Marine PollutionOver half the population of US is crowded close to the shores, partly because

of entertaining and artistic considerations. More and more, however, the near shore

ocean is the receiver of a multitude of toxic or aggressive materials. Until recently the

oceans with their vast area and volume have seemed a safe site for the disposal of

wastes. Recent events are causing second thoughts. (ABELSON, 1971)

There are two major marine pollutants:

1) Plastic

Americans alone put about 2.5 million

plastic bottles per hour into the ocean,

according to the Icelandic environmental

consulting group Beluga. That is only a small

part. About 70 percent of global plastic

pollution comes from industry rather than

from consumers. Currents tend to focus the plastic into wreckage fields. The large

volume of plastic produced by human doings and its resolve in the environment

make it a harmful marine pollutant whose effects only build over time. Marine

animals can become tangled in plastics and die. Sea turtles eat plastic bags,

befuddling them with jellyfish. Sea birds also eat plastic, befuddling pellets with fish

eggs. The plastics can clog the animals' digestive tracts, causing them to starve to

death. As plastic ages, it breaks down into particles and chemicals that pollute the

waters beyond the debris fields. Microplastics also wash directly into the ocean in

cleaning products. The tiny plastic pellets act as carriers for toxic chemicals. (DeLee)

Figure 1 Turtles eat plastic bags (epromos, 2008)

Figure 2 – Graph showing the oil spills vs. years (IXTOC I, 1979)

2) Oil and chemical Spills

Recent research studies by NOAA scientists

have shown that even small amounts of

petroleum hydrocarbons can impair the

successful development of fish eggs and

embryos. Oil spills stem from accidents

involving tankers, barges, pipelines,

refineries, and storage facilities,

often while the oil is being

transported to its users. Oil, in high

enough concentrations, can poison

animals by internal and external

routes of exposure. (IXTOC I, 1979)

And as shown in the chart there is increasing care of safety after the massive

accidents that happened along the history of oil spills. Were the worst was Ixtoc I Oil

Well Blowout The exploratory oil well Ixtoc I exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on June

3, 1979, spewing 140 million gallons of oil into the open sea. It took control experts

more than nine months to cap the spill and begin cleanup.

Air QualityAir pollution is the damage in air quality by introduction of certain chemicals and

other biological materials that can cause dangerous conditions for humans to

breathe. Air pollution can always cause damage to the natural environment or even

to any living orgasm.

Figure 3 Ixtoc I Oil Well Blowout (IXTOC I, 1979)

The gases and other resources which rise up from different factories, homes,

cars and other kinds of sources gather up on the stratosphere causing a threat to

human health. (Air Quality)

The air quality of any region is controlled by the climate, topography, natural and

anthropogenic activities that occur in that and surrounding regions concerned. A

deterioration in air quality results from the emission of gaseous and particulate

matter into the atmosphere. Depending on the levels and nature of emissions,

polluted air has the potential to impact negatively on the environment. Air pollution

may result in disturbances to ecosystems, climatic conditions, biogeochemical cycles

and human health. Air movement is an important means of dispersing airborne

matter, such as seeds, gas and dust particles.

Air quality is serious issue. According to a study, living in a major city, places

people at a higher risk than living in the radioactive zone in Chernobyl.

Major Air pollutants are:

Sulphur dioxide Nitrogen oxides Particular matter (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1) Ozone and volatile organic compounds Toxic Organic Micro-Pollutants (TOMPS) Benzene 1,3-Butadiene Carbon monoxide Lead and heavy metals

Renewable EnergyRenewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as

sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable (naturally

replenished). About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables,

with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and

3.4% from hydroelectricity. New renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind,

solar, geothermal, and biofuels) accounted for another 3% and are growing very

rapidly. The share of renewables in electricity generation is around 19%, with 16% of

global electricity coming from hydroelectricity and 3% from new renewables.

(Renewables 2011 Global Status Report, 2011)

Figure 4 Renewable energy Share of Global final energy Consumption, 2009 (Renewables 2011 Global Status Report,2011)

Main renewable energy sources are:

Solar Wind Biomass Hydrogen Geothermal Ocean Hydropower

Fossil fuels are non-renewable and will eventually run out because we are using

them much faster than they can be restored within the earth. Burning fossil fuels

produces photochemical pollution from nitrous oxides, and acid rain from sulphur

dioxide. Burning fuels also produce greenhouse gases including vast amounts of

carbon dioxide that may be causing the phenomenon of global warming that the

planet is currently experiencing. (Non-Renewable Energy)

ReferencesIXTOC I. (1979, Jun 03). Retrieved April 2012, 29, from incident news:

http://www.incidentnews.gov/incident/6250

(2011). Renewables 2011 Global Status Report. Paris: REN21.

ABELSON, P. H. (1971). Marine Pollution. Science Magazine, 3966.

Air Quality. (n.d.). Retrieved April 08, 2012, from environmental issues: http://www.environmentalissues.net/air-quality.php

DeLee, D. (n.d.). Major Marine Pollutants. Retrieved April 08, 2012, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/list_7486988_major-marine-pollutants.html

epromos. (2008, August 2). LA to Join Bag Ban Club. Retrieved April 2012, 29, from epromos: http://blog.epromos.com/promo-news/la-to-join-bag-ban-club/

Non-Renewable Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 08, 2012, from Solar Schools: http://www.solarschools.net/resources/stuff/non_renewable_energy.aspx