean, water evaporates. This not only forms clouds but also increases the air temperature and the humidity... creating weather. The clouds then get blown back over the land, then it rains, and this water is used by every living thing on the planet before making its way back to the Ocean. Without this process, most of our planet would be desert.
Food for us
The Ocean provides protein to nearly 3 billion humans and every plant, vegetable and animal has grown though access to water produced through the water cycle driven by the Ocean. So, everything you eat is connected to the Ocean.
Food for the animals we eat
Statistics vary on how much fish meal is fed to the pigs, cattle and poultry we consume, but some scientists say that up to one third of all fish harvested from the Ocean is turned into food for farmed animals. Another way that we are connected to the Ocean via the food chain.
Human health and wellbeing
So, the Ocean gives us life - that is undeniable. But it also impacts our quality of life. Studies show that being in, on, near or under the Ocean can make us happier, healthier, more connected and better at what we do.

Ocean biodiversity: The movement of gentle Ocean waves and fish in an aquarium is known as Heraclitean Motion. These peaceful, repetitive movements are psychologically calming

Reduces stress: Studies have shown that people perceive nature as a positive, and spending time amongst it is known to improve mood

Improved health and wellbeing: various studies have shown improved mental and physical health in those who spend time near the coast

Therapeutic landscape: studies show that people prefer to look at scenes that contain blue and green elements (but more blue is favoured)

Relaxation: When swimming, breathing patterns affect the brain and increase positive hormones

Revitalisation: Negative ions (electrically charged particles that float in the atmosphere) are abundant by the sea. Breathing sea air gives us an energy boost.

Ocean sounds: The sounds of waves support meditation techniques

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Why Is the Ocean Important? - Ocean Conservation Trust

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The Ocean is the foundation of all life, an extraordinary and largely unexplored place. But why is the Ocean important to me?

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What really happens to the plastic you throw away - Emma Bryce

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A 38-Foot-Tall Whale Made From 10,000 Pounds of Plastic Waste Surfaces in Bruges — Colossal

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In response to the Bruges Triennial’s 2018 theme “Liquid City,” Brooklyn-based architecture and design firm STUDIOKCA designed a 38-foot-tall sculptural whale composed of over five tons of plastic pulled from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The studio, led by Jason Klimoski and Lesley Chang, wanted…

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Reflection Journal Topic #1 What are things you are looking forward to as part of Exhibition? What are things that you are concerned about?

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Reflection Journal Topic #1 What are things you are looking forward to as part of Exhibition? What are things that you are concerned about?

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Which Learner Profile attributes do you think will be the most important for you to be successful during the exhibition? Why?

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Which Learner Profile attributes do you think will be the most important for you to be successful during the exhibition? Why?

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Thinker, inquirer, communicator, principled, caring, open-minded, balanced, courageous, reflective,

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Reflection Journal Topic #3  At this point you have chosen your big idea that you are committing to for the PYPX. Why did you choose this inquiry topic and why is it important to you?

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Reflection Journal Topic #3  At this point you have chosen your big idea that you are committing to for the PYPX. Why did you choose this inquiry topic and why is it important to you?

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Reflection Journal Topic #4 What is some important advice or information you received from our Grade 6 PXPX experts?

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Reflection Journal Topic #4 What is some important advice or information you received from our Grade 6 PXPX experts?

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Reflection Journal Topic #12 How has thinking about your exhibition topic changed as you learned more? What has surprised you?

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Reflection Journal Topic #12 How has thinking about your exhibition topic changed as you learned more? What has surprised you?

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Reflection Journal Topic #13 How do you feel about how the exhibition presentations went? What things went really well? What would you change if you could do it again?

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Reflection Journal Topic #13 How do you feel about how the exhibition presentations went? What things went really well? What would you change if you could do it again?

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Reflection Journal Topic #14 What advice would you give to next year’s Grade 5 students about how to have a successful exhibition experience? You will meet with them next year to share your experience and knowledge.

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Reflection Journal Topic #14 What advice would you give to next year’s Grade 5 students about how to have a successful exhibition experience? You will meet with them next year to share your experience and knowledge.

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British Council Climate Change Challenge

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British Council Climate Change Challenge

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Connection - How plastic pollution affects ecosystems and biodiversity and understanding their interconnectedness.

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Connection - How plastic pollution affects ecosystems and biodiversity and understanding their interconnectedness.

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Plastic bags start out as fossil fuels and end up as deadly waste in landfills and the ocean. Birds often mistake shredded plastic bags for food, filling their stomachs with toxic debris. For hungry sea turtles, it's nearly impossible to distinguish between jellyfish and floating plastic shopping bags. Fish eat thousands of tons of plastic a year, transferring it up the food chain to bigger fish and marine mammals. Microplastics are also consumed by people through food and in the air. It's estimated that globally, people consume the equivalent of a credit card of plastic every week, and it's expected that there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050.

The fossil fuel industry plans to increase plastic production by 40% over the next decade. These oil giants are rapidly building petrochemical plants across the United States to turn fracked gas into plastic. This means more plastic in our oceans, more greenhouse gas emissions and more toxic air pollution, which exacerbates the climate crisis that often disproportionately affects communities of color.

10 Facts About Single-Use Plastic Bags

1. Americans use 5 trillion plastic bags a year.

2. Americans use an average of 365 plastic bags per person per year. People in Denmark use an average of four plastic bags per year.

3. It only takes about 14 plastic bags for the equivalent of the gas required to drive one mile.

4. In 2015 about 730,000 tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps were generated (including PS, PP, HDPE, PVC & LDPE) in the United States, but more than 87% of those items are never recycled, winding up in landfills and the ocean.

5. About 34% of dead leatherback sea turtles have ingested plastics.

6. The plastic typically used in bottles, bags and food containers contains chemical additives such as endocrine disruptors, which are associated with negative health effects including cancers, birth defects and immune system suppression in humans and wildlife.

7. It takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately, the bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

8. Chemical leachates from plastic bags impair the growth of the world's most important microorganisms, Prochlorococcus, a marine bacterium that provides one tenth of the world's oxygen.

9. There were 1.9 million grocery bags and other plastic bags collected in the 2018 International Coastal Cleanup.

10. In 2014 California became the first state to ban plastic bags. As of March 2018, 311 local bag ordinances have been adopted in 24 states, including Hawaii. As of July 2018, 127 countries have adopted some form of legislation to regulate plastic bags.

Ways You Can Help

1. Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, which would phase out throwaway plastics, hold the industry responsible for its waste and pause construction on new plastic-making plants. Ask your members of Congress to cosponsor this crucial bill aimed at tackling the plastic pollution crisis head on.

2. Practice waste prevention first and choose to reuse whenever possible. Make sure to always bring a reusable bag when shopping. By regularly washing your bags and drying them thoroughly, you can reuse them over and over.

3. One company, Formosa Plastics, is trying to build a mega-polluting petrochemical plant in Louisiana that would harm a Black community, degrade wetlands, and deepen the plastic pollution crisis. Sign the petition asking President Biden to revoke Formosa Plastics' federal permit, which is currently suspended and under reevaluation by the Army Corps of Engineers.

4. President Biden can address the plastic pollution crisis rapidly through executive action. Demand that he take bold action on plastics for our health, climate and wildlife.

Learn more about how plastic pollution threatens wildlife.

Get the latest on our work for biodiversity and learn how to help in our free weekly e-newsletter.

MORE SUSTAINABILITY INFORMATION

RELATED CAMPAIGNS

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The U.S. is the third-most populated country in the world, yet we're responsible for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, consumption and waste. If everyone in the world lived the way Americans do today, it would take five Earths to sustain the planet.

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The Ocean Cleanup - think about interviewing them

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The Ocean Cleanup - think about interviewing them

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We develop and scale technologies to rid the oceans of plastic

Our cleaning technologies are deployed around the world as we conduct the largest cleanup in history. For over ten years, The Ocean Cleanup has been researching, extracting, and monitoring plastic pollution in oceans and rivers globally - with millions of kilograms removed to date.

A planet-sized problem

Trillions of pieces of plastic pollute our oceans today, and the problem is worsening. This plastic has a devastating impact on marine wildlife and ecosystems. Plastics can persist for many decades, continuously degrading into microplastics. These can be ingested by wildlife and later enter the human food chain. Plastic pollution is a global crisis requiring urgent action.

We aim to clean up 90% of floating ocean plastic pollution

The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing and scaling technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. To achieve this objective, we use a dual strategy: intercepting plastic in rivers to cut the inflow of pollution, and cleaning up what has already accumulated in the ocean and won't go away by itself. When the oceans are clean, we can put ourselves out of business.

The Ocean Cleanup is cleaning up floating plastics caught swirling in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a plastic accumulation zone with over 100,000,000 kilograms of plastic.

Learn more

To clean the oceans, we also need to stop new trash from flowing into them. By tackling 1000 rivers around the world, we can halt 80% of riverine pollution reaching our oceans.

Learn more

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The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. We aim to remove 90% of the floating plastic with the help of ocean cleanup systems and river interception technologies.

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 Sam | Sustainable Living on Instagram: "This packaging never becomes waste, and it can help us fight plastic pollution!

#goodnews #plasticfree #plasticpollution #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #ecofriendly"

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25K likes, 323 comments - sambentley on January 18, 2024: "This packaging never becomes waste, and it can help us fight plastic pollution!

#goodnews #plast..."

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sam | Sustainable Living (@sambentley)

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1. Summarise your research - what did you discover? Add it to this Padlet.

2. Decide your SDG Goal.

3. Fill out three pages of the process diary.

4. Decide about your keyring design - where can we sell them?

5. Contact Ocean Cleanup.

6. Start to plan your Ocean clean-up model.

7. Decide your action. Presentation? Poster? Sell keyrings?

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1. Why did you choose this focus for your exhibition?

2. How do you feel about the exhibition?

3. What goals do you want to set for this week?

4. What type of action do you want to take?  You need to know by next week.  Think about the brainstorming and discussions about possible different types of action you may want to take.

5. What type of support would you like to have?

6. I have included resources under each column of your Padlet.  I think you should also interview Ocean Cleanup. I have spoken to them before. https://theoceancleanup.com/

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1. Make a list for me of things you need for signs, presentations or keyring cutouts.

2. Start designing your poster as an action.

3. Find a video for your exhibition.

3. Update your process diary.

4. Add everything you’ve already done to our Padlet.

5. Decide on exhibition Pieces.

6. Summarise your research.

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Plastic Pollution in the Ocean Research Line of Inquiry

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Connection - how does Ocean pollution affect other things?

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Connection - how does Ocean pollution affect other things?

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Plastic Pollution in the Ocean Video (Suri)

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Plastic Pollution in the Ocean Video (Suri)

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We have cut out cardboard hearts which we will paint designs on and use as part of our exhibition display. We will give them out to people asking them to make a pledge about how we can work to save our oceans.

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Plastic Pollution in the Ocean Poster (Suri)

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Plastic Pollution in the Ocean Poster (Suri)

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We've done goals: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7.