Oe 2 = =. : , a oa Preventing Ocean Pollution Starts With You@ by Capt. Tim Wright (ret.) (NAPSA)—Recently, our nation celebrated Oceans Week, where much discussion about ocean pollution and marine debris took place in Washington, D.C. Ocean pollution is a genuine problem, andit’s important that we identify and addrs the real caus instead of instituting ineffective solutions. For example, some think that banning specific products such as plastic bottl and bags will solve the plastic marine debris problem, but it won’t. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the sourc of pollution include poorly managed landfills, riverine transport, untreated sewage, storm water discharg and industrial and manufacturing faciliti with inadequate controls. This is where the effort to control marine debris should begin. The cause of pollution is not the rult of one single product. There are just too many items involved in pollution, and banning one single product will not make a significant impact. Through annual cleanup events, Ocean Conservancy has monitored the typ of trash that wash up on beach. Cigarette butts, food containers, cans, rope and plastic bottl have all been prent in cleanups for the past 25 years. At the International Marine Debris Conference recently held in Honolulu, the Sea Education Association (SEA) noted that there has not been a significant increase in plastic debris concentration during their 22-year study from 1986-2008. And while litter is unsightly and not a positive environmental attribute, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris website stat that there are no published studi specifically rearching marine mammal deaths directly caused by marine debris. Mortality is caused by entanglement from lost fishing gear and other unknown caus. Here are some steps that com- muniti and individuals can take to reduce ocean pollution: Take rponsibility. Choose items at the store that come in ls packaging and recycle whenever possible. It’s easy to drop yourplastic bags andfilm into collection containers located at grocery stor and retailers across the nation. Participate in a cleanup day hosted by Keep America Beautiful or Ocean Conservancy. The groups have done a great job in advancing cleanup methods of beach—andthe litter collected is litter that don’t enter the ocean. Write a letter to your city council member asking for catch basins to be installed in your seaside town. Like the one at the Los Angel River, catch basins are effective in catching debris before it enters our oceans. Ending ocean pollution is an important and worthy goal. Efforts, however, should take into accountall forms of pollution and put greater rponsibility on us— the consumer—to think about where that gum wrapperwill endup if we choose to drop it on the ground. Tim Wright is a_ retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Captain who recently completed his Executive MBA from the Washington University Olin School of Busins.
