Marine pollution in california

The current state of environmental pollution in the planet is concerning more so in our oceans and water resources, and if care is not taken to correct this issue, future generations stand to suffer the consequences of today’s people. Marine pollution is defined as the introduction of harmful substances to water bodies directly or indirectly by humans culminating in adverse effects in health and the environment at large (Krishna Kumari, 2). These substances may be in the form of solids, liquids, gases, sound, heat, and radioactive material and constitute to pollution when their addition to the marine environment occurs at a faster rate than their dispersion, recycling or storage is some harmless form. The problem of marine pollution in California has been an issue of concern for the state for some decades now.

Contamination of the marine environment occurs through different sources and forms such as industrial and agricultural effluents, solid waste, the inflow of chemicals, discharge of radioactive elements, dissolved atmospheric gases, wind-blown debris, and oil spills. Imagine a person enjoying a California Halibut cuisine not privy to the disturbing fact that there are hidden toxins and debris in their tasty meal! Or worse still, those that knowingly sell contaminated fish meat to unsuspecting customers whose only mistake was attending the call to fulfill the most basic of human needs, to eat. These debris also cause harm to humans by their susceptibility to getting entangled in propellers causing damage to boats ("US Attack On Marine Pollution"). On animals, especially water animals, marine contamination may lead to adverse effects on life as a result of eutrophication of the oceans waters (Haward, 18).

Eutrophication is whereby there is the introduction of excess nitrates and phosphates in water leading to the rapid growth of algae and plants in water. These grow and cover the surface of the water, blocking sunlight and eventually leading to dead zones due to the absence of light. If this proposal comes into effect, it will lead to increased automobile emissions and counter the positive steps that had been made by the Obama administration to reduce oil consumption and greenhouse emissions by automobiles. The blame for the current situation is "the tragedy of commons. " It rests squarely on all parties involved in the controversy because none of them are without their participation in the problem. The government is supposed to set the minimum goals, limits, use science-based research and rational comprehensive tests to monitor and enforce solutions to natural and human-made problems.

In this regard, the Californian government is not there yet but can be said to be making positive steps to address its marine issues while confining to the democratic approach. Education and outreach programs have also been employed to eliminate ignorance as officials pondered on the question; would a person throw bottles and other junk in the ocean if they knew it caused some fish to be trapped and caused injury to marine life? The ocean and the marine life that dwell in it are battling to survive. At this point, it is counterproductive to engage in pointless debates about which group is to blame and which group is not to blame, it concerns everyone in one way or another because its effect will be global and not just on the perpetrators.

All people must act now for the sake of the future, and this is what they can do to help: Individuals should cut down on their disposables because most of them ultimately end up in the rivers or oceans. To do this, they should carry own shopping bags to supermarkets, opt for reusable items where possible, and support recyclers sustainability push by purchasing plastics with recycled content – each piece of plastic recycled is one less piece of waste that could end up in the marine environment. People in general and Californians could also be part of the solution by volunteering to participate in the various beach clean-up activities organized by different organizations and donating to support marine and coastal conservation goals.