Final Essay

Joel polynice                                                                                                                   11/5/2019

 

        Although plastic is used to sustain human life, plastic is doing more harm than good. In other words plastic pollution should be limited. My map  shows that there is a stream of plastic that passes through the bronx.My map is an alternative of NYC showing the contaminated water passing through the bronx. I did the research on the  bronx coast lines to inform about the dangers of plastic. In other words, millions of plastic bags are used daily in the bronx. My map alerts the viewer on the hazardous plastic polluted areas. The problem is many  people lack an understanding of the topic. Another problem people are unwilling to take action. The objective behind the map is to inform the viewer. The second Objective is to persuade the viewer to take action. The map “Trash in the City” by Rebecca Solnit  the author made a great map on pollution. but not specifically on plastic waste , This map inspired me to conduct my own research on plastic waste. The author did good at identifying the pollution in the city, but didn’t explain the different types of trash being exposed. I believe it’s important to know the difference of trash and how some have more harm than the others. I  observed the different plastic in the water and how it affects our environment.

           Although many people believe that plastic pollution is caused by people’s lack of care of discipline, but it is mainly because of the lack of recycling centers in the bronx. Therefore , Plastic pollution continues to  damage our ecosystem. For example, in the article “Progress of recycling in the built environment” the author Enric Vasquez explains how plastic pollution contributes to global warming. For instance , in the article it states “Plastic waste release greenhouse gasses into the air similar to burning fossil fuels”[Vasquez page 76 line 7].The quote from the article “progress of recycling in the built environment” supports the claim that plastic pollution damages our ecosystem because it explains how plastic waste has  harmful material that contributes to global warming. Another example is a video on youtube called “ A radical 

way to end plastic waste” by Andrew Forrest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5g9-4fx60A the speaker states “All plastics are building blocks from oil and gas”.To sum up this relates to my map because it shows the result of plastic pollution in the bronx, and that Plastic pollution should be limited because it makes our streets dirty and damages our ecosystem.

           On the other hand, plastic pollution is giving the bronx a bad reputation. For example, many people who don’t live in the bronx see the bronx as a junk yard compared to the other boroughs in ny. For example, in the text “Plastic pollution purge” by Kate smith the author explains how the bronx is one of the main attractions for dirt accumulation. For example in the text  it states “some areas of the Bronx where the sidewalks are not maintained by the building owners, and the result of this is dog urine smells, and dog crap all over the place along with garbage that are not picked up [Smith line 15 paragraph 4].The quote from the text supports that the bronx has a bad reputation because it explains how the bronx has historically been known as a dirty place for years. To add on, this contributes to plastic pollution because many people  assume that the bronx is dirty so they don’t care to keep things clean.To sum up, this contributes to the development of my map, because it shows how the bronx is that bad reputation.

In fact, on a broader scale plastic pollution kills sea animals.In the article “killing of marine life: plastic garbage  polluted area” by Paul Watson, the author explains how plastic kills many sea animals.For example in the text it states “entanglement and accidental consumption of marine debris is common for many animals including seals, dolphins, sharks, etc” [watson line 34].The quote from the text supports the claim that plastic pollution is harmful for animals because it states how the sea creatures are getting killed by plastic pollution. In other words this relates to my map because the sea animals contribute to the balance of our ecosystem so if they die off we can be next.

       Above all plastic pollution gives the bronx a bad reputation. For example, many bronxites don’t like the beaches in the bronx because it’s polluted with plastic waste . One reason bronx For example, in the article “Project waste” by Jane Black, Black explains the things that are left on  orchard beach. One example is line 10 second paragraph it states “91% of trash collected from the bronx beach is styrofoam and plastic” [Black line 10].The quote from the text explains how the bronx has a bad reputation from plastic pollution because it shows stats on plastic pollution on orchard beach. To conclude, plastic pollution gives the bronx reputation because the dirty ascuations on the bronx is true.

In conclusion, Although there are a lot of problems in the world, plastic waste can be fixed in the bronx by opening up more recycle centers. For instance , a video on youtube called “The surprising solution to ocean plastic” by David Katzhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT4Qbp89nIQ it states “People in Haiti are able to make a living off of collecting plastic in their  neighborhoods.In other words, if haiti people can keep their area clean by making a profit, this will have to be the same motive for people in the bronx. To add on, my map how there is less recycling centers in the bronx compared to how much plastic waste surrounds the bronx. To sum up ,  if we alert the bronx borough president we can help change our community. To finalize plastic pollution needs to be limited for the sake of our health, sea animals, and the world.

 

  • Work Cited 

 

Black, Jane. Project Waste,.  December 4,2018.

The site is credible because the  information is up to date, and it has a numerous set of articles  of my topic in alphabetical order. The reviews on google state that it is a trusted unbiased site with content that is the latest in any field. I would grade the source a 9 because it has prises information on recycling.

 

Vasquez, Enric. Progress of recycling in the built environment,. February 8, 2013.

The report is credible because it has current info and statistics in the field, and a new approach to the testing of proportioning concrete mixtures with recycled aggregate, references recent publications and etc. The reviews on google is states it is a useful tool for countries starting to recycle aggregates or construction and demolition waste. I give the source a 7.5 because it has  bias.

Smith, Kate, Plastic pollution purge., October 21, 2016

This site is credible because it has a more up to date outlook  on the topic. For example, this source has a lot of scientific information that the other sources don’t present. The reviews on google states it is purposeful and intetiful, that slow down over consumption and allow us to be conscious with the environment.

 

Waston, Paul.Killing Marine life Plastic garbage polluting sea, June, 6, 2006

 

The site is credible because the information is comprehensive  and up to date, even though the reviews on google are terrible but i like the valid information that it presents.

      Multimedia citation 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5g9-4fx60A

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT4Qbp89nIQ

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