Marine Pollution and Generation Gaps by Catherine Zalewski

Marine plastic pollution is the result of harmful plastics entering the ocean in vast numbers threatening ocean environments, marine wildlife, food safety, human health, and climate change. 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year around the world, half of which are from single-use plastics.

A disturbing impact of marine plastic pollution includes its harmful effect on wildlife such as seabirds, fish, turtles, and more.

Many are either injured or die due to lacerations, infections, inability to swim, internal injuries, or starvation due to plastics filling up their stomachs.

-Toxic contaminants are known to accumulate on the surfaces of plastic from prolonged exposure to seawater. Fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic yearly which transfers plastic and possible contaminants up the food chain to human seafood eaters -It’s estimated that 60% of all seabird species have eaten pieces of plastic with that number predicted to increase to 99% by 2050 -Invisible plastic has been identified in tap water, beer, salt and are present in all samples collected in the world’s oceans, including the Arctic

“You can predict a lot about someone’s attitudes on climate issues if you know their age” Although climate change is a concern across all age groups in America, there’s a significant difference between the extent of this concern for younger generations vs. their elders. This could be due to a number of reasons from different levels of education to different mindsets due to age and experiences.

- According to a 2018 Pew Research Survey, 56% of people under 30 rate climate change as a top policy priority as opposed to only 37% of people over 65 - According to a 2018 Gallup survey, 70% of Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 worry about global climate change as opposed to 56% of Americans over the age of 55

It’s important to keep spreading awareness of marine plastic pollution whether it’s informing the older generations or further educating the young.

To successfully encourage the transition to environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic, we must learn from, and naturally gain empathy from a shared context to inspire us to make change in ourselves and in our communities.

Recycle Buy in bulk Purchase secondhand items Stay informed and help spread the word Opt for more natural fibers in clothing Make your voice heard, pressure manufacturers & businesses Find more alternatives to plastic, styrofoam, microbeads, and yes, glitter Support organizations like Plastic Pollution Coalition and Oceanic Society

https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/ https://legal-planet.org/2018/07/30/the-environmental-generationgap/ https://www.people-press.org/2018/01/25/economic-issues-declineamong-publics-policy-priorities/ https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2019/02/04/age-gap-environmentalpolitics/ https://news.gallup.com/poll/234314/global-warming-age-gapyounger-americans-worried.aspx