Single Use Plastic Outline Print PDF

Preview

Summary

Speech on single use plastic USED FOR FINAL EXAM...

Description

Amber Bennett General Purpose: To Persuade Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to reduce their use and waste of single use plastics. Central Idea: To persuade my audience to reduce their use and waste of single use plastics due to their negative impact on the environment, wild life and human beings. “Stop the Use of Single Use Plastic” Introduction

I.

Good Morning class. I’d like to begin by showing you a few photos to help paint an image in your mind. (Slideshow) This here is Texas. This here is the Garbage Patch. This mass right here in the middle of our oceans is double the size of Texas consisting of 7 million tons of unrecycled plastic.

II.

We've been known to use plastic because it's inexpensive and convenient. But where does plastic go once we throw it away? “One of the most long-lasting recent changes to the surface of our planet is the accumulation and fragmentation of plastics,” wrote David Barnes, a lead author and researcher for the British Antarctic Survey. Single use plastic like food containers, straws and other products have made major negative impacts on wildlife, human beings and the environment.

III.

Being somewhat of an environmentalist, I have always stressed the importance of recycling to my friends and family. While stumbling upon a documentary titled “Plastic Paradise” I found myself more and more uncomfortable with the new information I was learning about how widespread of an issue single use plastics have become.

IV.

I’m here today to beg and plead of my students to reduce their use and waste of single use plastics due to their negative impact on wildlife, the environment and us humans. Who here has seen Finding Nemo? We all loved Crush and Squirt growing up. Fin, Noggin, Duuuude (Slideshow video)

Body I.

Harm 1: Plastics pollute our Environment.

A. “Plastics are very long-lived products that could potentially have service Chemical building blocks that make plastic so versatile are the same components that may harm people and the environment. 1. “Our main use of these lightweight, inexpensive materials are as single-use items that will go to the garbage dump or the ocean within a year, where they’ll persist for centuries,” Richard Thompson, lead editor of the report, said in an interview. B. Our beach shores are becoming composed of plastic fragments. Say goodbye to white sandy beaches and hello to the potential future if we continue to aid in destroying our planet. 1. Brown travelled to 18 different shorelines across the world and found that 85 percent of the sediment along these shores were composed of plastic microfibers.” If animals are having their living habitat polluted, you can only guess that these animals are becoming polluted and poisoned as well as the waters they live in. II.

Harm 2 = Single Use Plastic Injure and kill marine animals A. Micro plastic floating in the world's oceans are having a massive impact on marine animals. When marine animal animals ingest fragments, the results can be, and usually are fatal. 1. Micro plastics litter aquatic habitats, most being >1mm in size. These small pieces are often ingested by marine animals due to their relativity in size to plankton and such. (In the Great Pacific Ocean Gyre there is 6 times more plastic than plankton “The great Pacific Garbage Patch” garbagepatch.net) This deadly process fills up the organisms’ stomachs tricking them into feeling full so they

do not eat their natural prey, resulting in starvation or death. a. As many as 50 percent of sea turtles are ingesting plastic and dying because of it. They Mistake plastic bags for jelly fish and ruin their digestive systems. “These 5 marine animals are dying because of our trash” on www.onegreenplanet.org

B. If not killed by ingesting plastics, Marine animals can become poisoned and toxic. 1. Plastics also act as pollution sponges that transfer harmful chemicals from the marine environment to fish who consume them. Although chemicals in plastics are limited to “safe levels” how safe are they? In the Summary of Expert Discussion Forum on Possible Human Health Risks from Micro plastics in the Marine Environment, Dr. Andrady noted that endocrine disruption studies in marine biology occur at less than established ‘safe’ levels a. Many studies show that the fish humans love to eat have at one time or another ingested plastic microfibers, including brown trout, cisco, and perch. i. Dr. Rochman’s experiments with marine life indicate that this ingestion of microdebris results in the transfer of toxins to the food web. She says “The question is not whether these chemicals make their way to humans, but in what quantity” Now that we’ve discussed the negative effects on the environment and marine life, Next I will inform you on the harms to people related to plastic use. III.

Harm 3 = Plastics cause negative health effects on humans. Chemical building blocks that make plastic so versatile are the same components that may harm people.

A. Although we are not ingesting these plastics like the fish we eat, chemicals from plastics we use in everyday life find a way into our bodies. BPA found in polycarbonate plastics such as a Starbucks cup or water bottles, can leach into food and drinks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 93 percent of people had detectable levels of BPA in their urine according to “Bisphenol A” on health.pa.gov

1. People with high exposure to BPA may have an increased rate of heart disease and diabetes. Animal tests revealed the potential for damaging the developing brain and the reproductive system. Other studies show BPA is related to lower vitamin D levels in the blood. a. WedMd.com says that weight gain, insomnia and arthritis are common side effects of vitamin d deficiency.

As you can see, plastic causes major harm to the environment, wildlife and humans as well. We will now discuss possible ways to reduce plastic consumption and waste associated with it. I.

Solution 1: Government A. Make consumers pay per bag like other states 1. 1 trillion bags are used and discarded every year. California legislation realized the negative impacts these single use items were creating. In hopes to decrease consumer use they decided to charge .10 for each bag. i. Similar policies are currently effective in England, making a major dent in the number of plastic bags used by shoppers. “Data is the government’s first official assessment of the impact of the charge, which was introduced to help reduce litter and protect wildlife. Within the first 6 months of a 5c charge per bag, 7 billion bags consumed plunged down to 500M. * Fun Fact* 6 billion plastic bags would wrap around the world 75 times. (“England’s plastic usage drops by 85%) on the guardian.com B. Increase thickness if not banning so harder to break down 1. Because of thin, easy to rip bags, we end to use two when bagging heavier groceries. In my opinion, if plastic bags were made to be more durable, we would need less. Fixing this issue would probably stop my mom and moms around the world from double bagging the milk resulting in two bags being thrown away instead of 1. C. Give incentives for recycling 1. Jennifer Berry, spokeswoman for Earth 911, an Arizonabased group that runs the largest U.S. recycling database

agrees that "When you give people a reward for positive behavior, they're more likely to participate." a. Their recycling bins have computer chips that track volume, which translates into points to be redeemed at local stores, most commonly $10 grocery gift cards. They also get discounts on eBay purchases. City pays a share to company for reducing landfill waste. i. Everyone should be more like NYS recycle bank. D. Make felons clean the ocean 1. An issue with cleaning our oceans in the man power it would take. I believe if all previous and current felons were mandated a certain amount of waste to be removed from the ocean we would save money paying people to do so and clean our water dramatically. a. As of 2016, an estimated 6.1 million people are disenfranchised (can’t vote) due to a felony conviction. This statement tells us that 6.1 million people in the united states have committed and been charged for violent and heinous crimes. This information was found in the article “6 million voters lost” on www.sentencingproject.org II.

Solution 2 = Business A. One way for business owners to do their part and help end this (crisis) is by using reduced or recycled plastic. By doing so, business owners benefit their operation as well as the environment, sea life and humans. 1. Using recycled materials can create brand loyalty … “78 percent of consumers said that they would feel more positive about a product or manufacturer whose packages contained recycled plastic” The Benefits of Using Recycled Materials In Your Plastic Packaging on www.mjspacking.com 2. Creates marketing and public relations opportunities associated with reducing your environmental impact 3. It makes your business ready to comply with future legal and regulatory measures.

III.

Solution 3 = If any of this information upsets you, remember that each one of YOU have the ability to make a small change in your daily routines that would make a leap toward ending the war on single use plastic.

A. Stop using straws. There is no use for them and they contribute to a large amount of plastic waste along coasts. B. Stay away from single use water bottles, straws, forks and knives. Use reusable ones instead or make sure to recycle. C. Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste. D. Bring your own bag to reduce waste & also to avoid the charge E. Refrain from eating seafood will eliminate the potential risk of getting sick from eating fish contaminated with plastic fragments F. Look at bottoms of plastic to see exactly what kind of plastic you are eating or drinking out of. Stick to glass whenever possible to avoid these chemical leaching into food. G. Remember the 3 R’s… reduce, reuse and recycle! Conclusion I.

Plastics are very much so part of our everyday lives if we realize it or not. Simple factors like asking for a paper cup instead of plastic with your next mocha super chocolachtely venti whatever, may be a baby step, but it is a step in the right direction.

II.

I would like to ask that each of us does their part to halt these negative repercussions associated with single plastic use. Like Michael Jackson once said “be the change you wish to see in the world”...