As technology advances over the years, an increasing number of people are using more durable and convenient products. Approximately “1,000,000 plastic bottles [are purchased by humans] every minute [and] an estimated four trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year” (Earth Day 1). However, most products are made from synthetic materials that are often unable to degrade naturally and are not recycled. “Only about 23% of bottles [produced] are [actually] recycled, only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling, [and] Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags every year [i.e.] approximately 307 bags per person” (Earth Day 1). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Thus, discoveries of islands of trash, consisting mostly of plastic, have been located in at least three major oceans. This increased amount of waste in our oceans has become a major water pollution problem that affects both marine life and human safety and could be solved with simple solutions such as recycling, volunteering at beach cleanups with friends, or compliance with safe disposal practices. Garbage islands are islands composed of waste material accumulated in large quantities from the mainland. They are transported in various ways such as sewers, animals, the environment and, of course, humans. These islands found around the world could vary in size and the largest is located in the Pacific Ocean, referred to as “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”. According to National Geographic, “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific Garbage Gyre, extends from waters from the west coast of North America to Japan.” It is “composed of the Western Garbage Patch, located near Japan, and the Eastern Garbage Patch, located between the U.S. states of Hawaii and California” (National Geographic 1). Overall, most patches are made of large piles of man-made products made largely of plastic materials. With this continuation, the researchers estimated that, “by the end of this century,. . . ocean surface waters could be nearly 150% more acidic than they are now” (Denchak 2). If action were not taken immediately, ocean waters would be even more contaminated, making it difficult to sanitize everything exposed to the water, with consequences for both the sea and human life. Plastic has become a popular material source in several areas of the world. It has been incorporated into our daily lives to the point that we don't realize how harmful it can be. For example, take something commonly found around the house like a water bottle. People rely on water bottles as a source of liquid containment. However, people have developed the mentality that once the liquid is finished, the bottle is garbage, thus forgetting that the water bottle is made of recyclable plastic. Many people have settled into this mentality that once something is finished, they should automatically throw it away, forgetting that there is a recycling bin where the bottle should end up instead of in the ocean. Americans alone “purchase approximately 50 billion bottles of water per year, averaging approximately 13 bottles per month for each person in the United States” (Earth Day 1). This would reveal how much plastic has become a necessity for many lives. Trash ending up in our oceans would then cause an impactnegative for many forms of marine life. At least 100,000 marine animals and 1,000,000 seabirds die every year simply because they ate something they shouldn't have eaten (Ocean Crusaders 1). According to National Geographic, “Albatrosses mistake the plastic resin pellets for fish eggs and feed them to chicks, which die of starvation or ruptured organs” (National Geographic 3). This would show just a few of the many animal populations in the ocean that are affected, reflecting how animals behave are one of the main targets of water pollution. Especially because animals have no say in asking for help. They can only sadly speak for themselves through horrific incidents like the death of a whale in Thailand. The whale was initially still alive, but unfortunately it died despite the efforts of the veterinarians. However, once the cause of death was examined, naval officials discovered that the whale had “. . . 80 wet black plastic bags. . . taken from the stomach of a [dead] whale…” (Raphelson 1). The whale's autopsy reflects how even the largest mammal on the planet is affected by trash thrown into the ocean. Animals can demonstrate their need for support only through tragedies that humans could prevent by becoming aware of the need to stop water pollution. If nothing was done, most animals would most likely be affected and would most likely be more likely to become extinct simply due to the mistakes of not recovering on their own. Additionally, marine life found in coral reefs is affected because “more acidic waters also contribute to coral reef bleaching and make it more difficult for some types of fish to sense predators and for others to hunt prey” (Denchak 3). Coral reefs are an essential habitat for many animals, which means that if they are affected, a long chain of effects is implemented on the surrounding animals leading to another way of animal death. Therefore, it is necessary to take action against water pollution immediately, before it leads to animals not having a habitat for themselves or for future generations because their homes are destroyed or they themselves are eliminated. Furthermore, it is not only animals that are affected, but also humans. Humans spend a lot of time in the ocean to escape, without realizing how unhealthy the water has become. “According to the National Survey on Recreation and Environment (NSRE), more than 143 million people in the United States [including], 61% of the population over the age of 16, use surface waters to engage in non-motorized water sports” revealing that several people come into contact with the ocean (Beachapedia 1). Additionally, Raphelson states that “Every minute [there] is the equivalent of a garbage truck full of plastic ending up in the ocean…” (Raphelson 3 ). This means that humans swim in water that carries several debris particles that are very unhygienic and most likely unhealthy for the body. Therefore, it leads to human exposure to unknown or harmful chemicals that can lead many to become seriously ill and at least “1 billion people” become ill due to unsafe water (NRDC 8). For example, “disease-causing microorganisms, called pathogens, are associated with a variety of enteric and non-enteric diseases” (Beachapedia 1). “These diseases would reside in the human intestine causing AGI or in other words “acute gastrointestinal disease” causing symptoms such as “nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and fever” (Beachapedia 1). This creates severe pain in the human body, preventing many from having fun or doingeveryday things (Beachapedia 1). UNDESA even states that “More people die every year from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war.” In 2015 alone, water pollution caused “1. 8 million deaths” according to the study by The Lancet (NRDC 8). So, demonstrating how critical water pollution has become, human lives are now starting to be severely affected. However, ocean water is not only polluted through water or land, but also through airborne sources. An example would be “Coal-fired power plants [or] chlorine factories [that] release mercury into the air [which would eventually settle into the ocean” (Thanks Ocean 6). This mercury released into the environment is a dangerous toxin that then enters the systems of marine organisms and “bioaccumulates, or increases, as larger fish eat smaller fish contaminated with mercury” (NRDC 7). Consequently, this would lead to the consumption of contaminated fish which would have serious consequences on humans because mercury “can cause serious damage to the brain and nervous system” (NRDC 7). Furthermore, edible fish such as “tuna and swordfish, often have the highest [concentrations] of mercury,” indicating that most humans are currently being contaminated by this food source without much knowledge of the negative effects it may have on their bodies (NPR 2). For this reason, doctors recommend limiting the consumption of certain types of fish and shellfish in order to limit the amount of mercury consumed in the body. All in all, immediate action is needed to prevent further harm to human health not only for the current generation but for the health of generations to come. Their future depends largely on the actions we implement now, which should be to create a healthier ocean in which they can stay, eat and play. In fact, many people around the world have begun to notice the importance of protecting our oceans from water pollution. California alone has begun to protect one of its important assets for the state with its coasts that "beach visitors spend over 10 billion dollars every year" (Thanks Ocean 8). California has begun monitoring and regulating the ocean through a series of volunteer programs that help clean up coastal beaches. It is estimated that in California alone around "100 million dollars" have been invested to finance local projects aimed at reducing the amount of waste on the coasts (Thanks Ocean 8). Additionally, California passed a bill eliminating the use of straws helping to prevent straws from entering the ocean, especially since plastic is one of the main items commonly found in the ocean. Although such action is taken, many believe that it is not necessary to ban or prohibit many items or implied actions towards people. This situation could be seen with the straw ban controversy in California. It was stated that if people violated this "prohibited" article, there could be federal consequences such as prison time for a waitress or bartender who serves someone a straw (San Francisco Chronicle 1). Many see it as an unnecessary and cruel punishment for someone who is simply doing their job. Many even note that California should focus more on ways to manage the pollution that is currently in front of them, such as piles of trash that sit on sidewalks and streets instead of “straw.” However, focusing on smaller problems would help prevent larger water pollution problems. Since straws are a product made of.