EAPS 100 - hypothetical letter to political leader to inform reader about pollution PDF

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hypothetical letter to political leader to inform reader about pollution...

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EAPS 100 Word Count: 538 Persuasive Letter I am writing you, Senator Kamala Harris of California, because I feel I need to educate and propose a solution to the issue of ocean pollution since California depends highly on ocean preservation. There is approximately 1.4 billion pounds of trash that enters the ocean per year (Ocean Pollution). This marine debris can be washed up on shore, sink to the bottom of the ocean, or it is eaten by ocean creatures. Each option of where the trash goes harms marine life and people as well. When trash ends up on the shore, it can injure the land-dwelling animals by digestion or entanglement, can harm beach tourists because of bacteria distribution or possible impalement, and it also lessens the amount of tourist activity on the beaches since the shores are less visibly appealing. Additionally, when it stays in the ocean, it endangers marine life. The number one reason why marine debris is so prevalent is because of the production of plastics that result in microplastics which easily ends up in our oceans. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that continue to just get smaller and smaller and do not decompose due to the material’s inability to decompose. Microplastics more easily absorb and deliver toxic chemicals to any animal of the food chain, including humans, in comparison to natural materials (Marine Debris Impacts). Some of these toxic chemicals are known as potentially dangerous p ersistent organic pollutants (POPs); which can lead to “reproductive, developmental, behavioral, neurologic, endocrine, and immunologic adverse health effects” (Marine Debris Impacts). Sadly, POPs can be transferred throughout the whole food chain. This means that not only can animals be affected by microplastic consumption, but so can humans that eat the animals that directly or indirectly consume the dangerous matter. As mentioned previously, marine debris does not only affect the health of animals and people, but it affects the amount of beach tourism as well. A South African study said that 10 pieces of marine debris “per meter of beach would deter 40 percent of foreign tourists.” (Marine Debris Impacts). Since California receives a large amount of their revenue from beach tourism, is is important from an economic standpoint to keep the shore clean. So what can be done to solve or minimize this ocean pollution issue? The most influential way to reduce the negative effects of plastics and microplastics is to adjust our behavior regarding them. As the average citizen and the government, we must reduce, reuse and recycle. It is important to not only enforce the individual to do their best to keep our oceans clean, but also factories and large companies since they have a larger impact. To help minimize marine pollution, the California government can create laws and regulations that is focussed on the average citizen and companies. The government can also support and give awareness to programs and charities that help this major cause. I hope you see how important it is to enforce change in the production and disposal of plastics and microplastics in our country since it affects multi aspects of health, wellness, and economic growth. Please contact me for further discussion about how to improve our ocean and keep the animals and people of the California area safe.

Work Cited 1. “Marine Debris Impacts.” Debris Free Oceans , www.debrisfreeoceans.org/marine-debris/. 2. “Ocean Pollution.” Ocean Pollution | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.noaa.gov/resource-collections/ocean-pollution....