# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By clicking "Accept All Cookies", you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By clicking "Accept All Cookies", you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find the best eco-friendly advice for parenting infants to teens, plus tips on pregnancy, activities, family dynamics, and environmental education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Justin Worland | Photographs by XL Catlin Seaview Survey

Richard Vevers has traveled the globe to photograph coral reefs since quitting his advertising job. In 2011 he cofounded the XL Catlin Seaview Survey, a collaboration between the University of Queensland and a number of research institutions, photographing underwater corals as they adapt to climate change. He captured the Great Barrier Reef during its latest-and most devastating-mass die-off, and documented how coral off the coast of Belize had partially recovered thanks to a no-fishing zone.

But no dive has stunned Vevers as much as the sight of corals going white during an early March dive in the New Caledonia Barrier Reef, located about 1,000 miles from Australia's better-known Great Barrier Reef.

Coral die-offs-caused by a process known as bleaching-tend to look as bland and lifeless, in contrast to the vibrant rainbow colors of thriving coral. Bleached coral reefs usually appear as an endless stretch of white coral and eventually turn to dead brown coral. But in New Caledonia Vevers found something different.

The corals he captures lit up fluorescently as their color left them slowly but surely. The crew captured the moment using their underwater SVX camera system-a technology that captures 360-degree imagery underwater. "In the past people simply haven't gone to the right location at the right time," says Vevers. "I was blown away... I've never seen something so beautiful, but it's dying."

on your phone? Click "360" then move

The bleaching in New Caledonia represents just a small fraction of the total bleaching that has occurred across the globe since 2014. The ongoing bleaching event is the worst ever, with reefs affected from Florida to Australia, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It's also the longest bleaching event in recorded history, and scientists say it shows no evidence of ending any time soon. With the Our Ocean conference scheduled to start today in Washington, there's no better time to focus on one of the biggest threats to aquatic health.

A number of factors-from water pollution to disease-can irritate corals, causing them to expel the colored algae known as zooxanthellae that they live with symbiotically. Warm water temperatures caused by a combination of long-term climate change and short-lived weather phenomena like El Niño deserve the blame for the current bleaching episode.

Last year beat out 2014 as the warmest year on record and 2016 is on track to be even hotter. On top of that, sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific rose by more than 2°C (3.6°F) during the latest occurrence of the El Niño climate phenomenon. It only takes a sustained water temperature spike of 1°C (1.8°F) above average to upset corals and lead to bleaching.

"Rather than just being a single event tied to a single El Niño there has been continual bleaching in the Pacific," says Mark Eakin, a NOAA coral reef scientist. "It's unlike anything we've ever seen before."

The corals in the New Caledonia Barrier Reef have been lucky by most measures-a drop in local temperatures has allowed many of them to recover. But corals in other locations haven't been so fortunate. A recent survey of some areas of Australia's Great Barrier Reef suggested that more than a third of the corals in the region might have died, leaving a marine graveyard behind.

"The soft corals were just decomposing-animals literally dripping off the rocks," says Vevers of his dive in the Great Barrier Reef. "The most horrifying part was that we just absolutely stank of rotting animals. That's when you really realize that reefs are made up of billions of animals."

A full global accounting of how many corals have survived the latest bleaching episode will take months, if not longer, but coral scientists expect the worst. The consequences of losing coral reefs are catastrophic for the oceans. There's a reason scientists describe reefs as the rainforests of the sea.

Reefs occupy just 1% of the world's marine environment, but they provide a home to a quarter of marine species-including a unique set of fish, turtles and algae. Many of these species could be lost permanently, but with temperatures only expected to rise in the coming decades chances are slim that reefs will be able to rebuild from scratch.

"You can't grow back a 500-year old coral in 15 years," says Eakin. "In many cases, it's like you've killed the giant redwoods."

The death of coral also represents a huge loss-as much as $375 billion annually-for the local economies along the globe they support. Reefs support local tourism and the commercial fishing industry. They also protect coastlines from flooding during extreme storms.

Perhaps the most concerning aspect of coral loss is what it suggests about the future. The fragile nature of coral reefs leaves them hypersensitive to climate change, but ecosystems above ground and beneath the ocean will also be vulnerable to rising temperatures in the coming years and decades. And while humans can still stave off the worst effects of climate change, some level of warming remains inevitable.

"If you think of corals as canaries [in a coal mine], they're chirping really loudly right now," said Jennifer Koss, NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program director, at a recent press conference. "The ones that are still alive, that is."
Graphic sources: World Resources Institute; XL Catlin Seaview Survey; NOAA Animation by Heather Jones for TIME

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Explore This Coral Reef Before it Disappears

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An underwater investigation of coral bleaching in the South Pacific

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tropical coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems on earth, giving shelter to thousands of animal species. Many millions of people depend on fisheries, tourism and coastal protection provided by healthy coral reefs. Yet today, coral reefs are dying at an alarming rate all around the globe

Corals build the reef structure and provide the basis for a functioning coral reef ecosystem. Without corals, reefs will degrade and vanish within years. At present, coral reefs are facing multiple stresses such as pollution, overfishing, and, overall, the ongoing climate change―consequently raising sea water temperatures and causing coral bleaching worldwide. As a result, over 50 percent of the world's coral reefs have died in the last 30 years and up to 90 percent may die within the next century-very few pristine coral reefs still exist.

The impact of our changing climate on coral reefs was manifested by the third global bleaching event in 2015/16. This event has caused a mass die-off of corals; for example along the Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately, there is a clear pattern of severe bleaching events increasing in frequency, to a point where there is now inadequate intervals for corals to recover in between.

A world without corals means not only will we have a less diverse and less beautiful ocean, but it will also be an economic disaster for many people-predominantly in developing countries. Fisheries and tourism provide important livelihoods that directly depend on healthy coral reefs. Reefs are nurseries for many fish species, including commercial ones, and attract millions of tourists every year. Coral reefs offer natural coastal protection, especially in areas frequently impacted by hurricanes and tropical storms. The great biodiversity of coral reefs serves as an important source for new medicinal remedies.

Altogether, coral reefs comprise an area of almost 300 000 km² and are estimated to have an economic value of US$100 000 - 600 000 per km², thus providing one of the most high-value ecosystems. Coral reefs are among the most complex ecosystems and are revealing the degraded status of coastal environments. Their alarming status represents the poor health of our oceans and if coral reefs disappear other marine realms will follow.

Corals have existed for more than 400 million years; yet stresses and changes from human activities are happening faster than their ability to adapt. Corals may not survive the intensity and swiftness of these ongoing changes. A matter of vital importance is sexual reproduction of corals; as it is for most species. Sexual reproduction maintains genetic diversity and, in turn, enables species to adapt to a naturally dynamic environment in the long-term. Corals under stress are likely to stop sexual reproduction, which puts their survival at risk.

SECORE is working to give coral reefs a future.

Apart from urgent action to mitigate climate change on a global scale, it is increasingly evident that traditional conservation measures are inadequate to ensure the survival of this essential ecosystem. If we want to give coral reefs a fighting chance to survive and thrive for generations to come, we need active restoration measures to complement coral reef conservation.

Together with our lead partners, we initiated the Global Coral Restoration effort in 2017 to accelerate the development of new tools, methods and strategies to make coral restoration viable on larger thus meaningful scales.

SECORE's mission is to create and share the tools and technologies to sustainably restore coral reefs worldwide.

You can make a difference: your donation is vital for us to continue where we excel - creating the tools to sustainably restore coral reefs around the world.

read more:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
secore is working to give coral reefs a future

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SECORE International | Why coral reefs need our help

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tropical coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems on earth, giving shelter to thousands of animal species. Many millions of people depend on fisheries, tourism and coastal protection provided by healthy coral reefs. Yet today, coral reefs are dying at an alarming rate all around the globe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to content

Kelsey Juliana is proof that you're never too young or too busy to save the planet.
The 18-year-old environmentalist activist is a co-plaintiff for the Oregon TRUST (a nonprofit fighting climate change for future generations), who is suing the state of Oregon "to take a more aggressive stance against the carbon emissions warming the earth and destroying the environment." It's a cause she's been fighting for since the tender age of 15.
The impressive teen - who is also walking across America to bring awareness to global warming - recently sat down with journalist Bill Moyers on his show. The host marveled that when most kids her age are reading "The Hunger Games," this young lady is delving into legal briefs about public doctrine.
During a poignant portion of the interview at the 4:30 mark below, Moyers asks, "Do some of your friends in high school think you're weird [for your activism]?"
Juliana responds, "No. They seem to all support me but not join me, which is almost worse than not supporting me, you know, because they get it. And they don't do anything."
MORE: What Happens When a 13-Year-Old Girl Takes on an Oil Company?
What she says is completely true. Thanks to the proliferation of smart phones and social media, America's youth is probably more informed about worldly issues than ever (just think of the virality of #BringBackOurGirls or the ALS #IceBucketChallenge). And while using a hashtag to promote a cause certainly helps, ultimately, actions speak much louder.
With warmer temperatures, rising sea levels and toxic air, we cannot afford to stand idle. Especially, the people who will be inheriting the earth.
As Juliana says, "I think that's so important that people my age really get [that] into their heads. As a younger person, I have everything to gain from taking action and everything to lose from not... It's important that youth are the ones who are standing up because of the fact that we do have so much to lose."

DON'T MISS: When it Comes to the Planet, Children (Not the Government) Really Are the Future

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This Teen Activist Is Suing the Government Over Climate Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to content Kelsey Juliana is proof that you're never too young or too busy to save the planet. The 18-year-old environmentalist activist is a co-plaintiff for the Oregon TRUST (a nonprofit fighting climate change for future generations), who is suing the state of Oregon "to take a more aggressive stance against the carbon emissions warming the earth and destroying the environment."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Climate change has caused an 89% decrease in new coral in the Great Barrier Reef, study finds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
“We used to think that the Great Barrier Reef was too big to fail – until now”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
First, global markets consume rainforest products that depend on sustainable harvesting: latex, cork, fruit, nuts, timber, fibers, spices, natural oils and resins, and medicines. In addition, the genetic diversity of tropical forests is basically the deepest end of the planetary gene pool. Hidden in the genes of plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria that have not even been discovered yet may be cures for cancer and other diseases or the key to improving the yield and nutritional quality of foods-which the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says will be crucial for feeding the nearly ten billion people the Earth will likely need to support in coming decades. Finally, genetic diversity in the planetary gene pool is crucial for the resilience of all life on Earth to rare but catastrophic environmental events, such as meteor impacts or massive, sustained volcanism.

Soil Impacts

With all the lushness and productivity that exist in tropical forests, it can be surprising to learn that tropical soils are actually very thin and poor in nutrients. The underlying "parent" rock weathers rapidly in the tropics' high temperatures and heavy rains, and over time, most of the minerals have washed from the soil. Nearly all the nutrient content of a tropical forest is in the living plants and the decomposing litter on the forest floor.

When an area is completely deforested for farming, the farmer typically burns the trees and vegetation to create a fertilizing layer of ash. After this slash-and-burn deforestation, the nutrient reservoir is lost, flooding and erosion rates are high, and soils often become unable to support crops in just a few years. If the area is then turned into cattle pasture, the ground may become compacted as well, slowing down or preventing forest recovery.

Social Impacts

Tropical forests are home to millions of native (indigenous) people who make their livings through subsistence agriculture, hunting and gathering, or through low-impact harvesting of forest products like rubber or nuts. Deforestation in indigenous territories by loggers, colonizers, and refugees has sometimes triggered violent conflict. Forest preservation can be socially divisive, as well. National and international governments and aid agencies struggle with questions about what level of human presence, if any, is compatible with conservation goals in tropical forests, how to balance the needs of indigenous peoples with expanding rural populations and national economic development, and whether establishing large, pristine, uninhabited protected areas-even if that means removing current residents-should be the highest priority of conservation efforts in tropical forests.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
First, global markets consume rainforest products that depend on sustainable harvesting: latex, cork, fruit, nuts, timber, fibers, spices, natural oils and resins, and medicines. In addition, the genetic diversity of tropical forests is basically the deepest end of the planetary gene pool.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deforestation and Forest Degradation | Threats | WWF

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how you can help support WWF’s conservation work which addresses direct and indirect threats, including deforestation, in order to conserve biodiversity and reduce humanity’s ecological footprint.

# data[].attributes.headline
EarthTimes: Various Articles on Pollution

# data[].attributes.subject
EarthTimes: Various Articles on Pollution

# data[].attributes.headline
Newsela: Teen activist killed fighting a silver mine to save land

# data[].attributes.subject
Newsela: Teen activist killed fighting a silver mine to save land

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Like a lot of boys, Clay McMullen always enjoyed fishing and rock-climbing around his home in Geauga County's Chester Township.

But starting about a half-dozen years ago, at age 11, Clay began worrying about the environment so much that he started a crusade to make a difference.

Since then, Clay, now 17, has won nearly 50 grants totaling $180,000 from organizations ranging from Walt Disney Co. to the Environmental Protection Agency to Sea World.

Along the way, the West Geauga High School senior also helped get a state law passed last year that essentially guarantees that Ohio elementary students will be taught about wetlands when they learn about the state symbols.

More heroes

Every year The Plain Dealer highlights people in Greater Cleveland who saw a need and stepped up to answer it -- sometimes risking injury to save lives, sometimes risking time and effort to make a change in the community. Here are the heroes of the past three years and a link to all of this year's stories.

Clay'sprojects include building nesting landings for osprey (an endangered bird), starting nature clubs for students in the West Geauga district's two elementary schools, planting vegetable gardens and courtyards at his middle school and high school, and getting emission-control devices installed on nearly two dozen buses in the school district.

He estimates that he has spent 2,000 hours on environmental causes since the seventh grade.

"It's worth it. I want these natural resources to be preserved," he said. "I want my kids to have the same natural resources that I had. I want my grandkids to have them, too.

"Whatever amount of work I have to do, it's completely worth it," he said.

Clay's mom, Irene, recalls that hebegged to go on a bird-watching excursion when he was in the fifth grade.

"It was so funny. Everyone else was retired," she said, "but Clay was fascinated." Among the topics: The endangered osprey -- a fish-eating bird with a 6-foot wingspan.

The grant mania set in a year later in 2005, after he learned that 90 percent of Ohio's wetlands have been destroyed in the last 100 years. Ospreys rely on wetlands.

Clay got the idea to build osprey nesting platforms, which sit on 50-foot-high poles in wetland areas, and his mom took him to Home Depot. Clay asked the manager if he could help out with the materials, which would have cost about $150. The manager told Clay that if he wrote a letter explaining the project, Home Depot would donate the materials. The rest is history.

Mike Sustin, an environmental-science teacher at West Geauga High School, recalled that Clay next started researching online where he could get grants to build more nesting platforms, and found an application from Disney.

Clay was awarded $1,000 from Disney to build the platforms.

"The projects just got bigger after that," Irene McMullen said. "People began to call him. So it just kind of snowballed."

Clay's biggest grant was a $64,000 prize from the EPA to get diesel multistage filters installed on the schooldistrict's buses. "The amount of particulate from those buses is pretty alarming," he said.

He also got the school board to adopt a "West G is Idle Free" policy that prohibits idling in the parking lot for more than 30 seconds.

What about parents waiting to pick up their kids on cold days? Clay helped secure a grant last year to buy green micro-fleece blankets to distribute to people waiting in cold cars.

Sustin considers Clay's slickest achievement to be the five-year quest he undertook with a few of his environmentally minded friends to ensure that students statewide would learn about and appreciate wetlands.

They persuaded the Ohio legislatureto name the spotted salamander, which lives in wetlands, as the state's official amphibian -- guaranteeing that wetlands are part of every fourth-grade science class.

"That was a great strategy," Sustin said. "As a 20-year educator, I don't know that I could have come up with that idea."

While a kid who's extremely science-minded and has a grade point average above 4.0 could be considered a little nerdy, Clay is one of the most popular students, said Principal David Toth.

As he prepares to leave for college next year, Clay is training younger students to continue his environmental work.

"I think we can provide an example to show that you can be active and try to contribute and make a difference," he said.

Plain Dealer news researcher Jo Ellen Corrigan contributed to this story. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tmurray@plaind.com, 216-999-6315

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Clay McMullen, teen passionate about saving the environment: Community Heroes 2011 (video)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Like a lot of boys, Clay McMullen always enjoyed fishing and rock-climbing around his home in Geauga County's Chester Township. But starting about a half-dozen years ago, at age 11, Clay began worrying about the environment so much that he started a crusade to make a difference.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Clock Is Ticking: Youth and Environmental Activism

# data[].attributes.subject
The Clock Is Ticking: Youth and Environmental Activism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Young people have a unique relationship with the environment: They are often the first affected when something goes wrong, yet the least represented when decisions are made.

They, more than any other generation, have been raised to feel a responsibility toward the environment. And that's important because they will be the first generation in charge of correcting the problems caused by the widespread pollution of the atmosphere and rampant misappropriation of natural resources.

Youth today feel the "clock is ticking in terms of the amount of time we have to deal with the major issues like clean air, clean water and global warming," says Sharon Smith, program director of Brower New Leaders at the Earth Island Institute, a support group for youth environmental campaigns and initiatives.
Growth in activism
Smith has seen firsthand the growth in environmental activism. "I graduated from college in 1999, and right in my first year out of college I went to an eco conference, which at that time was held in the Northeast. It was one of the largest environmental youth conferences held to date, and it had about a thousand people."

Contrast that with a 2009 conference that drew 12,000 young people from all 50 states, she said. "You can really see the growth of the environmental movement even over the past decade by looking at these conferences and the trainings designed and led and initiated by young people."

Canon Envirothon has seen similar growth in youth activism. A nonprofit specializing in the delivery of environmental education for high school students, the program has grown from three states in 1988 to 54 states and provinces in North America today.

Young people are "looking for avenues where they can make a difference and become knowledgeable, and then they can take and share that knowledge and experience," said Clay Burns, executive director of Canon Envirothon in Mississippi. They need to be "willing and prepared to work toward achieving and maintaining a balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment."
Raising new leaders
But an increase in youth activism is not enough to stave off environmental peril - we need new ideas and new leaders, according to Eban Goodstein, economics professor at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., and co-director of the 2009 National Teach-In on Global Warming, a nationwide network of teachers at all educational levels that, on Feb. 5, engaged more than a million Americans in a "solutions-driven dialogue."

Eban says the U.S. must act aggressively in the next year or so to reduce global- warming pollution and invest in clean energy technologies or "you guys are going to be looking at a very different world in 2050," when the world will be 3 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher.

"To put that number in perspective, during the last Ice Age, it was only nine degrees Fahrenheit colder than it is on average today," he explained.

Goodstein says youth need to move beyond being the front lines of environmental activism to being the visionaries. Both the Brower New Leaders and Canon Envirothon have devoted more than two decades training them to do just that.

Earth Island Initiative was founded in 1982 by renowned environmentalist David Brower to support young people who have new strategies for saving the earth. In 2000, the organization started the Brower Youth Awards, which honor six youth ages 13 to 23 each year for their leadership and activism with a gala ceremony, campout and $3,000 prize.

"We felt like young people so often are sort of the workhorses of these campaigns and aren't always recognized, aren't always supported at a critical time in the development of their careers, in the development of their activism," Smith said.

The Canon Envirothon also honors young environmentalists in a yearly competition that engages more than 500,000 high school students throughout North America. The Envirothon works in partnership with local conservation districts, forestry associations, educators and natural resource agencies to organize and conduct competitions on the local, regional, and state and/or provincial level. This year's hands-on problem-solving competition is Aug. 2-6 at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where local finalists will compete for recognition, scholarships, and prizes.
Issues addressed
While recycling clubs abound at all age levels, more and more youth are expanding their efforts in other directions. In Massachusetts, young people involved in Gardening in the Community promote organic gardening and bicycle use. In Florida, a young man developed an interactive curriculum to educate youth about the plight of loggerhead turtles. In California, youth helped pass a bill requiring cosmetic companies to alert the Department of Health if their products contain carcinogens.

These are just a few examples. Youth across the country are cleaning up local wetlands, shutting down toxic waste sites, promoting clean energy and combating landfills. They have educated their peers, parents and the public on carbon emissions, reusable goods and conservation of resources.

Brower New Leaders have dealt with many such issues, and the Earth Island Institute currently oversees 60 projects, ranging from "Project Coyote" to the "Sacred Land Film Project," in 26 countries worldwide.

Students involved in Canon Envirothon pay special attention to natural resources, specifically those related to soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry and wildlife.

"Conservation is the big thing that we're involved in," Burns said, explaining that such work is more grassroots, and thus a more viable venue for youth activism.

And while most youth activism is local, many are entering the political realm to effect long-lasting change.

"There's a recognition that this is a time when we need major action from government if we're going to sort of lay the foundation and give you guys the tools that you're going to need to transform the world," Goodstein said.
New worldview coming?
Goodstein envisions a day soon when people automatically think about the environmental impact of their actions before they act. "We'll move on to a phase where we just sort of naturally mimic nature and create things that are in harmony with nature and don't produce waste and pollution."

Smith shares his optimism because she's seen the changes enacted by the youth involved in her program. "Just this year we were looking at the past 10 years of awardees, and at least 87 percent of our award recipients are still in leadership roles in the environmental movement. So it's a great sign that these young folks were committed when they applied to do this work and that hopefully the support we provided ensured they could stay committed and rise as leaders," she said.

The presidency of Barack Obama gives more reasons for hope. "It's rejuvenated the environmental movement in a number of ways," Smith said. "People have been really hitting their heads against the wall for eight years trying to push forward environmental initiatives."
Click here to read these Y-Press profiles:
Grind for the Green, San Francisco, CA
Urban Roots, East Austin, TX
West Oakland Urban Students Uprising against Pollution, Oakland, CA
Click here to read how students at two high schools are recycling and promoting environmentalism.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Researchers from the United Negro College Fund went to West Virginia last year and asked 62 high school dropouts in the federal Job Corps program a simple, open-ended question. ¨What was it about school,¨ they wanted to know, ¨that caused you to quit?¨

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sea turtles are vulnerable to ocean pollution at all stages of life, from eggs to hatchlings to juveniles to adults. Pollutants include things like toxic metals, pcb's, petroleum products, and agricultural and industrial runoff of contaminants such as fertilizers, chemicals, nutrients, and untreated waste. Pollutants may cause immediate harm to sea turtles through direct contact or can build up in tissues over time and lead to immunosuppression resulting in disease and death.

Degradation of sea turtle habitat from pollution also poses a threat and can occur over large areas. Sea turtle habitat overlaps with areas most likely to be affected by offshore oil exploration and production. Petroleum pollution occurs from intentional discharge from vessels, vessel groundings, offshore oil exploration and production, transport of oil products, spills, and runoff of oil from land based sources.

Oil from spills far offshore concentrate along convergence zones (where currents meet) which is are important areas for young turtle development. Oil from spills offshore also washes up on beaches where it degrades nesting habitat, and can impact nests, nesting females, and hatchlings making their way to the water.

Sea turtles are also affected by ingesting food contaminated by oil or tar balls. Tar balls form when crude oil floating in the water degrades. A large percentage of dead hatchlings whose stomach contents have been examined have ingested tar balls.

Fibropapillomas

This disease is a threat to sea turtle populations worldwide. Also known as "FP", this disease causes cauliflower-shaped tumors on external soft parts and internal organs of a sea turtle. The exact cause of FP is still unknown, however, researchers believe there is a link to ocean pollution. External FP tumors can create drag and slow sea turtles down making them more vulnerable to predation and collisions with boats.

Tumors around the eyes can obscure vision and eventually cause blindness, and tumors around the mouth can impair breathing and feeding. In some areas, many stranded and dead turtles have FP tumors. Research is still being done to determine the exact cause and transmission of this disease.

FP was first seen in the 1930's in green turtles in the Florida Keys. In Hawaii, FP was not seen until the late 50's. It was first only observed in isolated areas but now occurs worldwide and in other species including loggerheads, Kemp's and olive ridleys, and flatbacks. Over 50% of green turtles found in Florida's Indian River are afflicted.

ocean pollution & sea turtles

Toxic metals may concentrate in the liver and kidneys of sea turtles. Toxins like mercury also pose a threat to human health.

Chronic exposure to pollutants makes sea turtles susceptible to disease and death. Chronically ill turtles are also more vulnerable to predation and collisions with boats.

PCB's, or polychlorinated biphenyl's, despite being banned from production in the U.S. in 1979, are still found in the environment, and in materials produced prior to the ban. Organisms that ingest these chemicals may suffer from depressed immune systems, illness, disease, and impaired reproduction. Researchers have found PCB's in sea turtle eggs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sea turtles are vulnerable to ocean pollution at all stages of life, from eggs to hatchlings to juveniles to adults. Pollutants include things like toxic metals, pcb's, petroleum products, and agricultural and industrial runoff of contaminants such as fertilizers, chemicals, nutrients, and untreated waste.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Plastic is an amazing man-made material - it's cheap to produce and has many uses! But half of the plastic we produce is designed to be used just once and then thrown away - and even plastic that can be reused or recycled gets chucked out, too!
Much of our unwanted plastic ends up in the ocean - around 8 million tonnes of it every year, in fact! And because plastic takes 400 years to break down, it stays there for a long, long time, putting our friends beneath the waves in serious danger. Let's dive in and take a closer look...

700...

different species of animals are believed to be severely threatened because of plastic pollution in the ocean.

tonnes of a gas called carbon dioxide (CO ₂) is absorbed by the ocean each day because of rubbish. The ocean has always sucked up CO ₂ from the air as part of nature - but our waste means more is being absorbed than before. As a result, the water is becoming more acidic, which could make it harder for fish to breath and for creatures like crabs, lobsters and coral to grow their shells.

of all dead animals found in beach cleanups worldwide have been entangled in plastic bags.

animals and birds were found trapped by marine debris (such as old ropes, nets, mesh and wires) during a recent international coastal cleanup.

5 trillion...

pieces of plastic (not including microbeads - minuscule plastic balls found in toiletries like face washes and toothpaste) are estimated to be floating in the world's seas.

of seabirds eat plastic rubbish, mistaking it for food.

of fish found during a recent expedition had plastic in their stomachs.

of sea turtles worldwide have accidentally eaten plastic rubbish in the ocean.

The facts and figures are pretty shocking, right? The good news is that people around the world are working to together to reduce plastic waste. Join the mission and check out our 10 tips to reduce plastic pollution!

What did you think of our Plastic in the Ocean feature? Will you be helping to solve the plastic problem? Leave a comment below and let us know!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Plastic in the Ocean - National Geographic Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get facts and figures on how plastic pollution is harming marine life. How much plastic is in the ocean? Why is plastic pollution dangerous?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Air pollution happens when solid and liquid particles-called aerosols -and certain gases end up in our air. These particles and gases can be bad for the planet and for our health, so keeping track of them is important.

Where do aerosols come from?

Any particle that gets picked up into the air or is formed from chemical reactions in the air can be an aerosol. Many aerosols enter the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels-such as coal and petroleum-and wood. These particles can come from many sources, including car exhaust, factories and even wildfires. Some of the particles and gases come directly from these sources, but others form through chemical reactions in the air.

Aerosols can come from other places, too, such as ash from an erupting volcano. Dust, pollen from plants and mold spores are also examples of aerosols.

What else causes air pollution?

Certain gases in the atmosphere can cause air pollution. For example, in cities, a gas called ozone is a major cause of air pollution. Ozone is also a greenhouse gas that can be both good and bad for our environment. It all depends where it is in Earth's atmosphere.

Ozone high up in our atmosphere is a good thing. It helps block harmful energy from the Sun, called radiation. But, when ozone is closer to the ground, it can be really bad for our health. Ground level ozone is created when sunlight reacts with certain chemicals that come from sources of burning fossil fuels, such as factories or car exhaust.

When particles in the air combine with ozone, they create smog. Smog is a type of air pollution that looks like smoky fog and makes it difficult to see.

How does air pollution affect Earth's climate?

Aerosols can impact how the Sun's light hits Earth. For example, some aerosols reflect sunlight while others absorb sunlight. It depends on the color of the particle.

Dark surfaces-whether it's a black t-shirt or a dark particle in the atmosphere-absorb the Sun's heat. Lighter-colored surfaces reflect heat from the Sun.

A white t-shirt reflects the Sun on a hot day, making you feel cooler. In the same way, light-colored particles that reflect the Sun's light and heat away from Earth can make the global temperature cooler. Dark-colored particles that absorb the Sun's light can make the global temperature warmer.

How does air pollution affect our health?

Breathing in polluted air can be very bad for our health. Long-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with diseases of the heart and lungs, cancers and other health problems. That's why it's important for us to monitor air pollution.

How is NASA monitoring air pollution?

NASA uses satellites orbiting Earth to keep an eye on air pollution. In fact, air quality forecasters use information about aerosols from NASA's Aqua, Terra and Suomi-NPP satellites.

NASA also is developing a new instrument called the Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols, or MAIA, to fly aboard a future spacecraft mission. MAIA will help scientists understand the size, makeup and quantity of aerosols in our air. Eventually, scientists will be able to compare this information with health records. This can help us better understand the relationship between aerosol pollution and human health.

Related NASA Missions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Air pollution is caused by solid or liquid particles and certain gases suspended in the air. These particles and gases can come from car and truck exhaust, factories, dust, pollen, mold spores, volcanoes and wildfires.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Earth's climate is changing at an rate. As a result, storms and are becoming more intense. Temperatures are rising. Polar ice caps are melting. This is causing oceans to rise. Low coastal areas are flooding. Animals are losing their habitats. Scientists are sounding the alarm: If we don't make changes to halt global warming, the planet's climate will become increasingly unbearable.

Climate, unlike weather, describes long-term patterns in the conditions of the . Earth's climate as a whole has changed several times throughout history. In the past 650,000 years alone, there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. Most of these changes are a natural part of Earth's 4.5 billion-year history. They are due to tiny variations in the Earth's orbit, which alter the amount of solar energy reaching the planet.

Scientists say that recent changes in Earth's climate are not due to natural causes. According to NASA, 97% of climate scientists agree there is a direct connection between human activity and the changes occurring on our planet.

TAYLOR WEIDMAN-BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES

The Human Impact

Over the past 150 years, humans have used more and more engines, vehicles, and other machines. These devices burn through fossil fuels like coal and oil. Fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases.

Normally, plants, trees, and the oceans absorb carbon dioxide and release it back into the atmosphere as oxygen. But an increase in fossil fuels has created more carbon dioxide than nature can take in. Adding to the problem are other human activities. Deforestation and the destruction of habitats also reduce the number of trees and plants. That makes it even harder to absorb all that carbon dioxide.

When too much carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere, it causes problems for Earth's climate. Sunlight can pass through those gases. But the heat the sun generates cannot escape back out into space. So the gases end up trapping that heat. This then turns the planet into a giant greenhouse.

This greenhouse effect leads to changes in the climate, like increased temperatures. Average temperatures across the planet have not been increasing uniformly. But scientists observe a clear upward trend. Sixteen of the 17 warmest years ever recorded have occurred since 2001.

Scientists believe that climate change will have an impact far greater than milder winters and warmer summers. A warmer planet melts glaciers and other large bodies of ice faster than usual. Earth's glaciers help cool the planet. This means that as ice melts, temperatures will continue to rise. Rising sea levels, flooding, and stronger weather events will occur. And as the planet gets hotter, some places will become uninhabitable for people and animals.

These effects are already being felt around the world. Melting polar ice caps are causing huge chunks of ice to fall into the oceans. The melting ice is causing sea levels to rise about an eighth of an inch per year. That's according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Many coastal areas are in danger of flooding. Some scientists predict that if sea levels continue to rise at current rates, entire cities may be submerged in the next 100 years.

In warm, dry regions, increased temperatures are causing severe drought. This leads to wildfires, food shortages, and water insecurity. Global warming has also led to coral bleaching of nearly two-thirds of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The corals provide a habitat for nearly 1,500 different species of fish. This loss of sea life also affects the hundreds of millions of humans who rely on marine creatures for food.

Climate change is also creating more extreme weather events. This puts people and in danger. Scientists believe that global warming is responsible for hurricanes of greater intensity. Other results of global warming include more frequent and severe heat waves, droughts, blizzards, and rainstorms.

CHRIS SEWARD-RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER/TNS/GETTY IMAGES

Taking Action

Governments, companies, and individuals are working to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Countries are joining to fight climate change and its effects. Innovators are working to create Earth-friendly fuels and power sources. And more and more people are using electric and hybrid vehicles. They are also turning to wind and solar power for alternative energy sources.

But humans still need to deal with the large amount of carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere. One solution being tested is called carbon sequestration. Through this process, carbon dioxide can be captured and stored underground before it goes into the atmosphere. Another proposal is to store carbon by planting more trees-nature's carbon trap.

Time will tell the true impact that climate change has on Earth. But how humans respond and adapt to a warming planet will set the course for years to come.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Earth's climate is changing at an unprecedented rate. As a result, storms and droughts are becoming more intense. Temperatures are rising. Polar ice caps are melting. This is causing oceans to rise. Low coastal areas are flooding. Animals are losing...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Greta Thunberg: Who is the climate activist and what has she achieved?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The climate activist has been arrested in Sweden and the UK as a result of her protests.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A group of recent University of Oregon graduates has a plan to tackle the global plastic problem, and their solution is even edible, too.

AlgoTek was formed by CEO David Crinnion and his college friends to develop a new, algae-based plastic that's 100 percent sustainable and biodegradable. The main ingredients are a brown algae powder and a proprietary process that produces thin, flexible and tough plastics that could be used for a variety of single-use items and packaging including pill capsules, bottles, toilet seat covers, tampon applicators, 6-pack rings, travel containers, Tide pods, and even a tree pot that slowly fertilizes as it dissolves.

"The real inspiration was our drive to start a business that did good for the world," Crinnion told me. "But if we are going to get our product into the plastic market we have to treat it like a business generating profit in order to fund the next rounds of innovation in helping the world. "

In response to climate change and a global epidemic of plastic pollution, there's been plenty of other attempts at making "greener" plastics that use fewer petroleum-based feedstock and are compostable or otherwise biodegradable. Often, though, such alternative plastics aren't as durable or are significantly more expensive - I'm reminded of the pricey corn-based plastic cups at my wedding that melted in direct sunlight.

While AlgoTek's plastic clearly isn't waterproof since water activates its degradation, the time it takes for the material to break down can be controlled and ranges from dissolving in under a minute to standing up to full submersion for two weeks.

"The degradation only happens when the material is submerged in liquid," Crinnion said. "For example if we took the material that takes two weeks to degrade and (put it) under water for two minutes then took it back out, the material would be exactly the same as when it went in. So technically it is waterproof but only for a certain amount of time."

Crinnion adds that it remains unchanged by heat up to 140 degrees F as well as cold down to 10 degrees

"As far as pressure... the very thin version will tear like tissue paper, but the very thick and hardy solutions will not be able to break under human pressure."

The company's most direct competitor is the Mississippi company Algix that makes plastics from a blend of polymers and algae plastics. AlgoTek says it wants to lead the way with 100 percent renewable plastics.

AlgoTek's proof of concept has helped it raise around $35,000 to get off the ground and begin looking for seed funding and begin talking with potential manufacturing partners. The young company is also in the process of pursuing patents so it can license its technology to other producers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
It's Plastic. It's Edible. It Could Be A Very Big Deal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A group of recent University of Oregon graduates has a plan to tackle the global plastic problem, and their solution is even edible, too. AlgoTek was formed by CEO David Crinnion and his college friends to develop a new, algae-based plastic that's 100 percent sustainable and biodegradable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The last time you ordered a drink at a restaurant, did it come with a plastic straw? According to the Trash Free Seas Alliance, the average American uses 1.6 straws a day. In the US alone, that's enough to circle the equator two and a half times.

Single-use plastic items such as straws-as well as stirrers, bags, and cups-are convenient, but convenience can come at an environmental cost if they aren't disposed of properly or recycled. Many marine animals mistake these and other plastic items for food. Plastic has been found in an estimated 90% of all seabirds and in all sea turtle species. Within the next decade there could be a pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish in the ocean.

Recycling and proper waste disposal help reduce the plastic trash that ends up in our landfills and seas, but there is another action you can take. By refusing a straw, you can help prevent plastic pollution. You can also ask your local restaurants to provide straws only upon request, or to change to paper or other non-plastic options.

Imagine the impact if we all gave up the habit of single-use plastics. So say no to the straw, and help change the future for our oceans.

About

World Wildlife magazine provides an inspiring, in-depth look at the connections between animals, people and our planet. Published quarterly by WWF, the magazine helps make you a part of our efforts to solve some of the most pressing issues facing the natural world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A small straw's big environmental impact

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The last time you ordered a drink at a restaurant, did it come with a plastic straw? According to the Trash Free Seas Alliance, the average American uses 1.6 straws a day. In the US alone, that's enough to circle the equator two and a half times.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From the shoreline at North Avenue Beach in Chicago, the blue water of Lake Michigan stretches as far as the eye can see. But beneath that pristine image, there's a barely visible threat, says Jennifer Caddick of the Alliance for the Great Lakes: microbeads.

These tiny bits of plastic, small scrubbing components used in hundreds of personal care products like skin exfoliants and soap, can slip through most water treatment systems when they wash down the drain.

Environmentalists say they're a part of the plastic pollution found in the ocean, and, increasingly, in the Great Lakes, which contain more than 20 percent of the world's freshwater. Now, Illinois and New York state lawmakers are a step closer to banning them.

Microbeads, says Caddick, engagement director for the Alliance, are "a bigger problem than we initially had thought."
Plastics That Look Like Food
Sherri Mason, an associate professor of chemistry at the State University of New York, Fredonia, sailed with a research team over the past couple of years to collect data on the prevalence of plastics in the lakes. They dragged a fine mesh net in the waters at half-hour intervals to snag what they could - "anything that's bigger than a third of a millimeter," Mason says.

When the boat docked at Chicago's Navy Pier last summer, Mason showed off the sample bottles of microbeads that she and her team had collected in Lake Michigan.

Mason says her testing found, on average, 17,000 bits of tiny plastic items per square kilometer in Lake Michigan. The levels were much lower in Lake Huron and Lake Superior, but Lake Erie and Lake Ontario had much higher concentrations.

Lake Ontario's levels are highest, with counts of up to 1.1 million plastic particles per square kilometer. While microbeads in facial cleansers and body washes may be pretty good for removing dead skin cells, Mason says, there's a rub.

"They are about the same size as fish eggs, which means that, essentially, they look like food. To any organism that lives in the water, they are food," Mason says. "So our concern is that, essentially, they are making their way into the food web."

And if fish eat microbeads, which can soak up toxins like a sponge, scientists suggest that those chemicals could be passed on to humans and wildlife.

So, after collaborating with groups like 5 Gyres that fight against plastic pollution in waterways, state lawmakers in Illinois and New York are among the first to approve legislation banning microbeads. The Illinois bill has passed that state's Senate, and in New York, the legislation has passed the House.

"Obviously, protecting the lake is hugely fundamental, not just to my district, but to the whole system here in Chicago," says Illinois state Sen. Heather Steans, who represents a district along Chicago's lakefront and supports the measure.

"We've got an agreed-to bill now that will, in fact, ban the manufacture of these by 2017, and [ban] the distribution of them in the state by 2018," Steans says.

In New York, if pending legislation is signed into law, manufacturers will have until December of 2015 to phase out products with microbeads.
Industry Exploring Alternatives
Until the Illinois ban is fully approved, Steans says, consumers should look at labels. "If they have polyethylene or polypropylene on the labels, that indicates there's plastic in them," she says. "Sometimes, right on the front of the labels it will say, "Microbeads."

While environmental groups and lawmakers are behind the measures, so are some companies in the personal care industry. Karin Ross, a spokeswoman for the Personal Care Products Council, says L'Oreal, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble have already announced that they are phasing out the use of microbeads and are testing alternatives like sand and apricot seeds.

"We worked on this bill extensively," she says of the Illinois legislation. "We think it's a positive first step."

Even so, Jared Teutsch, water policy advocate with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, says he had hoped for a quicker ban. "There's still urgency there, and we'd like to see companies move faster than [those deadlines], and we hope they will," he says.

In addition to the legislation pending in Illinois and New York, there are bills targeting microbeads in Minnesota, Ohio and California.

Researcher Mason says that banning microbeads in consumer products is an important first step, but there are many more plastic products that end up in waterways and there's a long way to go to get rid of them.

In the meantime, Mason suggests that people with facial scrubs containing little plastic beads in their medicine cabinets try one with a different abrasive, like cocoa beans.

"I'd much rather wash my face with chocolate than with plastic," she says.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Those Tiny Microbeads In Soap May Pose Problem For Great Lakes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From the shoreline at North Avenue Beach in Chicago, the blue water of Lake Michigan stretches as far as the eye can see. But beneath that pristine image, there's a barely visible threat, says Jennifer Caddick of the Alliance for the Great Lakes: microbeads.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A cleanup crew was exploring the shore of a river in Washington, D.C. The water rippled under a blue sky, and grass swayed on the mudflats. But something else caught the group's eye.

Along the shore were heaps of plastic bottles. They had drifted down the river and gotten caught in branches that dipped into the water. The more the group looked, the more bottles they found. They gathered about 500 that day.

"It was just overwhelming," Nancy Wallace, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told TFK. "You didn't have enough room to move because of the piles and piles of bottles."

The world has a plastics problem. Bottles, straws, toothbrushes, toys-all kinds of plastics are piling up in landfills. In fact, landfills contain a large part of the world's 5 billion tons of plastic waste. By 2050, the amount could reach 13 billion tons.

INDRANIL MUKHERJEE-AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Much of this trash finds its way into the ocean. Scientists say 165 million tons of plastic debris × debris biodegradable × biodegradable KEITH GETTER/GETTY IMAGES something that has been discarded (noun) After the parade, the street was littered with debris. is floating around out there. In 32 years, plastic in the ocean could outweigh all the fish. And most plastic is not DANIEL ALLEN/GETTY IMAGES capable of being broken down naturally (adjective) My family saves biodegradable waste like food scraps and uses it to fertilize our garden. . So it will remain in the ocean forever. It endangers marine life, and even ends up in the food we eat.

Governments are realizing that recycling may not be enough. They want to eliminate some plastic items altogether. "The problem can seem overwhelming," Wallace says. "But it's a solvable problem."

Plastic Pollution

Plastic litters beaches. Whales get entangled in plastic fishing nets. Birds starve with bellies full of plastic straws and bottle caps.

Another danger is harder to see. Sunlight causes plastic to become brittle. Ocean waves then break it into smaller pieces. Marine animals that eat them are poisoned.

There's also the problem of microbeads × microbead GIANNI DILIBERTO/GETTY IMAGES a tiny plastic sphere (noun) Mira washes her face each night using a soap that contains microbeads. . These tiny bits of plastic are in products like cosmetics and toothpaste. Microbeads get washed down the drain, winding up in rivers and oceans.

ARFA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The Last Straw

Britain has outlawed products containing microbeads. Rwanda has made plastic bags and packaging illegal, except in hospitals. Scotland and Taiwan have banned plastic straws. Several coastal cities in the U.S. have too.

The U.S. alone throws away some 500 million plastic straws a day. That's enough to circle the Earth twice. "Saying no to a plastic straw is an easy way to make a big difference in the world," Diana Lofflin says. She founded StrawFree.org.

After all, she says, our future is at stake. "Do we really want to pass on to the next generation a world that's choked by plastic?"

Chew On This

Here's a tasty way to reduce waste. Bakeys is a company in India. It has made the first-ever spoon you can eat. The edible cutlery (pictured below) is made of millet, rice, and wheat. It comes in flavors like sugar, ginger-garlic, and black pepper, in a paper wrapper. If you throw a spoon away, it decomposes in just a few days.

BI/BARCROFT MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES

Harvard University scientist David Edwards has designed an edible packaging material. It is called WikiCell. It protects the food or liquid inside as a peel protects an orange. The see-through skin is made of food particles from chocolate, fruit, seeds, or nuts. It's a delicious replacement for plastic wrap.

Assessment: Click for a printable quiz. Teacher subscribers can find the answer key in this week's Teacher's Guide.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A cleanup crew was exploring the shore of a river in Washington, D.C. The water rippled under a blue sky, and grass swayed on the mudflats. But something else caught the group's eye. Along the shore were heaps of plastic...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Kids Against Plastic - Kids attempting to tackle the effects of single-use plastic in the UK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A n important part of doing your bit and changing the world for the better is to be interested, informed and reflective. So, we've put together a collection of resources that we hope will be helpful.

Below are some BIG blue buttons that give you quick access to some themed resources. Or, you can just search or filter the resource bank.

If there are any resources you would like (that we haven't provided already), do get in touch.

Happy learning!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A n important part of doing your bit and changing the world for the better is to be interested, informed and reflective. So, we've put together a collection of resources that we hope will be helpful. Below are some BIG blue buttons that give you quick access to some themed resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
However, the victim of this success appears to be much of life on Earth. And humans, one day, could find themselves among them.

For some 79 per cent of the plastic produced over the last 70 years has been thrown away, either into landfill sites or into the general environment. Just nine per cent is recycled with the rest incinerated.

How much plastic is in the sea?

With more than eight million tonnes going into the oceans every year, it is estimated there will be more plastic than fish by 2050 and 99 per cent of all the seabirds on the planet will have consumed some. It is thought the sea now contains some 51 trillion microplastic particles - 500 times more than stars in our galaxy.

Is it dangerous?

Some plastic is toxic and it can disrupt hormones crucial for a healthy existence. Even when it is not dangerous itself - or not known to be - plastic acts like a magnet for a range of other poisons and pollutants we have spilled into the natural world.

To sea turtles, plastic bags in the water can look like jellyfish, floating on the surface plastic can appear to be a tasty snack for a seagull, based on millennia of experience, and to baby perch it appears more appetising than the plankton they are supposed to eat.

Unsurprisingly, gulping down all this indigestible poison instead of food is bad for their health. So far, it is known that marine litter harms more than 600 species amid what some regard as the beginning of the sixth mass extinction of life on Earth.

Why should we worry about pollution in the sea?

And, of course, just like other animals that plastic is likely to be finding its way into the tissues of our bodies with potentially harmful consequences.

What's being done about it?

The world is, finally, starting to wake up to the problem.

Thirty countries have now joined the UN's CleanSeas campaign, including the UK, Canada, France, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Brazil, Norway, Italy, Costa Rica, Kenya and Peru. The US, China, Russia and Japan have not.

Any other problems I should know about?

Plastic microparticles from cosmetics and microfibers from synthetic clothes are washed into the sewage system. While many pass through treatment plants and end up in the sea, others particles are caught up in sewage used to fertilise farmers' fields. After it dries out, it may get picked up by the wind and blown about.

Professor Frank Kelly, an expert in environmental health from King's College London, told a committee of MPs last year: "There's a real possibility that some of those microparticles will be entrained into the air and they will be carried around and we will end up breathing them."

Just how bad is it?

Eventually, the layer of plastic spread around the world from the 1950s onwards will form a noticeable line in the sedimentary rocks of the future.

And that is one reason - along with radioactive fallout from nuclear bomb tests, pollution, climate change effects such as higher sea levels, and the extinction of many animal species - that geologists are considering declaring the end of the Holocene and the beginning of the Anthropocene or the 'Epoch of the Humans'.

In a few decades, a blink of an eye in Earth's 4.5-billion-year history, plastic has not only changed the fabric of life but the very rocks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
However, the victim of this success appears to be much of life on Earth. And humans, one day, could find themselves among them. For some 79 per cent of the plastic produced over the last 70 years has been thrown away, either into landfill sites or into the general environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they'd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome - serious, weird or wacky! You might also like the podcast Imagine This, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids.

My name is Sanuki and I'm 8 years old. I live in Melbourne. My question is how do plastic bags harm our environment and sea life? - Sanuki, age 8, Melbourne.

Good question, Sanuki!

Plastic bags harm marine (and land) environments in a few ways.

Turtles (and other animals) may mistake plastic bags for food. Turtles like to eat jellyfish, and we think turtles eat the plastic bags because they resemble jellyfish.

When turtles eat plastic, it can block their intestinal system (their guts). Therefore, they can no longer eat properly, which can kill them. The plastics in their tummy may also leak chemicals into the turtle. We don't know whether this causes long term problems for the turtle, but it's probably not good for them.

Read more: Australian waters polluted by harmful tiny plastics

How plastic impacts the ecosystems

Plastic bags can also smother corals and other seabed communities. When plastic bags end up in our oceans, animals (including seals, dolphins and seabirds) can get tangled up in them. An animal with a plastic bag around its neck will have trouble moving through the water, catching its prey or feeding, and escaping predators.

from www.shutterstock.com

On land, plastic bags are an eyesore. They get stuck in trees, along fence lines, or as litter at our parks and beaches.

Many people don't realise that plastic bags can also cause flooding. Previously in Ghana (in West Africa), plastic bags blocked storm water drains during a big rainstorm. This caused flooding so bad that people were killed.

Making plastic requires a lot of energy and work

Plastic bags can even be harmful before they are used. It takes a lot of resources and energy to create a plastic bag. A key ingredient is oil. As a fossil fuel, oil must be extracted from the ground. Do we want to use fossil fuel resources to make a product that is only used once (we call this a "single use plastic")?

Many millions of barrels of oil are used to make plastic bags every year. A lot of energy is also used to make and transport plastic bags. It is better for the environment if we reduce our energy use.

Read more: This South Pacific island of rubbish shows why we need to quit our plastic habit

The push towards plastic-free

Lately, lots of people recognise the impacts that plastic bags have, and they are working on alternatives. Many local and state governments have passed plastic bag bans here in Australia, which helps stop the use of single use plastic bags.

In fact, New South Wales is the only state in Australia where you can still get thin, single use plastic bags at the grocery store.

So, remind your parents to bring their reusable cloth bags whenever you go shopping. You just might save a turtle.
Hello, curious kids! Have you got a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to us. They can: * Email your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au
* Tell us onTwitter

CC BY-ND

Please tell us your name, age and which city you live in. You can send an audio recording of your question too, if you want. Send as many questions as you like! We won't be able to answer every question but we will do our best.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Curious Kids: How do plastic bags harm our environment and sea life?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they'd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome - serious, weird or wacky! You might also like the podcast Imagine This, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Find out lots of facts about plastic in the ocean.

Fact: Plastic rubbish doesn't biodegrade. It can stay in the ocean for thousands of years if it isn't recycled.

Scientists are very worried about plastic that ends up in the ocean. Plastic rubbish can be incredibly harmful to fish and other sea life. And, as they take a long time to degrade, it's really important that plastics are recycled properly and don't go to landfill.

Greenpeace estimate that 12 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean every year. That's like an entire truck full of plastic rubbish dumped into the sea every minute!

How Long Does it Take for Plastics to Biodegrade?

The main problem with plastics is that they don't biodegrade. Instead, plastics need sunlight to degrade (photodegrade). Most of the plastic waste in the ocean sinks, which means they don't get the light they need to break down - causing some plastics to remain for 1,000s of years.

Here's just how long it takes for some plastics to break down in the ocean:

Plastic bottles for water and fizzy drinks are typically made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate). They can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in the ocean.

Plastic bags are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). They can take between 10 and 100 years to decompose.

Drinking straws, bottle caps, nappies and yoghurt pots are made from PP (polypropylene), which takes 100-500 years to decompose.

Toothbrushes and other things made from hard plastics like PA (polyamide) can take more than 500 years to decompose.

Sandwich bags using low-density polyethylene (LDPE) take up to 1,000 years to decompose

Old clothes made from polyester and acrylic create toxic microfibres in the ocean. These take 20 to 200 years to degrade in the ocean.

Why Plastics are Harmful to Ocean Life

Plastics in the ocean cause a lot of damage to sea life. Sea birds often eat these plastics, which can cause them serious harm or even kill them. Here's a video from Blue Planet which shows what plastic pollution can do:

Are you interested in recycling? Click on our Recycling for Kids page.

Brands that we stock

Sitemap

Balers & Compactors

Email

Call

Address

Kenburn Waste Management Limited,
Porters Wood, St Albans,
Hertfordshire, AL3 6HX
Find us here

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out lots of facts about plastic in the ocean. Fact: Plastic rubbish doesn't biodegrade. It can stay in the ocean for thousands of years if it isn't recycled. Scientists are very worried about plastic that ends up in the ocean. Plastic rubbish can be incredibly harmful to fish and other sea life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ocean Confetti, a MinuteEarth explainer about challenge of micro-plastics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
“Despite the publicity about huge garbage patches in the sea, most of the ocean’s plastic isn’t big — our castaway shopping bags and soda bottles get

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A sea turtle swims through the water and spots a white blob floating near the surface. "Yum!" it thinks. "A jellyfish!" Chasing after its dinner, the turtle swallows the item. But the floating blob isn't a jelly-it's a plastic bag that could make the sea turtle sick.

This sea creature isn't alone: Over 700 species of marine animals have been reported to have eaten or been entangled in plastic. Scientists think that the amount of plastic in the ocean might triple by 2050-and that would mean seriously bad news for the ocean and the creatures that live there. But by understanding the issue and taking action, you can help stop that from happening.

What's the problem with plastic?

First, let's get real: Not all plastic is bad. Bike helmets, car airbags, and many medical supplies made with plastic save lives. Plastic water bottles can bring clean drinking water to people who don't have it, and plastic straws can help people with disabilities drink.

The problem is that most of us use and then toss way more plastic than we need: things like grocery bags, drink bottles, straws, food wrappers, and plastic packaging around toys. This kind of plastic that's used only once before being thrown away is called single-use plastic, and it makes up more than 40 percent of all plastic trash.

Where does the plastic go?

That's a lot of trash. Scientists think that 8.8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean every year-that's as if you stacked up five plastic grocery bags full of trash on top of each other on every foot of coastline in the world.

How does it get into the sea? Plastic left on the ground as litter often blows into creeks and rivers, eventually ending up in the ocean. And because plastic trash is different from other types of waste-it doesn't decompose back into nature like an apple core or a piece of paper-it stays in the ocean forever. That means discarded fishing nets and six-pack rings can entangle animals; harmful straws and grocery bags can be mistaken as food.

What can we do about it?

You can do so much to help keep Earth clean! You can look at how much single-use plastic your family uses by filling out a plastic journal for a week-then talking about what you can do to use less. Need ideas? Check out these quick tips to reduce your plastic waste. By working together, our choices can help save animals-and the ocean they live in.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
this irish teenager may have a solution for a plastic-free ocean - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This Irish teenager may have a solution for a plastic-free ocean

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A teenage boy from Ireland may have found a way to rescue our oceans from plastic pollution.