The planet Earth is so vast that many people believed that littering here and there would not cause problems later on, but they were wrong. This seemingly harmless act, when done by many people, leads to a build up of pollution and contamination of the Earth, which affects the planet extensively in ways no one expected. Pollution affects all forms of life and the environment, and some people are not informed on exactly how much it affects humans. Although some pollution doesn’t harm the environment to the extent that some scientists believe, plastic pollution is especially harmful because it can harm marine life, other animals, humans, and is also harmful to the atmosphere. Therefore, plastic should be decreased drastically in order to preserve the Earth. 

Many people do not understand the affect that pollution has because they are not directly affected, but they are most definitely indirectly impacted without knowing. The fact is, pollution has existed for years, but scientists have recently conducted studies that conclude that pollution can have a negative impact on the earth. The reason that many people dump waste in the ocean and other waterways is because it costs nothing and is easy, unlike the cost and complexity of landfills (Wilson). However, new technology and a better understanding of chemicals affecting human health has led to experiments and studies that prove that everything that humans do has consequences, whether good or bad. Pollution happens to have bad consequences that could eventually become impossible to reverse if the pollution builds up for too long, which is becoming a reality for the entire world. If the goal is to decrease pollution, then it is important to understand where pollution starts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says, “The majority of pollutants going into the ocean come from activities on land” (Ocean Pollution). Land pollution often reaches rivers and lakes that lead to a build up of ocean pollution. According to NOAA, there is no place on earth that does not face the problem of pollution (Ocean Pollution). Because everywhere on Earth is contaminated by pollution, everyone should contribute to making solutions and also taking action in order to control to this significant problem. Plastic is especially harmful because it contains chemicals that contaminates oceans and humans, thus causing people to live unhealthy lives that they are oblivious to. Now that technology is available to learn these facts about pollution, many people are moving towards decreasing the use of plastic. 

Plastic pollution greatly impacts the lives of animals and the environment, which then affects humans. People do not realize that plastic pollution in the ocean affects them because they do not see the pollution itself. NOAA states, “Pollution can affect the food we eat...More than one-third of the shellfish-growing waters of the United States are adversely affected by coastal pollution” (Ocean Pollution). This means that humans could potentially be ingesting plastic pieces or chemicals from animals that are directly affected by pollution. Ingesting small amounts of plastic, or chemicals from plastic, causes abnormalities in the body that could potentially lead to cancer. Therefore, humans would experience healthier lives if plastic pollution decreased in oceans. Another problem with plastic pollution is the amount of time it takes in order to decompose. An ecologist explains that the decomposition of plastic bags could take from 14 years to “upwards of 1,000 years” (Kinhal). This means that it will not decompose in time before more plastic is released into the environment. This causes a build up of plastic that is not expunged easily from the oceans. This build up impacts humans as well because the consistent  build up leads to more contamination of marine life that is then eaten by humans. Plastic pollution in the ocean is detrimental to the lives of animals and humans, which could eventually lead to an early death. 

While there is evidence that pollution has many negative impacts, some people believe that pollution is not as harmful as some scientists prove it to be. Judith Wilson believes that some pollution is not only not extremely harmful, but also claims that it can be helpful to marine ecosystems. She says, “In the right location, trash can enhance rather than damage marine ecosystems” because it can be used to create non-harmful artificial reefs, which gives homes to marine life (Wilson). While this may be true, this is not the case for plastic pollution. Although Ted Henry gives evidence of how scientific evidence is different from what people believe, his argument can be refuted. He says, “However, the polymers that make up plastics are of minimal toxicity to marine life” (Henry). This means that plastics are not toxic to animals, which then also means that it cannot be directly transferred to humans through the food that people eat. While this may be true, this does not cover the problem of plastic pollution physically harming animals. Plastic pollution can get lodged in the throats and nostrils of animals, and also wrapped around their neck, which leads to suffocation. The Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia explains that debris can cause injury and can also bury marine habitats (Ocean Pollution). Just because small amounts of chemicals used in plastics does not harm animals when digested does not mean that animals are completely unaffected by plastic pollution. 

The effects of plastic pollution are worse than anyone could have ever imagined. The amount of plastic produced and used must be decreased in order to decrease pollution. If everyone makes small contributions to this major problem, then eventually a difference will be discerned in the amount of pollution, and a healthier environment will be observed as well. Before this can happen, it is important to understand exactly how much plastic people are using. An ecologist asserts that the U.S. alone uses 360 billion bags per year. According to her, only 5% of thin single-use bags are recovered and only 10% of thick bags are recovered before contaminating the earth (Kinhal). Therefore, the remaining 85% of plastic bags, both thick and thin single-use bags, are left to pollute the Earth. Kinhal states, “Plastics Europe estimates that 40% of all plastic produced is used for packaging which are single-use containers and bags (pg.15)” (Kinhal). Imagine how much plastic pollution would decrease if that 40% of single use plastic was transformed into reusable plastic. Plastic pollution can be drastically decreased just by creating more reusable plastic opposed to other plastic that is disposed of after one use. There are many solutions to this problem, but everyone must contribute in order to create drastic changes in the amount of pollution, which is what the world needs. Kinhal also explains that one solution is just saying no to single-use plastic bags. She explains that this is a simple solution because using single-use plastic is an individual choice that is not controlled by the federal government, opposed to how the production of plastic might be controlled by the federal government. People don’t even need the help of industry or supermarkets in order to make this contribution to decrease plastic pollution (Kinhal). Another simple solution is recycling. Recycling allows plastic to be reused for another product containing plastic. This will prevent plastic from being put into the environment, and will also decrease the amount of plastic manufactured. People need to control the output of plastic into the environment as soon as possible before it is too late to reverse. 

Pollution has some degree of effect on all parts of the Earth, but some parts are affected more than others. Oceans are contaminated with pollution, especially plastic, which is harmful to marine life and humans as well. With the amount of pollution that already exists, it would be nearly impossible to clean it all up and dispose of it properly, but action can be taken in order to slow the rate of pollution to a point that it would be possible to locate all of what remains so that it can be disposed of properly. The decline of pollution could eventually lead to healthier lives for humans. The solution is simple and everyone can, and should, contribute in order to save the Earth. People should buy reusable bags and say no to single-use plastic. Even if people would make an attempt to recycle as much as possible, then drastic changes would be observed. If just ten people start to make contributions, and then they tell their ten friends, it will lead to a social change snowball that would not be able to be stopped by anyone or anything. If people care about the future generations of Earth, then they should seriously consider this call to action. Simply recycle, dispose of waste and plastic the correct way, teach other about the effects of pollution, and also spread the word and encourage others to get involved as well.