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Viewpoint – Ocean plastic pollution: A convenient but distracting truth?
Abstract
Ocean plastic is a contemporary focal point of concern for the marine environment. However, we argue there are bigger issues to address, including climate change and overfishing. Plastic has become a focus in the media and public domains partly through the draw of simple lifestyle changes, such as reusable water bottles, and partly through the potential to provide ‘quick fix’ technological solutions to plastic pollution, such as large scale marine clean-up operations and new ‘biodegradable’ plastic substitutes. As such, ocean plastic can provide a convenient truth that distracts us from the need for more radical changes to our behavioural, political and economic systems, addressing which will help address larger marine environmental issues, as well as the cause of plastic pollution, i.e. over-consumption.
... However, bio-based plastics compete for limited land resources with biodiversity conservation, food production and renewable energy generation (Verrips et al., 2019). They can therefore increase food insecurity and intensify the collapse of biodiversity (Stafford and Jones, 2019). While only about 1% of plastics in the world are bio-based, they can pose significant problems to recovery systems, which are currently not designed to recycle or compost them (Verrips et al., 2019). ...
... The Plastic Pact NL has set targets that go beyond recycling and incineration, such as consumption reduction (R0 refuse) and recycled content (R1 reduce) objectives. However, those goals are purely voluntary; companies can therefore agree to those strong commitments to be perceived as greener and more sustainable, without facing many repercussions if they don't reach them (Mah, 2021;Stafford and Jones, 2019;Verrips et al., 2019). In fact, research shows that voluntary agreements and partnerships are often used as key greenwashing strategies for corporations in the plastic sector to improve brand reputation and reduce regulatory pressure (Mah, 2021). ...
... Sustainability education and awareness-raising should not focus on individual consumer choices and behaviours, which have very limited environmental impacts (Evans et al., 2020). Instead, it should focus on "questioning our over-consumptive consumerist lifestyles" (Stafford and Jones, 2019) and "challenging entrenched corporate and societal views about growth" (Mah, 2021). It is indeed key to promote post-materialist worldviews, which not only reduce the demand for unnecessary consumption but also open the door to slower, healthier and more convivial ways of life (D' Alisa et al., 2014;Hickel, 2020b;. ...
The Circular Economy (CE) has recently become a popular concept in sustainability discourses for both the public and private sectors. The proponents of this idea often espouse many social, economic, and environmental benefits from the application of CE practices. Given current socio-ecological challenges to overcome resource scarcity, climate change, and biodiversity loss, all while reducing global poverty and inequality, the CE could provide key solutions and opportunities for a transition to a sustainable, fair, and resilient future.
However, the CE faces many limitations to deliver on those expectations. The CE is very much a contested concept in the sustainability discourse, with many actors proposing different visions of a circular future based on their particular socio-economic interests. Moreover, the economic, social, political, and environmental implications of different circular discourses and policies remain poorly researched and understood.
This thesis addresses this research gap by answering the following question: what are the main societal discourses and policies on the CE, how can they be critically analysed, compared, and understood, and what are their sustainability implications? To answer this question, this thesis uses an interdisciplinary mixed-method approach including critical literature review, content analysis, text-mining, and Q-method survey. The case studies are European Union CE policies, Dutch CE policies for plastics and tyres as well as the CE action plans of Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Glasgow.
Results demonstrate the existence of a plurality of circularity discourses through history, which can be divided based on two main criteria. First, whether they are sceptical or optimist regarding the possibility of eco-economic decoupling, and second, whether they are holistic by including social justice concerns or have a segmented focus on resource efficiency alone. This leads to 4 core discourse types: Reformist Circular Society (optimist and holistic), Technocentric Circular Economy (optimist and segmented), Transformational Circular Society (sceptical and holistic), and Fortress Circular Economy (sceptical and segmented).
Results from the selected case studies conclude that, although the CE discursive landscape is quite diverse, current policies focus on technical solutions and business innovations which do not address the manyfold social and political implications of a circular future. A technocentric CE approach is thus prevalent in the policies of the EU, the Dutch Government, and the city of Copenhagen. Results also find that the cities of Amsterdam and Glasgow have a more holistic approach to CE by acknowledging many social justice considerations. Yet the policies of these two cities remain limited in both their redistributive nature and their transformative potential. Moreover, results demonstrate that all the above case studies follow a growth-optimist approach, seeking to improve economic competitiveness and innovation to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. However, this approach has key scientific limitations, as research has shown that absolute eco-economic decoupling is neither happening nor likely to happen on a relevant scale to prevent climate change and biodiversity collapse.
This thesis’s research has also found that academics and social movements from the Global North and South alike have developed a wide range of alternatives to the growth-centric approach to circularity, such as steady state economics, degrowth, voluntary simplicity, ecological swaraj, economy for the common good, permacircular economy, doughnut economics, buen vivir, and ubuntu. All these alternative discourses can be grouped under the umbrella concept of a circular society. Circular society discourses are united in their objective to create a democratic, fair and sustainable socio-ecological system, which works in harmony with the natural cycles of the biosphere to improve human and planetary wellbeing for current and future generations. More pluralism and inclusiveness of these alternative approaches in the debate surrounding circularity could help co-design and implement sustainable circularity policies, which subordinate economic growth to planetary boundaries, resource limits, and social imperatives. This is key to ensure the political legitimacy, social relevance and scientific validity of the circularity policies that are implemented to create a fair, sustainable, and democratic circular society.
Keywords: Circular economy; circular society; policy analysis; discourse analysis; sustainability; environmental governance; pluriverse; degrowth.
... Prior work on this topic has noted differences in how risk associated with plastic pollution is communicated in scientific versus media articles (Völker et al., 2020), who may have a different understanding of the current knowledge gaps and uncertainties associated with plastics in the environment. Even within the scientific literature, there have been topical debates on the misperceptions of single-use plastic (Miller, 2020;Walker and McKay, 2021) and the priority of climate versus ocean pollution environmental threats (Avery-Gomm et al., 2019;Stafford and Jones, 2019). However, it is important to further understand the perception and misconceptions that exist around waste and plastic issues to further drive informed decisionmaking and motivate change. ...
... However, this perspective brings an important issue on drawing comparisons between co-occurring environmental issues. These statements were included since they are often the subject of debate in literature (Miller, 2020;Walker and McKay, 2021) and the priority of climate versus ocean pollution environmental threats (Avery-Gomm et al., 2019;Stafford and Jones, 2019) and the issue of climate change is often rated or scaled against that of plastic pollution, drawing a false comparison that these issues are considered separate concerns and may be a distraction from one another. Recent work has shown that the climate and plastic crises are intricately connected (Zhu, 2021). ...
Waste generation and subsequent plastic pollution pose a major threat to both human and environmental health. Furthering our understanding of waste at individual levels can inform future waste reduction strategies, education and policies. This study explores the components and perceptions among individuals using survey data combined with a mini-review. An online Qualtrics survey was distributed pre-COVID-19 following a global social media challenge, Futuristic February, which directed participants to collect their nonperishable waste during February 2020. Participants were asked about their waste generation, perceptions toward waste and plastic pollution issues, and environmental worldview using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale (n = 50). We also conducted a mini-review of eight waste and plastic pollution statements from our survey in both popular media and scientific journal articles. Survey results indicated participants had an overall pro-ecological worldview (M = 4.32, SD = 0.88) and reported cardboard and paper (66%) as the most commonly occurring nonperishable waste category. Across categories, food packaging was the most common waste type. Participants were most uncertain about statements focusing on bioplastic or biodegradable plastic, respectively (44% and 30%), while the statement on microplastic toxicity obtained 100% mild or strong agreement among participants. Uncertainty for reviewed statements varied depending on the topic and group. Popular media and scholarly articles did not always agree, possibly due to differences in communication of uncertainty or terminology definitions. These results can inform future policy and educational campaigns around topics of misinformation.
... Prior work on this topic has noted differences in how risk associated with plastic pollution is communicated in scientific vs. media articles (Völker et al., 2020), and who may have a different understanding of the current knowledge gaps and uncertainties associated with plastics in the environment. Even within the scientific literature, there have been topical debates on the misperceptions of single-use plastic (Miller, 2020;Walker and McKay, 2021) and the priority of climate vs. ocean pollution environmental threats (Avery-Gomm et al., 2019;Stafford and Jones, 2019). The perception and misconceptions about plastic waste and plastic require study to drive informed decision making and motivate change. ...
... However, this perspective brings an important issue on drawing comparisons between co-occurring environmental issues. These statements were included since they are often the subject of debate in literature (Miller, 2020;Walker and McKay, 2021) and the priority of climate or ocean pollution as environmental threats are often weighed against one another (Avery-Gomm et al., 2019;Stafford and Jones, 2019). The issue of climate change is often rated or scaled against that of plastic pollution, drawing a false comparison that these issues are considered separate concerns and may be a distraction from one another. ...
Plastic pollution is a global problem impacting every environmental compartment, from the air in Mount Everest to urban freshwater supplies. The scope and magnitude of the plastic problem requires an interdisciplinary approach that addresses human and environmental dimensions. I look to inform circular economy approaches through three phases of research: 1) individual waste generation and perceptions of waste and plastic issues; 2) methods and quality control evaluation for quantification of freshwater microplastics; and 3) temporal and spatial variation in plastic particle dynamics over a 3-year period in an urban lake compared with a rural lake in Central New York. In phase 1 (Chapter 2), I consider the non-perishable waste generation and environmental perceptions of participants in a social media campaign, Futuristic February. Participants in this campaign were directed to collect their non-perishable waste in February 2020. The aim of this work was to evaluate general perceptions of the survey participants on common areas of misinformation regarding waste and plastics, as well as to obtain general information regarding individual waste generation. Participant’s perceptions of plastic and waste issues were compared to popular search results on Google and Google Scholar in a mini-review. Participants were most uncertain on topics related to bioplastics and biodegradable plastics. The majority of participants (86%) agreed that there were trash islands in the ocean gyres. The mini-review results showed that uncertainty differed by group (Google, Google Scholar, and participants) and topic, rather than any consistent pattern among participants and search platform.
In Phase 2 (Chapter 3) I focus on quantifying environmental impacts of plastic pollution in temperate freshwaters. Methods for collection and quantification of plastic particles in the environment are non-standardized and often incomparable across studies. In this chapter I consider the use of point sampling (grab, bucket, and pump methods) and areal sampling (net) methods for microplastic sampling in fresh surface waters. I used a strict quality control correction using a limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) approach to account for background contamination. Point sampling methods were less likely to exceed the LOD compared to net sampling, though results differed depending on the location chosen for sampling and if visible floatable plastic pollution was present. Net sampling likely underrepresented smaller particles but collected a higher diversity with respect to color and morphology and exceeded the LOD in every sample, providing a more reliable method for monitoring microplastics.
Lastly, in Phase 3 (Chapter 4) I applied the refined net method identified in Phase 2 to monitor both urban and rural lake surface waters for microplastics in central New York over a 3-year period (2019-2021). The goals of this monitoring campaign were to: identify patterns with respect to source and location, and discuss potential impacts of seasonal stratification on microplastic circulation in dimictic lakes. Plastic particle concentrations were higher in Onondaga Lake (urban) compared to Skaneateles Lake (rural), likely owing to higher potential inputs for plastic pollution from CSOs, urban runoff, and wastewater effluent inputs. The shorter residence time and smaller number of large inflows impacted by urbanization to Onondaga Lake resulted in a higher temporal variation. Chemical characterization of particles revealed patterns of particle types that can further inform sources and losses of particles for improved regional floatables management.
Lastly, I offer areas for future research and priority policy action based on these three phases of work in Chapter 5.
... [1]. 2 This appears particularly worthwhile in view of the fact that the realization of a circular (plastics) economy requires large-scale behavioral, political, and economic change to address the problem of plastic pollution [2]. This change must be informed by sound and objective natural and social sciences. ...
... These sections reveal that strengthening 1 The program and list of speakers can be accessed online, cf. [1]. 2 This appears particularly worthwhile in view of the fact that the realization of a circular (plastics) economy requires large-scale behavioral, political, and economic change to address the problem of plastic pollution [2]. This change must be informed by sound and objective natural and social sciences. ...
To tackle the “plastic crisis”, the concept of circular economy has attracted considerable attention over the past years, both by practitioners and scholars alike. Against this background, this article reflects from a political scientist’s point of view on key issues currently under discussion regarding the implementation of a circular plastics economy. To do so, the article covers issues raised at the 2021 edition of the Tutzing Symposion, an annual event organized by DECHEMA, the German Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. These issues include renewable feedstock, life cycle assessments, chemical recycling, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and the allocation of responsibilities to curb plastic pollution. In addition, the article draws on mainly social scientists’ research to point out limitations of the most common understanding of the circular economy concept which describes the circular economy as a holistic approach that enables eco-economic decoupling and thus prevents ecological collapse while still allowing for economic growth. As a result, the article calls for a paradigm shift that challenges this popular, technocratic vision of the circular economy and puts forward sufficiency, i.e., an absolute reduction in production and consumption, as a prerequisite for the realization of a truly circular plastics economy.
... Recently, there have been conversations in the scientific literature and popular press debating the extent and severity of the plastic issue. The debates include whether public perception of ecosystem risk corresponds to scientific evidence (Burton, 2017;Backhaus and Wagner, 2020;Völker et al., 2020;Catarino et al., 2021;Zhou et al., 2021), as well as the relative importance of plastic waste to other pressing environmental challenges (Stafford and Jones, 2019a;Ford et al., 2022). There have also been debates surrounding the potential effectiveness and impact of proposed solutions such as implementation of plastic bans (Lewis et al., 2010;Martinho et al., 2017;Wagner, 2017;Herberz et al., 2020;Macintosh et al., 2020;Völker et al., 2020;Meert et al., 2021;Gómez and Escobar, 2022;Huang and Woodward, 2022). ...
... On one hand, those who value plastic pollution as the primary issue will likely prioritize any solution that reduces plastic pollution (Lavers et al., 2022). On the other side of the argument, those who prioritize climate change or another environmental impact may argue that alternative solutions should be promoted, even if they do not lead to a decrease in plastic production (Stafford and Jones, 2019a;Abejón et al., 2020). Some have argued that it is essential to develop solutions that do both-mitigate climate change and reduce the quantity of plastic waste (Stafford and Jones, 2019b;Miller, 2021;Ford et al., 2022). ...
Plastic is a ubiquitous material that has caused major environmental impacts. Ecosystem damage from improperly disposed plastic waste is the most visible of these impacts; however, plastic also has less visible environmental impacts throughout its supply chain. At the same time, plastic is not unique in possessing severe, often invisible, environmental impacts that occur throughout its life cycle. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a helpful tool can be used to contextualize the environmental impacts of plastic compared with alternative solutions or material substitutes. LCA can broaden our understanding of the environmental impacts of a product beyond what is the most obvious and visible, taking a comprehensive view that encompasses raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use, and end-of-life. LCA can be used to target specific areas for improvement, understand and evaluate tradeoffs among different materials, and can be helpful to avoid environmental problem-shifting. This review provides an overview of the LCA process and describes the benefits and limitations of LCA methods as they pertain to plastic and plastic waste. This paper summarizes major trends that are observed in prior LCA studies, along with a discussion of how LCA can best be used to help resolve the plastics problem without causing other unintended issues. The life cycle perspective analyzes the environmental impact associated with a specific product, often comparing the environmental impacts of one alternative to another. An alternative perspective analyzes the aggregated environmental impacts of the entire plastic sector, analyzing the full scope and scale of plastics in the environment. Both perspectives provide meaningful data and insights, yet each provides an incomplete understanding of the plastics problem. The comparative LCA perspective and the aggregated environmental impact perspective can complement one another and lead to overall improved environmental outcomes when used in tandem. The discussion highlights that reduced consumption of the underlying need for plastic is the only way to ensure reduced environmental impacts, whereas interventions that promote material substitution and or incentivize shifts toward other kinds of consumption may result in unintended environmental consequences.
... U.S. adults generally rated climate change as a less pressing ocean issue compared to plastic pollution. It has been previously argued that the focus on plastic pollution may decrease urgency to address other important issues such as climate change (Stafford and Jones, 2019). However, plastic production is intrinsically linked to climate change and continued plastic production exacerbates the warming of our planet (Ford et al., 2022). ...
We conducted a nationally-representative survey of United States (U.S.) adults (n=1,960) in 2021 to gather insights on the knowledge, perceptions, and concerns about threats to the ocean, with a specific focus on plastics and microplastic pollution. Responses from the U.S. adult survey group were compared to a group of highly-engaged, Ocean Conservancy members who are very attuned to ocean issues (n=882). Ocean Conservancy is a U.S.-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest challenges. Plastic pollution was the primary ocean concern identified by both U.S. adults and Ocean Conservancy members, surpassing eight other threat categories including oil spills, chemical and nutrient pollution, and climate change. Broad concern was reported for both study groups about the impacts of ocean plastics on marine wildlife, with human health and coastal community impact concerns being less prominent. About half of U.S. adults and 90% of Ocean Conservancy members had heard of microplastics. Both study groups indicated widespread support for microplastic pollution prevention measures in the U.S. and believed industry to be most responsible for taking action to address it. Ocean Conservancy members were generally better informed and more concerned about plastic pollution impacts and microplastics than U.S. adults and reported significantly greater levels of personal action to reduce their plastic footprint when compared to U.S. adults. In general, U.S. adults reported a willingness to refuse single-use plastics, but less frequently brought personal food containers to restaurants for takeout, or contacted local representatives or businesses about reducing plastic waste and pollution. Overall, our survey results provide new insights about public understanding of ocean threats and plastic pollution, willingness to participate in individual plastic-reduction actions, and support for needed solutions.
... They also support various economic activities, including fisheries, tourism and recreation [2]. However, marine ecosystems face significant threats from human-induced pollution, with plastic pollution emerging as a severe and pressing concern [3,4]. Plastic pollution directly impacts ecosystems by entangling marine mammals and birds and blocking their digestive tracts [5,6], and indirectly by disrupting ecosystem structure and service provision [7]. ...
Background
Plastic pollution is a severe threat to marine ecosystems. While some microbial enzymes can degrade certain plastics, the ability of the global ocean microbiome to break down diverse environmental plastics remains limited. We employed metatranscriptomic data from an international ocean survey to explore global and regional patterns in microbial plastic degradation potential.
Results
On a global oceanic scale, we found no significant correlation between levels of plastic pollution and the expression of genes encoding enzymes putatively identified as capable of plastic degradation. Even when looking at different regional scales, ocean depth layers, or plastic types, we found no strong or even moderate correlation between plastic pollution and relative abundances of transcripts for enzymes with presumed plastic biodegradation potential. Our data, however, indicate that microorganisms in the Southern Ocean show a higher potential for plastic degradation, making them more appealing candidates for bioprospecting novel plastic-degrading enzymes.
Conclusion
Our research contributes to understanding the complex global relationship between plastic pollution and microbial plastic degradation potential. We reveal that the transcription of putative plastic-degrading genes in the global ocean microbiome does not correlate to marine plastic pollution, highlighting the ongoing danger that plastic poses to marine environments threatened by plastic pollution.
... In example, Tiller and colleagues [2019] found that there is more media representation on ocean plastic than on ocean climate-related issues such as ocean acidification, while more scientific studies are conducted on the latter. This raises concerns that the over-representation of ocean plastic in the media "pushes the climate debate off the table" [Stafford & Jones, 2019]. ...
To understand how scientific institutions communicate about ocean climate change and ocean plastic research, 323 press releases published between 2017 and 2022 were analyzed. A clustering method revealed 4 ocean climate change- and 5 ocean plastic frames that were analyzed qualitatively. Ocean plastic was presented as a biological and health issue, placing an emphasis on solutions and society's obligation to implement them. Ocean climate change was framed as environmental and socio-economic problem, highlighting politics' responsibility for mitigation. Narratives were only used to personify science and represent scientists, indicating that future press releases could include more social dimensions to engage audiences in ocean issues.
... Bejarano et al. (2022) recently reported that corals retracted more polyps in response to a single microplastic pulse compared to calcareous sediments, but noted that the short 24 h exposure and lack of explicit stress metrics limited insights into the effects of coral physiology. Several authors have argued that the impacts of microplastics are overstated and have steered attention away from other immediate risks such as ocean warming and pollution (Stafford and Jones, 2019;Backhaus and Wagner, 2020). The goal of this study was therefore to compare microplastic stress with the comparatively well-understood effects of sediments to better assess the threat microplastics pose to corals. ...
Despite increasing research into the effects of microplastics on corals, no study to date has compared this relatively novel pollutant with a well-established stressor such as downwelling sediments. Here, Merulina ampliata coral fragments were exposed to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and calcium carbonate particles (200-300 μm) at two deposition levels, high (115.20 ± 5.83 mg cm-2 d-1, mean ± SE) and low (22.87 ± 1.90 mg cm-2 d-1) in specially-designed Flow-Through Resuspension (FloTR) chambers. After 28 d, there were no significant differences between fragments exposed to sediments and microplastics for coral skeletal growth, Symbiodiniaceae density, and areal or cellular chlorophyll a concentrations. There were also no significant differences between levels of treatments, or with the control fragments. More PET microplastic particles were incorporated into the coral skeletons of fragments exposed to microplastics compared to those exposed to sediment and the control fragments, but there was no difference between fragments exposed to high and low microplastic levels. Together, the results show that M. ampliata appears to be able to cope with both microplastic and sediment stress, and suggests that microplastics do not represent a more serious threat than downwelling sediments at the levels tested.
... Implications are envisaged in the policy sphere for supporting the recognition of the multifunctional role of fisheries, though not distracting policy attention from other relevant marine issues (Stafford and Jones, 2019), and for the development of fishery communities, mainly considering the role of small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean coastal areas (Malorgio et al., 2017). Public recognition of the benefits that fishing for litter may have is a reason for justifying policies and for supporting the involvement of fishing communities; in this regard, the EU funds of EMFAF programme for the period of 2021-2027 could provide measures for a wider involvement of people in FFL initiatives. ...
As marine plastic litter (MPL) accumulates in the ocean, the need for remediation solutions, such as fishing for litter (FFL) schemes, is very crucial. In order to support the implementation of FFL schemes, the opinion of some Italians were sampled. The present study investigates Italians' opinions about the contribution of FFL in reducing MPL, and the perceived benefits and costs of the scheme. Descriptive statistics, test analyses and a logit regression were carried out. The key findings show a high sensitivity and concern toward MPL, and a good knowledge of FFL experiences. In Italians' opinion, potential FFL costs incurred by fishers should be mainly borne by public institutions. Considering FFL benefits, Italians have no doubts about the effectiveness of fishing for litter in reducing MPL. Female and coastal residence, FFL knowledge and concern about MPL positively affected the perceptions of FFL benefits, while education has a negative effect on the beneficial perceptions of FFL.
... Another challenge for climate justice communication is the pervasive distortion of climate action. For instance, the fossil fuel industry's concerted efforts to shift blame onto individual consumers (Supran & Oreskes, 2021) often equate climate action with lifestyle changes that are inadequate to address the climate crisis (Whitmarsh et al., 2021) and have been argued to distract from more substantive behaviors such as political advocacy and social movement participation (Cuomo, 2011;Stafford & Jones, 2019). While lifestyle-centered discourses promote misdirected action, two other dominant discourses promote inaction under the auspices of extreme optimism and extreme pessimism, respectively. ...
Despite the rise of climate justice movements worldwide, climate justice concerns are insufficiently addressed in recent U.S. policy, and public understanding is not yet widespread. To explore possible avenues for climate justice communication, this analysis examines U.S. climate activists’ recommended target audiences and communication strategies. Drawing on 67 conversational interviews and 112 online surveys with activists, the analysis discusses strategies for engaging two high-priority audiences: (1) social justice advocates who do not see the climate crisis as a justice issue and (2) climate action advocates who do not view climate justice as integral to climate solutions. The analysis also identifies a low-priority audience category of climate justice deniers, or people who—independent of their views on the climate crisis itself—are apathetic to its social justice implications. These results propose a novel audience segmentation for climate justice communication and consolidate activists’ recommendations for engaging each audience, thus providing a grounding for further experimental work.
... Nevertheless, the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of manual and mechanical cleaning remain largely unknown (Zielinski et al., 2019), although focusing efforts on the problematic types of litter should improve efficiency and reduce costs. As an example, several studies have focused on plastic litter (Stafford and Jones, 2019) and some of them propose monitoring debris using remote sensing (Veettil et al., 2022), which could be useful for beaches with high BLG values in gross polystyrene, but none for beaches with high amounts of small vegetation litter. A similar approach could be used for cigarette butts, another waste element widely studied recently (Araújo et al., 2022;Asensio-Montesinos et al., 2021;Yousefi Nasab et al., 2022), but very difficult to clean (Zielinski et al., 2019). ...
The COVID-19 pandemic caused that most countries established the closure of many beaches, affecting the scientific monitoring of thousands of coastal sectors. This article shows the status of beach litter in South America before and after COVID-19 closure. The data were obtained during the years 2019, 2020 and 2022 on 25 beaches using a technique BLAT-QQ. The results show that cigarette butts were the most frequent type of litter, meanwhile Brazil should improve cleanliness of general gross litter and gross polystyrene. Colombia gross vegetation litter and small vegetation litter, and Ecuador organic litter from animals. The results shown in qualitative and quantitative manner facilitate their understanding for managers, scholars and activists interested on beach litter monitoring. This baseline is useful to analyse regional and worldwide marine litter trends with the purpose to start or restart monitoring of tourist beaches from a science-based method.
... With the uprising of environmental concerns over plastic use and the pressing demands over degrading plastics worldwide, polymeric foams have come to the forefront in justifying their applications. There is no denial that plastics have innumerable uses in our day-to-day life (Thompson et al., 2009), but the limitations still lie in overconsumption of plastics (Stafford and Jones, 2019). Over the past decades, polymeric foams have not only reduced material consumption but have also impacted efficacy in other fields that depend on them. ...
... (a) Plastic manufacturing uses fossil fuels and scarce resources. The end-of-life (EOL) of plastic waste contributes expressively to global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and although bio-based plastics are likely to expand in manufacturing, their sustainability and GHG contribution are also questionable [4]. (b) The environment accelerates the distribution of plastic pollutants, which will continue as extreme weather events and flooding and drought become more frequent due to the changing climate [5]. ...
Natural fibers have high potential as renewable reinforcement for polymers; however, their lower load-carrying capacity compared to synthetic fibers significantly limits the wide application in fiber-reinforced polymer composites. In laminated composite beams under bending load, the normal stress is the highest on the top and bottom layers but is zero at the mid-plane, with almost a linear normal strain distribution. Although the shear stress is the highest at the mid-plane, it may not be a major concern as most polymers can survive the high shear stress. Using this concept, we have designed a hybrid fiber reinforcement in a gradient manner: from the surface to the mid-plane were carbon fiber, glass fiber, and natural jute fiber, respectively. A newly synthesized self-healable shape memory polymer was used for laminating the fibers. Performance characterizations demonstrated that even using a significant amount of natural fibers in the composites, the samples with gradient fiber reinforcement showed competitive mechanical properties to fully carbon or glass fiber reinforced composites and much higher mechanical properties than the composite prepared with entirely natural fibers or glass fibers. For example, the gradient composites show up to 550% flexural strength of the composites made of fully natural fibers, and around 14% and 34% higher flexural strength than that of the composites made of pure glass and pure carbon fibers, respectively. In addition, the composites retain excellent self-healing, shape-recovery, and fiber-recycling properties.
... As policy makers are currently operating in data-poor environments, applying the precautionary principle should prevail (Meidl, 2019) until a larger body of evidence regarding risk is built. Despite the extensive interest in the subject, the increased implementation of product specific policies (e.g., Adam et al., 2020) and business decisions to reduce plastic waste, it continues to be a "wicked" problem (Zijp et al., 2016;Stafford and Jones, 2019;Stoett and Vince, 2019) that needs multiple holistic solutions. Here, we briefly summarize key learnings from current marine plastic interventions and detail next steps that could assist decision makers with assessing and prioritizing future initiatives. ...
Despite the increase in the documentation on, and interest in marine debris, there remains a gap between the analytic information available and the recommendations developed by policy and decision makers that could reduce this pollutant. Our paper summarizes some successful initiatives across policy,
industry, infrastructure and education; and where they sit in the value chain of plastic products. We suggest that a multidisciplinary approach is required to most effectively address the marine plastic litter problem. This approach should emphasize (1) minimizing plastic production and consumption (where possible), and waste leakage; by (2) improving waste management (taking into consideration the informal sector) rather than focussing on clean-up activities. We then suggest some steps that once addressed would assist policy professionals,
and a wide variety of entities and individuals with decision-making to reduce marine plastic litter. We suggest the creation of a user-friendly framework (tool) would facilitate transparency and democratization of the decision-making process across stakeholders and the wider community. This tool would be most useful if it comprised information on (i) defining appropriate metrics for quantifying plastic waste for the study/work case; (ii) providing a list of possible interventions with their key associated enabling and disabling factors, (iii) identifying the main influential factors specific to the situation/region; (iv) recognizing the
risks associated with the selected interventions and the consequences of these interventions on the most influential factors; (v) objectively ranking solutions using the information gathered (metrics, targets, risks, factors) based on the regional,
national, and/or international context. This tool then provides an opportunity for user groups to explore different suites of options for tackling marine plastic pollution and co-create a suite that is optimum for them.
... Implications are envisaged in the policy sphere for supporting the recognition of the multifunctional role of fisheries, though not distracting policy attention from other relevant marine issues (Stafford and Jones, 2019), and for the development of fishery communities, mainly considering the role of small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean coastal areas (Malorgio et al., 2017). Public recognition of the benefits that fishing for litter may have is a reason for justifying policies and for supporting the involvement of fishing communities; in this regard, the EU funds of EMFAF programme for the period of 2021-2027 could provide measures for a wider involvement of people in FFL initiatives. ...
... The weighting for each of these categories is presented in Table 2. many ecosystems and the services they provide are pushed to the edge of collapse. Artisanal and industrial fishing is among the largest global sources of plastic pollution (Rochman, 2018;Stafford and Jones, 2019;Richardson et al., 2021Richardson et al., , 2022; Galápagos is no exception. Our macroplastic classification category FISH, which includes all fishing-related items (industrial and artisanal), was the second most prevalent category across all sampled study sites. ...
Plastic pollution (PP) is an ongoing, pervasive global problem that represents a risk to the Galápagos archipelago, despite it being one of the world's most pristine and well-protected regions. By working closely with citizen scientists, we aimed to quantify and map the magnitude and biological effects of PP. With macroplastic abundance ranging from 0.003 to 2.87 items/m2, our research indicates that all five sampled Galápagos bioregions are contaminated with PP along their coastlines. The distribution of this debris is not uniform, with macroplastics significantly higher on the windward shores. Based on the identification information found on the examined items, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the most predominant type of plastic originating from both consumer and fisheries-based products deriving primarily from Perú, China, and Ecuador. The top three manufacturers were AjeCroup, Coca-Cola, and Tingy Holding Corporation. Through citizen science, we documented PP exposure in 52 species (20 endemic) in Galápagos terrestrial and marine environments, with exposure occurring in two ways: entanglement and ingestion. These included reptiles (8 species), birds (13 species), mammals (4 species), cartilaginous fish (7 species), bony fish (14 species), and invertebrates (6 species). The top five species with the greatest risk of serious harm due to entanglement (in decreasing order) were identified as green sea turtles, marine iguanas, whale sharks, spine-tail mobulas, and medium-ground finches. In contrast, Santa Cruz tortoises, green sea turtles, marine iguanas, black-striped salemas, and Galápagos sea lions were at the highest risk of harm due to the ingestion of plastics. Our research indicates that PP is a growing problem in the Galápagos archipelago and that additional work is necessary to mitigate its impact now and in the future.
... The plastics industry association in New Zealand, Plastics NZ, has also expressed their concern about targeting only plastic packaging alone, while not focusing on packaging materials in general [25]. Finally, it has been argued that the intensive focus on plastic pollution is drawing attention away from more important problems such as climate change and the impact on biodiversity from overfishing [26]. This raises the question of to what extent the current plastic regulation is evidencebased, a declared ambition in the EU since the beginning of the 2000's [27,28]. ...
The intensive global plastic production, use and associated plastic pollution have caused concern for the potential risks to human health and the environment. This has led to the adoption of numerous regulatory initiatives aiming to combat plastic pollution. Despite the considerable regulatory activity in the field of plastic, it appears that there is still debate about the actual risks of plastic to humans and the environment. This raises the question of to what extent the current plastic regulation is evidence-based, a declared ambition in the European Union. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate to what extent key policy initiatives targeting plastic pollution are based on scientific evidence. Selection of initiatives was based on expert elicitation accounting for the opinions of persons involved in the development of the policy initiatives, and a thorough assessment of the historical development of plastic pollution regulation, with focus on their importance both with respect to regulation of plastics as well as their historical importance as drivers for societal actions on plastic pollution. We find that scientific evidence appears to be generally present in the scientific foundation for the policy initiatives analysed in this study. All the initiatives are supported by scientific articles and reports about among others plastic sources, ecological impacts of plastic production and consumption patterns. Marine litter monitoring data was found to contribute to the evidence base for 4 out of the 6 policy initiatives and thereby appears to be one of the central scientific drivers behind the societal actions on plastic pollution. Other scientific tools applied when shaping the policy initiatives include risk assessment, impact assessment and life cycle assessment. Despite the prevalent consideration and application of scientific evidence, there seems to be a broad recognition in the preparatory work of the initiatives that there is still a lot of uncertainty related to determining the harm of plastic pollution. In these cases, taking precautionary actions seems however to be justified, recalling not least the precautionary principle. As the issue of plastic pollution is complex and still subject to uncertainty, it seems important both that policy initiatives allow for flexibility and continuing adjustment to the on-going knowledge generation and that the scientific community provides the needed research to continue the science-informed policy development.
... The focus in the media and public domains has enhanced the public's eagerness to help solve plastic pollution, but sparked controversy as a distraction from the greater and more pressing issue of climate change and biodiversity loss [21]. Here we consider the planetary-level threats of plastic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss holistically, identifying research gaps and potential solutions. ...
Assessing three interlinked issues, plastic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss separately can overlook potential interactions that may lead to positive or negative impacts on global ecosystem processes. Recent studies suggest that threatened species and ecosystems are vulnerable to both plastic pollution and climate change stressors. Here we consider the connectivity and state of knowledge between these three environmental issues with a focus on the Global South. Nine out of top ten Long-Term Climate Risk Index (CRI) (2000–2019) ranked countries are located within the Global South, yet research is focused in the Global North. A literature search for the top ten Long-Term Climate Risk Index (CRI) (2000–2019) ranked countries matched a total of 2416 (3.3% of global publications) search results on climate change, with 56 (4% of the global publications) on plastic pollution, and seven (7.7% of the global publications) on both climate change and plastic pollution. There is a strong correlation between the Global South and high biodiversity hotspots, high food insecurity and low environmental performance. Using Bangladesh as a case study, we show the erosion rates and sea level rise scenarios that will increase ocean-bound plastic pollution and impact high biodiversity areas. Poverty alleviation and promoting renewable energy and green practices can significantly reduce the stress on the environment. We recommend that these connected planetary threats can be best addressed through a holistic and collaborative approach to research, a focus on the Global South, and an ambitious policy agenda.
... However, plastic packaging, both globally and in Japan, is perceived to exacerbate global risks like environmental degradation (Hamilton & Feit, 2019;Richard Stafford, 2019;WWF, 2021). As a counter measure, around 127 nations have banned or taxed plastic bags and over 27 nations have enacted through law some type of ban on other plastics, for example, bottles, plates, cups, straws (UNEP, 2018). ...
Several Japanese companies and the government are recently promoting a plastic ban and imposing a tax levy to curb litter and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This has led to a rapid rise of nonplastic packaging alternatives. While plastics and litter are pressing concerns, it is paramount to examine environmental risks of other alternatives before wide application and legislative action, to not further the risk of environmental damage. This study aims to quantify and compare plastic products such as polyethylene‐terephthalate (PET) bottles and high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) bags with widely available alternatives in Japan like glass bottles, aluminum bottles, paper bags, and textile bags, to find a product with the least environmental impact. A life cycle assessment is conducted from a cradle‐to‐grave environmental impact approach that includes raw material extraction, production, transportation, end‐of‐life treatment, and disposal. Sixteen impact categories including climate change, acidification, aquatic‐toxicity, so forth, and weighing is assessed using the MiLCA software. The functional unit is one piece of each packaging product, and impacts of product‐filling, storage, recycling, and reuse are excluded for a consistent comparison. HDPE bags performed better than paper and textile bags in 15 of the 16 analyzed impact categories. Similarly, PET bottles outperformed aluminum and glass bottles in 12 out of the 16 impact categories analyzed. Weighted results also highlight the heightened negative environmental impacts of replacing plastic packaging with widely available alternatives.
... COVID-19 brought havoc to a vulnerable world-already damaged by biodiversity loss, climate change, over-exploitation of resources, globalisation, social inequalities, unsustainable consumption and production, and inadequately prepared governments (Stafford and Jones 2019). Currently, the world is at a critical junction, and COVID-19 presents a window of opportunity that is rapidly closing to guide future development within the Earth's planetary boundaries, and in an operating space safe for humans (Steffen et al. 2015;Helm 2020;Lenzen et al. 2020;Frutos et al. 2021). ...
Given the current environmental crisis there have been multiple calls for a green recovery from COVID-19 which address environmental concerns and provide jobs in industries and communities economically damaged by the pandemic. Here, we holistically evaluate a range of recovery scenarios, evaluated on environmental and socio-economic equity metrics. Using a modified version of a Bayesian belief network, we show that economic stimuli across green sectors, including jobs in renewable energy, waste management, retrofitting of buildings, heat-pump installation and public transport can help economic growth, but will have limited environmental benefits. The inclusion of carbon taxes and ending fossil fuel subsidies, alongside investment in nature-based solutions and jobs in ecological conservation, can greatly increase the environmental gains as well as socio-economic equality. Additionally, jobs not associated with green industries, but with low carbon footprints, such as those in social care can further improve social equality with minimal negative environmental effects. However, in these latter scenarios involving taxation and ending fossil fuel subsidies, economic growth is reduced. We suggest a comprehensive green recovery and green new deal are needed, and we should reimagine economies, without the focus on economic growth.
... This has the additional benefit of increasing a company's image in society, portraying them as "good corporate citizens". This is in line with a suggestion by Stafford and Jones (2019) that the visibility associated with plastic pollution creates an opportunity for "environmental branding" of corporations. With the local implementation of EPR Regulations for plastics and packaging in May 2021 (DEFF, 2020(DEFF, , 2021, value chain actors will be forced to take a more active role in the fate of their products to meet the specified targets for collection and recycling. ...
An estimated 15,000–40,000 tons of plastic waste leaks into the oceans from South Africa annually. This has put the management of plastic products in the spotlight. In South Africa, life cycle management (LCM) is not a term that is commonly used however some companies have adopted LCM tools and concepts including cleaner production, sustainable procurement and design for recycling. Interviews with key value chain actors were conducted in 2017 and 2018–2019, on the influence of plastic leakage on plastic product life cycle management. In 2017, actors largely did not view themselves as responsible for plastic leakage, mostly putting blame on consumers. During the second interview period, a shift was observed wherein the actors recognized the role of product design in plastic leakage and started taking a more active role in its mitigation from the perspective of extended producer responsibility. The drivers for addressing marine pollution mirrored those for the adoption of LCM tools, including maintaining a competitive advantage and meeting investor and consumer expectations. In 2020, the South African Plastic Pact was developed and launched, which aims to create a circular economy for plastic packaging. As of October 2021, the majority of interviewed value chain actors are members. Ultimately the increasing concern surrounding plastic pollution has directly influenced value chain actors' perspectives and actions.
... This problem of plastic waste management has encouraged many countries to seek a solution to reduce the use of petroleum-based plastics (Geyer et al., 2017;Rhodes, 2018;Borrelle et al., 2020;Lau et al., 2020). Plastic pollution is a problem not only on land but also in the marine environment because of its resistance to degradation (Joyner and Frew, 1991;Eriksen et al., 2014;Jambeck Jenna et al., 2015;Haward, 2018;Lebreton et al., 2018;Stafford and Jones, 2019;Ross et al., 2021). Most plastics that pass through the ocean affect marine animals, which ingest them as small plastic pieces that can accumulate in their cells and organs after digestion (Coleman and Wehle, 1984;Wabnitz and Nichols, 2010;Sigler, 2014;Vegter et al., 2014;Wilcox et al., 2016;Avio et al., 2017). ...
The waste created by single-use plastics is an important global issue, especially in marine environments, because they do not degrade in nature. This work aimed to study the biodegradability of bioplastic blown film, which may pose a solution to this problem. Polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polylactic acid (PLA) blown films were chosen for examination of their biodegradability when submerged in sand under the seawater and when floated on the seawater surface of our experimental setup. Bioplastics were observed in comparison with low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which is a petroleum-based plastic. PBS blown film exhibited a faster degradation rate than PLA blown film, while LDPE blown film did not degrade in the marine environment. The biodegradability of bioplastic blown film was confirmed by physical observation, a change in the chemical functional group measured by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and a test of the biochemical oxygen demand of the seawater after bioplastic degradation due to ingestion by bacteria in seawater.
Strengthening community engagement in stewardship can help to improve management of coastal and freshwater environments (blue spaces). Research suggests that recreational users of natural areas may be more willing to engage in stewardship. However, little research at a population scale has examine how recreation experiences shape psychological ingredients for stewardship.
We surveyed 3271 residents of South East Queensland, Australia and quantified willingness to engage in blue space stewardship. We then quantified frequency of different types of blue space recreation, perceptions about threats to blue spaces (threat appraisal) and protective actions (coping appraisal), and satisfaction with blue spaces. We then examined pathways from recreation to stewardship intentions using mediation analysis.
Results show that many types of recreation were associated with stewardship intentions. Specifically, higher frequency of social activities and nature‐appreciation activities were associated with greater intentions for individual stewardship (e.g. picking up litter, reducing use of household chemicals). Higher frequency of social activities, nature appreciation, exercise and fishing/boating was associated with stronger intentions for collective stewardship (e.g. attending a public meeting or riparian management event)
Mediation analysis showed that most forms of recreation did not influence perceptions about severity of threats to blue spaces. Rather, the relationships between recreation and stewardship were mediated by greater place satisfaction, perceived vulnerability to blue space degradation, and feeling more able to contribute to waterway protection (efficacy).
These findings indicate that many types of recreation (not just nature appreciation activities) can be a foundation for engaging in nature stewardship, and reinforce the importance of building efficacy when promoting stewardship. The finding that both place satisfaction and perceived vulnerability to environmental degradation suggests that there may be an optimal motivational window for stewardship: people need to connect a place with positive experiences, and have some recognition of a potential threat, but where the potential threat has not yet eroded the natural values of a place.
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This article brings ‘Small is Beautiful’ into dialogue with Frankfurt School critical theory to explore reshaping capitalism considering the climate crisis. Nature’s subjugation to capitalist instrumental reason is discussed in terms of Schumacher’s arguments. The article contends that market-based emission reduction schemes privatise Earth’s life-sustaining capacity and underscores how current lifestyles depend on growth whilst commodifying environmental concerns. Capitalism, it is argued, relies on producing a continued demand for new products, requiring continued growth to sustain the ‘treadmill of production’. Technology disrupts markets but not capitalism, further serving accumulation. Economic democracy, as in Schumacher’s argument, is proposed as a solution which redirects economic activity by combining the worker/producer duality of the individual but notes the challenge of changing the growth-based status quo on which we rely despite the existential threat it presents.
Tek Sağlık, insan, hayvan ve çevre sağlığı arasındaki işbirliğini vurgulayan disiplinler arası bir yaklaşımdır. Birçok ülkenin sağlık politikalarında merkezi bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu kavram, insan, hayvan ve çevre sağlığının birbirine bağlı olduğunu ve iş birliği gerektirdiğini savunan yenilikçi ve bütünleyici bir düşüncedir. Bulaşıcı ve zoonotik hastalıklar gibi halk sağlığı sorunlarına karşı kritik bir öneme sahiptir. Yaşanan COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde, atık yönetimine ve özellikle maskeler, koruyucu ekipmanlar ve tıbbi testler gibi kullanımı artan plastik atıkların insan, hayvan, bitki ve çevre sağlığı üzerindeki etkilerine, Tek Sağlık bakış açısı ile dikkat çekilmiştir. Çünkü bu durum, plastik atık temelli çevre kirliliğini, dolayısıyla ekosistem sağlığına plastiklerin etkisini daha belirgin hale getirmiştir. Bu çalışma, COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında plastik kirliliği konusundaki çalışmaları ele alarak, Tek Sağlık perspektifinde ekosistem sağlığı yaklaşımına odaklanmaktadır. Pandemi sonrası ortaya çıkan kirleticilerin çeşitliliği ve çevresel etkileşimler, global çözümler için önerilerle birlikte incelenmiştir. Gelecekteki araştırmaların, bu kirleticilerin çevre üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerini azaltma ve etkili stratejiler geliştirme konusundaki ihtiyaçlarını ele alması ve Tek Sağlık yaklaşımı olası çözümler ulaşılması beklenmektedir.
There is currently limited research assessing the ecological potential of coral restoration programmes of habitat enhancement and restoration of benthic and mobile populations for influencing the attitudes (and subsequent behaviours) of the communities where they are based. Our qualitative study investigated the impact of a coral reef restoration programmes on local environmental attitudes in a rural fishing community in north Bali, Indonesia. We conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals and multi-stakeholder focus groups (n = 31) in Tianyar Village, where the NGO ‘North Bali Reef Conservation’ (‘Yowana Bhakti Segara’) was based. Our results highlight several factors that influenced environmental behaviours, including perceived value of coral reefs (e.g.,changes in fishing yield), drivers of support for coral reef restoration (e.g., local leaders’ influence) and barriers to coral reef restoration support (e.g., lack of investment). Overall, our data indicate that the restoration programme has influenced positive environmental attitudes within the community through improvements in waste management, increased support for restoration work, and the establishment of new environmental regulations. Based on our results, we make five recommendations: (1) continuing environmental education within the community, (2) strengthening regulations and improving enforcement, (3) increasing financial and logistical support for waste management and ecotourism, (4) continuing the construction and deployment of artificial reefs, ensuring ‘best practice’ recommendations are followed, and (5) utilising the influence of local leaders to create positive environmental behaviours.
This study explores the utilization of polyethylene bags and PET bottles as a fiber in the production of lightweight non-autoclaved plastic fiber-reinforced aerated concrete (NAPFRAC), which has the potential to replace conventional bricks. The study begins by examining global plastic pollutant production and their characterization and the need for a forecast of plastic pollution worldwide. Optimization using Design-Expert 9.0 is used to estimate the optimum mix of NAPFRAC. The mechanical properties of the optimum mix are determined, and a scaled-down model of wall panels is cast to study their behavior and vertical and horizontal ultimate load-carrying capacity. The results are compared to those of conventional first-class burnt clay bricks, and it is found that NAPFRAC wall panels show a 28% increase in vertical load-carrying capacity and 40% in horizontal load-carrying capacity. An analytical study of a high-rise building with NAPFRAC as infill panels is carried out to check the reduction of steel reinforcement in structural sections. Microstructural analysis using SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and XRD (X-ray diffraction) is conducted to identify the morphology and mineralogical composition of the NAPFRAC. Energy studies are also carried out on the mix ratio to identify the embodied carbon dioxide and energy required. Overall, this study highlights the potential of NAPFRAC as a lightweight alternative to conventional bricks. The use of plastic waste as a fiber in concrete production could have a positive impact on the environment by reducing plastic pollution. The results of this study could also have practical applications in the construction industry, especially in the design of high-rise buildings.
Graphical abstract
Microplastic pollution is a serious environmental problem that affects both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Small particles with size of less than 5 mm, known as microplastics (MPs), persist in the environment and pose serious threats to various species from micro-organisms to humans. However, terrestrial environment has received less attention than the aquatic environment, despite being a major source of MPs that eventually reaches water body. To reflect its novelty, this work aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of MPs pollution in the global environment and various solutions to address MP pollution by integrating applied technology, policy instruments, and legislation. This review critically evaluates and compares the existing technologies for MPs detection, removal, and degradation, and a variety of policy instruments and legislation that can support the prevention and management of MPs pollution. Furthermore, this review identifies the gaps and challenges in addressing the complex and diverse nature of MPs and calls for joint actions and collaboration from stakeholders to contain MPs. As water pollution by MPs is complex, managing it effectively requires their responses through the utilization of technology, policy instruments, and legislation. It is evident from a literature survey of 228 published articles (1961-2023) that existing water technologies are promising to remove MPs pollution. Membrane bioreactors and ultrafiltration achieved 90% of MPs removal, while magnetic separation was 88% effective at extracting target MPs from wastewater. In biological process, one kg of wax worms could consume about 80 g of plastic/day. This means that 100 kg of wax worms can eat about 8 kg of plastic daily, or about 2.9 tons of plastic annually. Overall, the integration of technology, policy instrument, and legislation is crucial to deal with the MPs issues.
Plastics pollute all environmental compartments because of human activities and mismanagement. Public perceptions and knowledge about plastic pollution differ among individuals and across different jurisdictions. Targeted survey-based research tools can help measure consumer awareness about impacts of mismanaged plastics and help identify trends and solutions to reduce plastic use and plastic pollution. This review primarily focused on survey-based research from presenters at the scientific track session TS-2.15 Plastic Pulse of the Public at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference (www.7imdc.org) and supplemented by contemporary literature. Survey-based research helps provide new insights about public opinions related to the pervasiveness of plastic pollution. This review includes results about consumer use and perceptions of plastic pollution impacts from diverse studies from nine countries including Ghana, Kenya, Bangladesh, Pakistan, United States, Canada, Norway, Germany, and United Kingdom. Overwhelmingly, public perceptions and consumer awareness of the negative impacts of plastic pollution were extremely high, regardless of geographic location. Awareness about the environmental impacts of plastic waste and plastic pollution was highest within younger, white, female and well-educated demographic groups. However, differences were observed in public attitudes towards willingness to pay for sustainable alternatives, end-of-life plastic uses, unintended consequences, recycling and mismanagement.
With the development of urbanization and economic growth, the urban lake ecosystem faces many challenges derived from external factors. As pollutants in the aquatic environment, heavy metals and microplastics negatively influence the urban lake ecosystem due to their intrinsic properties. To understand the distribution patterns and multidecadal deposition characteristics of heavy metals and microplastics, six sediment cores were collected in March 2021 from a Chinese urban lake, Xinghu Lake, and the isotopic composition of cesium-137 and lead-210 was analyzed for the chronology of the sediment core. Here, the classifications of comprehensive ecological risk evaluation methods for heavy metals and microplastics were adjusted further. Meanwhile, the correlations among heavy metals, microplastics, sediment grains, and natural and social factors were further analyzed. The results showed that the sediments of Xinghu Lake were mainly fine silt (39%), and the average surface area of sediment was 1.82 ± 0.60 m²/g. The average concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, vanadium, and zinc were 0.268 ± 0.077, 59.91 ± 16.98, 23.29 ± 6.48, 52.16 ± 13.11, 36.83 ± 11.78, 119.57 ± 26.91, and 88.44 ± 29.68 mg/kg, respectively. The average comprehensive potential ecological risk indexes of heavy metals and microplastics in sediment cores were 46.59 ± 9.98 and 105.78 ± 23.32 in Xinghu Lake, and their risks were projected to reach high and very high levels by 2030 and 2050. The annual average temperature was the key natural factor for the abundances of heavy metals and microplastics, and the small sediment grain had a significant correlation with these. Agricultural activities were major pollution sources of heavy metals and microplastics, while the chemical fibers and plastic products were closely related to the abundance of microplastics.
Unsustainable plastic production, use and mismanagement has resulted in increased global plastic pollution and subsequent degradation into micro(nano)plastics in the environment threatening sustainability. Micro(nano) plastic pollution is pervasive and has caused widespread ecological impacts globally, including greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Although downstream strategies to curb plastic pollution exist, they are ineffective in the face of current plastic production and waste generation which is still outpacing existing regulations. Thus, the international community has recognized a more holistic approach is required to reduce plastic and micro(nano)plastic pollution. This critical review highlights studies showing that unsustainable global plastic production has resulted in increasing micro(nano)plastic pollution in all environmental compartments, yet few studies have documented successful micro(nano)plastic pollution prevention or removal techniques. This critical review offers constructive criticism into some strategies to help advance ambitious global plastic and micro(nano)plastic pollution reduction targets for a transition towards a sustainable global plastics future.
Green synthesis of nanoparticles for use in food packaging or biomedical applications is attracting increasing interest. In this study, the effect of the degree of substitution (0.7, 0.9 and 1.2) of a carboxymethylcellulose polymer matrix on the synthesis and properties of silver nanoparticles using melanin as a reductant was investigated. For this purpose, the mechanical, UV–Vis barrier, crystallinity, morphology, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the films were determined, as well as the color and changes in chemical bonds. The degree of substitution effected noticeable changes in the color of the films (the L* parameter was 2.87 ± 0.76, 5.59 ± 1.30 and 13.45 ± 1.11 for CMC 0.7 + Ag, CMC 0.9 + Ag and CMC 1.2 + Ag samples, respectively), the UV–Vis barrier properties (the transmittance at 280 nm was 4.51 ± 0.58, 7.65 ± 0.84 and 7.98 ± 0.75 for CMC 0.7 + Ag, CMC 0.9 + Ag and CMC 1.2 + Ag, respectively) or the antimicrobial properties of the films (the higher the degree of substitution, the better the antimicrobial properties of the silver nanoparticle-modified films). The differences in the properties of films with silver nanoparticles synthesized in situ might be linked to the increasing dispersion of silver nanoparticles as the degree of CMC substitution increases. Potentially, such films could be used in food packaging or biomedical applications.
Purpose
This paper provides an argument to consider in more detail the development and application of technology in the context of sustainability. It argues the need to go beyond economic benefit and that timescale is significant.
Design/methodology/approach
This argument is based upon Socratic argument and focuses upon the historiography of technology with particular references to agricultural developments. It then proceeds to apply the same arguments to artificial intelligence (AI) and to climate change.
Findings
The findings are encompassed in the argument and show the need to be more open and careful when considering the development, and especially, the implementation of technology to address problems.
Practical implications
This argument has significant implications for the adoption of technological developments.
Social implications
The social implications are equally profound and will impact upon the application of technological solutions to current problems.
Originality/value
Such a historiographical approach to this problem has not previously been applied to this.
Plastic pollution is a global threat and affects almost every marine ecosystem. The amount of plastic in the ocean has increased substantially over the past decade, posing a mounting threat to biodiversity. Seabirds, typically top predators in marine food chains, have been negatively affected by plastic pollution. Here we focused on documenting the sublethal effects of plastic in Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica, WTSH) on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Through analyses of blood chemistry, gene expression, morphometrics and stomach contents, we documented the effects of plastic ingestion on adult WTHS from 3 established colonies. We detected a negative relationship between body weight and the presence of plastic in regurgitated stomach contents. Genes associated with metabolic, biosynthetic pathways, inflammatory responses and ribosome function were upregulated in lighter birds. Birds that had ingested plastic tended to be lighter in weight, in comparison to birds that did not have plastic and tended to weight more. Furthermore, there were 43 genes differentiating males and females that did not have plastic compared to only 11 genes differentiating males and females that had ingested plastic. There was also a marginal negative relationship between lighter birds and blood urea nitrogen levels. We also hope that the morphometric measurements, blood parameters and gene expression data we collected contributes to a database that will be used for future studies on understanding anthropogenic effects on seabird body condition.
The loss and degradation of nature can lead to hopelessness and despair, which may undermine engagement in conservation actions. Emerging movements, such as that behind the organization Conservation Optimism, aim to avert potential despair of those involved in conservation. Some argue that fostering positive states, such as hope or optimism, can motivate engagement and action; however, others question whether fostering hope or optimism may inadvertently undermine perceived gravity of conservation challenges. We examined this issue by quantifying dispositional hope and optimism with a representative sample of Australians (n = 4285) and assessing their relationship with indicators of conservation engagement. We used the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia as a case study. We asked participants what they could do to help the GBR, then classified their responses into 2 outcome variables: identifying climate actions (i.e., actions that tackle the main threat to the reef) and identifying plastic actions (i.e., actions that are popular among community members). We also quantified likelihood of performing these actions and appraisals of both threats and actions. One dimension of hope, hope pathways (defined by Snyder's hope theory as knowing different ways to act), was associated with greater capacity to identify climate‐related behaviors (odds ratio [OR] = 1.44) and plastic reduction behaviors (OR = 1.22) and greater likelihood of adopting climate‐related actions (β = 0.20). Optimism was associated with recognition of plastic reduction behaviors only (OR = 1.22). Neither hope nor optimism undermined appraisal of conservation threats. The effects of optimism were mediated by reduced action futility, and effects of hope pathways were mediated by stronger perceptions of threats to the reef (threat appraisal) and confidence in performing useful actions (coping appraisal). Our findings suggest that dispositional hope can strengthen, rather than undermine, appraisal of conservation challenges and solutions and thereby increase conservation engagement.
Analysing the intersection between plastics, environmentally-conscious design, and consumption through a focussed study of plastic chairs, this dissertation casts new light on best practice for sustainable furniture design. Plastic chairs are ubiquitous but remain objects of constant innovation and experimentation by designers. With reference to historical and contemporary developments, I examine the shifting cultural attitudes to plastics. Product designers and furniture manufacturers are responding to mounting environmental concerns by experimenting with renewable carbon plastics (recycled plastic and bioplastics). My interviews with international contemporary designers and representatives from industry are critically evaluated, alongside case studies of recent plastic chairs made using renewable carbon plastics. Findings from that research led me to develop a quantitative eco-audit tool to enable a comparison of these designs and demonstrate that the best outcomes for sustainable design incorporate existing materials (recycled plastics) and traditional moulding technologies. This tool is presented in this dissertation as both a structural part of the research methodology, and as an output for the instrumentalisation of the study’s findings. Much research has been undertaken on sustainable design and there have been many calls for design-led societal change. But few studies have focused on how such change actually manifests, or identified the areas of research required to bring about transformation. In other words, what does it really take to shift design and manufacturing practices, at scale, across complex supply chains? The multi-level perspective (MLP) transition framework is used to identify strategies to scale-up the use of renewable carbon plastics in design. Providing a methodology for designers to embrace a more sustainable approach to the design of plastic products, this dissertation is also a call to arms for urgent action to mitigate the most devastating impacts of the environmental emergency.
Sustainability is an important issue, and there are growing concerns on what could be done to achieve it better. Beverage packaging materials have an important task to safely hold its content and allow for convenience in consuming drinks by the consumer. However, after consumption, it becomes an environmental sustainability concern. This paper investigated university-educated young consumers’ awareness, and perception of the impact different beverage packaging material choices have on environmental sustainability through a mixed methods action research approach. Prospective participants of the study were invited through the students' network and contact. The participants were requested to complete a survey with multiple choice answers and an opinion scale on various areas related to the environmental sustainability of beverage packaging. Conventional plastic-based beverage packaging materials were in the opinion of the majority of the surveyed consumers, to be most detrimental to the environment. However, that might not be the real case, as evident from the results of life cycle analysis (LCA) studies on several different beverages and packaging materials. It was noted that the students and alumni do care about environmental sustainability. However, there is some confusion among the respondents on how they could contribute effectively in their daily activities to the sustainability goal. Some still lack practical knowledge that can guide their purchasing decisions and disposal practice for consumed packaging. Some propositions for future actions and research on improving awareness and actions were provided.KeywordsSustainabilityPackaging materialsEngineering educationLCA
Abstract Although social media is growing rapidly as a news source, including for disseminating conservation information, studies comparing attention given to differing threats to species on social media are almost non‐existent. As the amount of attention given to differing threats can influence what people perceive to be important and impact the formation of environmental policies, it is vital that conservationists understand which issues are being discussed online. Using elephants (Loxodonta Africana, Loxodonta cyclotis, and Elephas maximus) as test species, we conducted a content analysis of tweets about elephants posted to Twitter during 2019. According to the global conservation authority, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the most pressing threats to the conservation of wild elephant populations are habitat loss, human‐elephant conflict, and poaching, with the magnitude of each threat differing between the three species of elephants. Our Twitter analysis revealed that these major threats were infrequently discussed, with habitat loss being the most infrequently discussed (
We explore the risk that self-reinforcing feedbacks could push the Earth System toward a planetary threshold that, if crossed, could prevent stabilization of the climate at intermediate temperature rises and cause continued warming on a "Hothouse Earth" pathway even as human emissions are reduced. Crossing the threshold would lead to a much higher global average temperature than any interglacial in the past 1.2 million years and to sea levels significantly higher than at any time in the Holocene. We examine the evidence that such a threshold might exist and where it might be. If the threshold is crossed, the resulting trajectory would likely cause serious disruptions to ecosystems, society, and economies. Collective human action is required to steer the Earth System away from a potential threshold and stabilize it in a habitable interglacial-like state. Such action entails stewardship of the entire Earth System-biosphere, climate, and societies-and could include decarbonization of the global economy, enhancement of biosphere carbon sinks, behavioral changes, technological innovations, new governance arrangements, and transformed social values.
While the ecological impacts of fishing the waters beyond national jurisdiction (the “high seas”) have been widely studied, the economic rationale is more difficult to ascertain because of scarce data on the costs and revenues of the fleets that fish there. Newly compiled satellite data and machine learning now allow us to track individual fishing vessels on the high seas in near real time. These technological advances help us quantify high-seas fishing effort, costs, and benefits, and assess whether, where, and when high-seas fishing makes economic sense. We characterize the global high-seas fishing fleet and report the economic benefits of fishing the high seas globally, nationally, and at the scale of individual fleets. Our results suggest that fishing at the current scale is enabled by large government subsidies, without which as much as 54% of the present high-seas fishing grounds would be unprofitable at current fishing rates. The patterns of fishing profitability vary widely between countries, types of fishing, and distance to port. Deep-sea bottom trawling often produces net economic benefits only thanks to subsidies, and much fishing by the world’s largest fishing fleets would largely be unprofitable without subsidies and low labor costs. These results support recent calls for subsidy and fishery management reforms on the high seas.
The global impacts of food production
Food is produced and processed by millions of farmers and intermediaries globally, with substantial associated environmental costs. Given the heterogeneity of producers, what is the best way to reduce food's environmental impacts? Poore and Nemecek consolidated data on the multiple environmental impacts of ∼38,000 farms producing 40 different agricultural goods around the world in a meta-analysis comparing various types of food production systems. The environmental cost of producing the same goods can be highly variable. However, this heterogeneity creates opportunities to target the small numbers of producers that have the most impact.
Science , this issue p. 987
The exponential increase in the use of plastic in modern society and the inadequate management of the resulting
waste have led to its accumulation in the marine environment. There is increasing evidence of numerous mechanisms
by which marine plastic pollution is causing effects across successive levels of biological organization.
This will unavoidably impact ecological communities and ecosystem functions. A remaining question to be
answered is if the concentration of plastic in the ocean, today or in the future, will reach levels above a critical
threshold leading to global effects in vital Earth-system processes, thus granting the consideration of marine
plastic pollution as a key component of the planetary boundary threat associated with chemical pollutants.
Possible answers to this question are explored by reviewing and evaluating existing knowledge of the effects of
plastic pollution in marine ecosystems and the ‘core planetary boundaries’, biosphere integrity and climate
change. The irreversibility and global ubiquity of marine plastic pollution mean that two essential conditions for
a planetary boundary threat are already met. The Earth system consequences of plastic pollution are still uncertain,
but pathways and mechanisms for thresholds and global systemic change are identified. Irrespective of
the recognition of plastic as a novel entity in the planetary boundaries framework, it is certain that marine plastic
pollution is closely intertwined with global processes to a point that deserves careful management and prevention.
Current anthropogenic climate change is the result of greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere, which records the aggregation of billions of individual decisions. Here we consider a broad range of individual lifestyle choices and calculate their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries, based on 148 scenarios from 39 sources. We recommend four widely applicable high-impact (i.e. low emissions) actions with the potential to contribute to systemic change and substantially reduce annual personal emissions: having one fewer child (an average for developed countries of 58.6 tonnes CO2-equivalent (tCO2e) emission reductions per year), living car-free (2.4 tCO2e saved per year), avoiding airplane travel (1.6 tCO2e saved per roundtrip transatlantic flight) and eating a plant-based diet (0.8 tCO2e saved per year). These actions have much greater potential to reduce emissions than commonly promoted strategies like comprehensive recycling (four times less effective than a plant-based diet) or changing household lightbulbs (eight times less). Though adolescents poised to establish lifelong patterns are an important target group for promoting high-impact actions, we find that ten high school science textbooks from Canada largely fail to mention these actions (they account for 4% of their recommended actions), instead focusing on incremental changes with much smaller potential emissions reductions. Government resources on climate change from the EU, USA, Canada, and Australia also focus recommendations on lower-impact actions. We conclude that there are opportunities to improve existing educational and communication structures to promote the most effective emission-reduction strategies and close this mitigation gap.
Marine plastic pollution has been a growing concern for decades. Single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads) are a significant source of this pollution. Although research outlining environmental, social, and economic impacts of marine plastic pollution is growing, few studies have examined policy and legislative tools to reduce plastic pollution, particularly single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads). This paper reviews current international market-based strategies and policies to reduce plastic bags and microbeads. While policies to reduce microbeads began in 2014, interventions for plastic bags began much earlier in 1991. However, few studies have documented or measured the effectiveness of these reduction strategies. Recommendations to further reduce single-use plastic marine pollution include: (i) research to evaluate effectiveness of bans and levies to ensure policies are having positive impacts on marine environments; and (ii) education and outreach to reduce consumption of plastic bags and microbeads at source.
While the effects of climate change on top predators are well documented, the role of predation on ecosystem level carbon production is poorly developed, despite it being a logical consequence of trophic dynamics. Trophic cascade effects have shown predator mediated changes in primary production, but we predict that predators should lower the overall biomass capacity of any system with top down control. Through a simple Bayesian belief network model of a typical marine foodweb, we show that predator removal, as is common through activities such as fishing and shark finning, results in higher biomasses of lower trophic level fish and zooplankton, resulting in higher net carbon production by the system. In situations common throughout much of the ocean, where activities such as shark finning and over fishing reduce the highest tropic levels, the probability of net carbon production increasing in the model was ~60%, and unlike previous studies on simple food chains, trophic cascade effects were not present. While the results are preliminary, and sources of uncertainty in data and models are acknowledged, such results provide even more strength to the argument to protect open sea fish stocks, and particularly large predators such as sharks, cetaceans and game fish.
Christopher Golden and colleagues calculate that declining numbers of marine fish will spell more malnutrition in many developing nations.
Plastic pollution in the marine and coastal environment is a challenging restoration and governance issue. Similar to many environmental problems, marine plastic pollution is transboundary and therefore the governance solutions are complex. Although the marine environment is unlikely to return to the condition it was in before the "plastic era," it is an example of an environmental restoration challenge where successful governance and environmental stewardship would likely result in a healthier global oceanic ecosystem. We argue that a holistic, integrated approach that utilizes scientific expertise, community participation, and market-based strategies is needed to significantly reduce the global plastic pollution problem.
The UN's globally adopted Convention on Biological Diversity coverage target for marine protected areas (MPAs) is ≥10% by 2020. In 2014 the World Parks Congress recommended increasing this to ≥30%. We reviewed 144 studies to assess whether the UN target is adequate to achieve, maximise or optimise six environmental and/or socio-economic objectives. Results consistently indicate that protecting several tens-of-percent of the sea is required to meet goals (average 37%, median 35%, modal group 21–30%), greatly exceeding the 2.18% currently protected and the 10% target. The objectives we examined were met in 3% of studies with ≤10% MPA coverage, 44% with ≤30% coverage and 81% with more than half the sea protected. The UN's 10% target appears insufficient to protect biodiversity, preserve ecosystem services and achieve socio-economic priorities. As MPA coverages generated from theoretical studies inherently depend on scenario(s) considered, our findings do not represent explicit recommendations but rather provide perspective on policy goals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Fisheries data assembled by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suggest that global marine fisheries catches increased to 86 million tonnes in 1996, then slightly declined. Here, using a decade-long multinational 'catch reconstruction' project covering the Exclusive Economic Zones of the world's maritime countries and the High Seas from 1950 to 2010, and accounting for all fisheries, we identify catch trajectories differing considerably from the national data submitted to the FAO. We suggest that catch actually peaked at 130 million tonnes, and has been declining much more strongly since. This decline in reconstructed catches reflects declines in industrial catches and to a smaller extent declining discards, despite industrial fishing having expanded from industrialized countries to the waters of developing countries. The differing trajectories documented here suggest a need for improved monitoring of all fisheries, including often neglected small-scale fisheries, and illegal and other problematic fisheries, as well as discarded bycatch.
Marine litter is a growing environmental concern. With the rapid increase in global plastics production and the resulting large volume of litter that enters the marine environment, determining the consequences of this debris on marine fauna and ocean health has now become a critical environmental priority, particularly for threatened and endangered species. However, there are limited data about the impacts of debris on marine species from which to draw conclusions about the population consequences of anthropogenic debris. To address this knowledge gap, information was elicited from experts on the ecological threat (both severity and specificity) of entanglement, ingestion and chemical contamination for three major marine taxa: seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals. The threat assessment focused on the most common types of litter that are found along the world's coastlines, based on data gathered during three decades of international coastal clean-up efforts. Fishing related gear, balloons and plastic bags were estimated to pose the greatest entanglement risk to marine fauna. In contrast, experts identified a broader suite of items of concern for ingestion, with plastic bags and plastic utensils ranked as the greatest threats. Entanglement and ingestion affected a similar range of taxa, although entanglement was rated as slightly worse because it is more likely to be lethal. Contamination was scored the lowest in terms of impact, affecting a smaller portion of the taxa and being rated as having solely non-lethal impacts. This work points towards a number of opportunities both for policy-based and consumer-driven changes in plastics use that could have demonstrable affects for a range of ecologically important taxa that serve as indicators of marine ecosystem health.
Plastic debris is now ubiquitous in the marine environment affecting a wide range of taxa, from microscopic zooplankton to large vertebrates. Its persistence and dispersal throughout marine ecosystems has meant that sensitivity toward the scale of threat is growing, particularly for species of conservation concern, such as marine turtles. Their use of a variety of habitats, migratory behaviour, and complex life histories leave them subject to a host of anthropogenic stressors, including exposure to marine plastic pollution. Here, we review the evidence for the effects of plastic debris on turtles and their habitats, highlight knowledge gaps, and make recommendations for future research. We found that, of the seven species, all are known to ingest or become entangled in marine debris. Ingestion can cause intestinal blockage and internal injury, dietary dilution, malnutrition, and increased buoyancy which in turn can result in poor health, reduced growth rates and reproductive output, or death. Entanglement in plastic debris (including ghost fishing gear) is known to cause lacerations, increased drag—which reduces the ability to forage effectively or escape threats—and may lead to drowning or death by starvation. In addition, plastic pollution may impact key turtle habitats. In particular, its presence on nesting beaches may alter nest properties by affecting temperature and sediment permeability. This could influence hatchling sex ratios and reproductive success, resulting in population level implications. Additionally, beach litter may entangle nesting females or emerging hatchlings. Lastly, as an omnipresent and widespread pollutant, plastic debris may cause wider ecosystem effects which result in loss of productivity and implications for trophic interactions. By compiling and presenting this evidence, we demonstrate that urgent action is required to better understand this issue and its effects on marine turtles, so that appropriate and effective mitigation policies can be developed.
The planetary boundaries framework defines a safe operating space for humanity based on the intrinsic biophysical processes
that regulate the stability of the Earth system. Here, we revise and update the planetary boundary framework, with a focus
on the underpinning biophysical science, based on targeted input from expert research communities and on more general scientific
advances over the past 5 years. Several of the boundaries now have a two-tier approach, reflecting the importance of cross-scale
interactions and the regional-level heterogeneity of the processes that underpin the boundaries. Two core boundaries—climate
change and biosphere integrity—have been identified, each of which has the potential on its own to drive the Earth system
into a new state should they be substantially and persistently transgressed.
Marine debris, mostly consisting of plastic, is a global problem, negatively impacting wildlife, tourism and shipping. However, despite the durability of plastic, and the exponential increase in its production, monitoring data show limited evidence of concomitant increasing concentrations in marine habitats. There appears to be a considerable proportion of the manufactured plastic that is unaccounted for in surveys tracking the fate of environmental plastics. Even the discovery of widespread accumulation of microscopic fragments (microplastics) in oceanic gyres and shallow water sediments is unable to explain the missing fraction. Here, we show that deep-sea sediments are a likely sink for microplastics. Microplastic, in the form of fibres, was up to four orders of magnitude more abundant (per unit volume) in deep-sea sediments from the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean than in contaminated sea-surface waters. Our results show evidence for a large and hitherto unknown repository of microplastics. The dominance of microfibres points to a previously underreported and unsampled plastic fraction. Given the vastness of the deep sea and the prevalence of microplastics at all sites we investigated, the deep-sea floor appears to provide an answer to the question-where is all the plastic?
Plastic pollution is ubiquitous throughout the marine environment, yet estimates of the global abundance and weight of floating plastics have lacked data, particularly from the Southern Hemisphere and remote regions. Here we report an estimate of the total number of plastic particles and their weight floating in the world’s oceans from 24 expeditions (2007–2013) across all five sub-tropical gyres, costal Australia, Bay of Bengal and the Mediterranean Sea conducting surface net tows (N5680) and visual survey transects of large plastic debris (N5891). Using an oceanographic model of floating debris dispersal calibrated by our data, and correcting for wind-driven vertical mixing, we estimate a minimum of 5.25 trillion particles weighing 268,940 tons. When comparing between four size classes, two microplastic ,4.75 mm and meso- and macroplastic .4.75 mm, a tremendous loss of microplastics is observed from the sea surface compared to expected rates of fragmentation, suggesting there are mechanisms at play that remove ,4.75 mm plastic particles from the ocean surface.
In line with global targets agreed under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the number of marine protected areas (MPAs) is increasing rapidly, yet socio-economic benefits generated by MPAs remain difficult to predict and under debate1, 2. MPAs often fail to reach their full potential as a consequence of factors such as illegal harvesting, regulations that legally allow detrimental harvesting, or emigration of animals outside boundaries because of continuous habitat or inadequate size of reserve3, 4, 5. Here we show that the conservation benefits of 87 MPAs investigated worldwide increase exponentially with the accumulation of five key features: no take, well enforced, old (>10 years), large (>100 km2), and isolated by deep water or sand. Using effective MPAs with four or five key features as an unfished standard, comparisons of underwater survey data from effective MPAs with predictions based on survey data from fished coasts indicate that total fish biomass has declined about two-thirds from historical baselines as a result of fishing. Effective MPAs also had twice as many large (>250 mm total length) fish species per transect, five times more large fish biomass, and fourteen times more shark biomass than fished areas. Most (59%) of the MPAs studied had only one or two key features and were not ecologically distinguishable from fished sites. Our results show that global conservation targets based on area alone will not optimize protection of marine biodiversity. More emphasis is needed on better MPA design, durable management and compliance to ensure that MPAs achieve their desired conservation value.
The hyperpersonal model of computer-mediated communication (CMC) posits that users exploit the technological aspects of CMC in order to enhance the messages they construct to manage impressions and facilitate desired relationships. This research examined how CMC users managed message composing time, editing behaviors, personal language, sentence complexity, and relational tone in their initial messages to different presumed targets, and the cognitive awareness related to these processes. Effects on several of these processes and outcomes were obtained in response to different targets, partially supporting the hyperpersonal perspective of CMC, with unanticipated gender and status interaction effects suggesting behavioral compensation through CMC, or overcompensation when addressing presumably undesirable partners.
Marine ecosystems are centrally important to the biology of the planet, yet a comprehensive understanding of how anthropogenic
climate change is affecting them has been poorly developed. Recent studies indicate that rapidly rising greenhouse gas concentrations
are driving ocean systems toward conditions not seen for millions of years, with an associated risk of fundamental and irreversible
ecological transformation. The impacts of anthropogenic climate change so far include decreased ocean productivity, altered
food web dynamics, reduced abundance of habitat-forming species, shifting species distributions, and a greater incidence of
disease. Although there is considerable uncertainty about the spatial and temporal details, climate change is clearly and
fundamentally altering ocean ecosystems. Further change will continue to create enormous challenges and costs for societies
worldwide, particularly those in developing countries.
Anthropogenic pressures on the Earth System have reached a scale where abrupt global environmental change can no longer be excluded. We propose a new approach to global sustainability in which we define planetary boundaries within which we expect that humanity can operate safely. Transgressing one or more planetary boundaries may be deleterious or even catastrophic due to the risk of crossing thresholds that will trigger non-linear, abrupt environmental change within continental- to planetary-scale systems. We have identified nine planetary boundaries and, drawing upon current scientific understanding, we propose quantifications for seven of them. These seven are climate change (CO2 concentration in the atmosphere
Northern cod, comprising populations of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) off southern Labrador and eastern Newfoundland, supported major fisheries for hundreds of years. But in the late 1980s and early 1990s, northern cod underwent one of the worst collapses in the history of fisheries. The Canadian government closed the directed fishing for northern cod in July 1992, but even after a decade-long offshore moratorium, population sizes remain historically low. Here we show that, up until the moratorium, the life history of northern cod continually shifted towards maturation at earlier ages and smaller sizes. Because confounding effects of mortality changes and growth-mediated phenotypic plasticity are accounted for in our analyses, this finding strongly suggests fisheries-induced evolution of maturation patterns in the direction predicted by theory. We propose that fisheries managers could use the method described here as a tool to provide warning signals about changes in life history before more overt evidence of population decline becomes manifest.
The open oceans comprise most of the biosphere, yet patterns and trends of species diversity there are enigmatic. Here, we derive worldwide patterns of tuna and billfish diversity over the past 50 years, revealing distinct subtropical "hotspots" that appeared to hold generally for other predators and zooplankton. Diversity was positively correlated with thermal fronts and dissolved oxygen and a nonlinear function of temperature (approximately 25 degrees C optimum). Diversity declined between 10 and 50% in all oceans, a trend that coincided with increased fishing pressure, superimposed on strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation-driven variability across the Pacific. We conclude that predator diversity shows a predictable yet eroding pattern signaling ecosystem-wide changes linked to climate and fishing.
Marine plastic debris has evolved from being a problem to a cross-cutting crisis impacting natural and human environments across the world. Holistic approaches are needed to address the multifaceted, wide-spread and complex nature of this issue. We argue that a new global governance approach is essential, however, it needs to be aligned with interdisciplinary solutions – sound science and data collection; changes to behavioural psychology; utilising education as a tool; and through changes to management and policy processes. We argue that truly effective prevention is a long-term process that must begin at the ground level with smarter consumer choices, industrial consciousness and responsibility, and an overarching local to global governance framework.
Economics needs a new mindset to be fit for tackling this century's social and ecological challenges. The Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries offers a compass for those seeking to achieve this.
Tropical reef systems are transitioning to a new era in which the interval between
recurrent bouts of coral bleaching is too short for a full recovery of mature
assemblages. We analyzed bleaching records at 100 globally distributed reef locations
from 1980 to 2016. The median return time between pairs of severe bleaching events
has diminished steadily since 1980 and is now only 6 years. As global warming has
progressed, tropical sea surface temperatures are warmer now during current La Niña
conditions than they were during El Niño events three decades ago. Consequently,
as we transition to the Anthropocene, coral bleaching is occurring more frequently in all
El Niño–Southern Oscillation phases, increasing the likelihood of annual bleaching in
the coming decades.
The Holocene epoch in geological history of the last 10,000–12,000 years has given way to a new geological epoch which natural scientists are calling the Anthropocene, marked by humanity’s emergence as the main driver of change in the Earth system as a whole, threatening the future of civilization, a majority of ecosystems on the planet, and the human species itself. From a historical-materialist perspective, this planetary emergency constitutes a crisis of civilization. Human civilization arose in the relatively benign environment of the Holocene. In contrast, the Anthropocene is an epoch of increased ecological constraints and dangers, marked by what has been called the Great climacteric, objectively requiring the creation of a new more sustainable society, or ecological civilization. The making of such an ecological civilization is closely linked to the long revolutionary transition from capitalism to socialism.
As research examining what constitutes Facebook false self-presentation is lacking, the aim of this study was to develop a preliminary inventory of Facebook false self-presentation behaviors, as well as identify predictors and possible outcomes. Participants (N = 211) completed questions regarding frequency of engagement in Facebook false self-presentation behaviors, as well as self-esteem, social influences, motivation strategies, well-being, depression, anxiety, and stress. Results indicated the presence of two distinct false self-presentation behaviors: lying (e.g., untruthful status updates, profile creation) and liking behaviors (e.g., liking posts dishonestly), each associated with different predictors and outcomes. Results indicated that moral norms significantly predicted lying behaviors; and age, self-esteem, group norms, and moral norms significantly predicted liking behaviors. Unexpectedly, liking behaviors were associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas lying behaviors were related to anxiety only. Findings highlight associations between online self-presentation strategies, in particular liking behaviors, on Facebook and possible offline negative mental health.
Plastic pollution is caused exclusively by humans. It poses growing global threats to both the ocean and society, and requires urgent action. Using psychological principles can motivate and implement change by connecting symptoms and sources.
Richard Thompson applauds a chronicle alerting the world to marine polymer pollution.
The Ocean Cleanup envisions launching a fleet of drifting garbage collectors into the North Pacific Gyre.
The Paris climate agreement aims at holding global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and to “pursue efforts” to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To accomplish this, countries have submitted Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) outlining their post-2020 climate action. Here we assess the effect of current INDCs on reducing aggregate greenhouse gas emissions, its implications for achieving the temperature objective of the Paris climate agreement, and potential options for overachievement. The INDCs collectively lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to where current policies stand, but still imply a median warming of 2.6–3.1 degrees Celsius by 2100. More can be achieved, because the agreement stipulates that targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are strengthened over time, both in ambition and scope. Substantial enhancement or over-delivery on current INDCs by additional national, sub-national and non-state actions is required to maintain a reasonable chance of meetin
This review article summarises the sources, occurrence, fate and effects of plastic waste in the marine environment. Due to its resistance to degradation, most plastic debris will persist in the environment for centuries and may be transported far from its source, including great distances out to sea. Land- and ocean-based sources are the major sources of plastic entering the environment, with domestic, industrial and fishing activities being the most important contributors. Ocean gyres are particular hotspots of plastic waste accumulation. Both macroplastics and microplastics pose a risk to organisms in the natural environment, for example, through ingestion or entanglement in the plastic. Many studies have investigated the potential uptake of hydrophobic contaminants, which can then bioaccumulate in the food chain, from plastic waste by organisms. To address the issue of plastic pollution in the marine environment, governments should first play an active role in addressing the issue of plastic waste by introducing legislation to control the sources of plastic debris and the use of plastic additives. In addition, plastics industries should take responsibility for the end-of-life of their products by introducing plastic recycling or upgrading programmes.
An analysis of why people with knowledge about climate change often fail to translate that knowledge into action.
Global warming is the most significant environmental issue of our time, yet public response in Western nations has been meager. Why have so few taken any action? In Living in Denial, sociologist Kari Norgaard searches for answers to this question, drawing on interviews and ethnographic data from her study of "Bygdaby," the fictional name of an actual rural community in western Norway, during the unusually warm winter of 2000-2001.
In 2000-2001 the first snowfall came to Bygdaby two months later than usual; ice fishing was impossible; and the ski industry had to invest substantially in artificial snow-making. Stories in local and national newspapers linked the warm winter explicitly to global warming. Yet residents did not write letters to the editor, pressure politicians, or cut down on use of fossil fuels. Norgaard attributes this lack of response to the phenomenon of socially organized denial, by which information about climate science is known in the abstract but disconnected from political, social, and private life, and sees this as emblematic of how citizens of industrialized countries are responding to global warming.
Norgaard finds that for the highly educated and politically savvy residents of Bygdaby, global warming was both common knowledge and unimaginable. Norgaard traces this denial through multiple levels, from emotions to cultural norms to political economy. Her report from Bygdaby, supplemented by comparisons throughout the book to the United States, tells a larger story behind our paralysis in the face of today's alarming predictions from climate scientists.
Anthropogenic debris contaminates marine habitats globally, leading to several perceived ecological impacts. Here, we critically and systematically review the literature regarding impacts of debris from several scientific fields to understand the weight of evidence regarding the ecological impacts of marine debris. We quantified perceived and demonstrated impacts across several levels of biological organization that make up the ecosystem and found 366 perceived threats of debris across all levels. Two hundred and ninety-six of these perceived threats were tested, 83% of which were demonstrated. The majority (82%) of demonstrated impacts were due to plastic, relative to other materials (e.g., metals, glass) and largely (89%) at suborganismal levels (e.g., molecular, cellular, tissue). The remaining impacts, demonstrated at higher levels of organization (i.e., death to individual organisms, changes in assemblages), were largely due to plastic marine debris (>1 mm; e.g., rope, straws, and fragments). Thus, we show evidence of ecological impacts from marine debris, but conclude that the quantity and quality of research requires improvement to allow the risk of ecological impacts of marine debris to be determined with precision. Still, our systematic review suggests that sufficient evidence exists for decision makers to begin to mitigate problematic plastic debris now, to avoid risk of irreversible harm.
This textbook provides the reader with a foundation in policy development and analysis and describes how policy, including legal mechanisms, is applied to marine environments around the world. It offers a systematic treatment of all aspects of marine policy, including environmental protection, fisheries, transportation, energy, mining and climate change. It starts with a biophysical overview of the structure and function of the marine environment with a particular emphasis on the challenges and opportunities of managing the marine environment. An overview of the creation and function of international law is then provided with a focus on international marine law. It explores the geographic and jurisdictional dimensions of marine policy, as well the current and anticipated challenges facing marine systems, including climate change-related impacts and resource over-exploitation. The book should appeal to senior undergraduate and graduate students and form a core part of the curriculum for marine affairs, science and policy courses. It will also provide supplementary reading for students taking a course in the law of the oceans, but is not aimed at legal specialists.
This book is published to tie in with a documentary film of the same name. Both the book and film were inspired by a series of multimedia presentations on global warming that the author created and delivers to groups around the world. With this book, Gore, brings together leading-edge research from top scientists around the world; photographs, charts, and other illustrations; and personal anecdotes and observations to document the fast pace and wide scope of global warming. He presents, with alarming clarity and conclusiveness, and with humor, too, that the fact of global warming is not in question and that its consequences for the world we live in will be disastrous if left unchecked.
The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review
- J G Derraik
J.G. Derraik, The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review,
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Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment, Department for Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs
- Defra
- Green Future
DEFRA, A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment, Department
for Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs, London, 2018https://www.gov.uk/
government/publications/25-year-environment-plan.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- Special Ipcc
IPCC, Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15). Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, (2018) Geneva http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/special-reports/sr15/
sr15_draft.pdf.
Stop biodiversity loss or we could face our own extinction, warns UN, The Guardian
- J Watts
J. Watts, Stop biodiversity loss or we could face our own extinction, warns UN, The
Guardian, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/03/stopbiodiversity-loss-or-we-could-face-our-own-extinction-warns-un, Accessed date: 8
November 2018.
A global crisis for seagrass ecosystems
- R J Orth
- T J Carruthers
- W C Dennison
- C M Duarte
- J W Fourqurean
- K L Heck
R.J. Orth, T.J. Carruthers, W.C. Dennison, C.M. Duarte, J.W. Fourqurean, K.L. Heck,
et al., A global crisis for seagrass ecosystems, Bioscience 56 (2006) 987-996
https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2006)56[987:AGCFSE]2.0.CO;2.
Ecological Effects of Fishing. Pew Oceans Commission: Arlington
- P K Dayton
- S Thrush
- F C Coleman
P.K. Dayton, S. Thrush, F.C. Coleman, Ecological Effects of Fishing. Pew Oceans
Commission: Arlington, (2002) https://cresli.org/∼creslior/cresli/pdf
%20documents/POC_EcoEffcts_Rep2.pdf.
Circular economy measures to keep plastics and their value in the economy, avoid waste and reduce marine litter
- P Brink
- J P Schweitzer
- E Watkins
- C Janssens
- M De
- H Smet
- F Leslie
- Galgani
P. Ten Brink, J.P. Schweitzer, E. Watkins, C. Janssens, M. De Smet, H. Leslie,
F. Galgani, Circular economy measures to keep plastics and their value in the
economy, avoid waste and reduce marine litter. Economics Discussion Papers,
2018-3, (2018) http://www.economics-ejournal.org/economics/discussionpapers/
2018-3.
Curating the self on social media and perceptions of authenticity: an exploratory study (Doctoral dissertation)
- D Marom
D. Marom, Curating the self on social media and perceptions of authenticity: an
exploratory study (Doctoral dissertation), University of Texas, Austin, 2017https://
repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/60382.
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