Key Risks Facing Oceans: Spotlight - Overfishing & Plastics

There are several key risks facing Oceans on our planet.  Now that we understand that different oceans are part of one ecosystem that is connected, we can see how our actions in one location, affect life and health in another. 

We also recognize the importance of ocean ecosystems - how integral they are to our own lives, as well as the billions of people that live along coastlines.  Protecting these ecosystems for them, is also a human rights issue.   As we studied the basics about the ocean and ocean eco-systems yesterrday, we discussed the fact that while there are different 'names' for oceans (ex. Atlantic, Pacific, etc.) - they are all interconnected.  This is an important point - what we do in one location of the ocean will inevitably travel its way to other spots, carried by winds and ocean currents.  It also means that solving any problem in the world's ocean is enormously complex. 

Today's lesson will involve recording facts and details on your Ocean Risks handout.  You will use the Ocean Perils article, as well as this video below. 

Video - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is Not What You Think It Is

CLASSROOM PARTNER ACTIVITY

FOCUS - Two key risks facing the ocean - OVERFISHING and PLASTIC WASTE

Complete the following activities, recording your answers as you go.  

• Divide the work with your partner - one person will explore Issue 1, the other will explore Issue 2.  You have a few minutes to prepare, and then you will summarize the issues to your partner - VERBALLY - not exchanging papers. Your job is to teach an overview of this topic to your partner.

ISSUE 1- OVERFISHING & HARMFUL FISHING PRACTICES
Video - What Happened If all the fish disappeared? - Tech Insider
Video - What is Bottom Trawling and Why is it Dangerous for Fish? - Greenpeace

ISSUE 2 - COASTAL POLLUTION & WASTE

Video - How Does Plastic End Up in our Ocean?

Video - Henderson Island Has 40 million Pieces of Plastic

Video - How to Cleanse Your Beauty Regime of Plastics

What about your personal life? 

Think about your daily life (food, drink, things you purchase, etc.) plus the things in your home.  Where do you think most of your plastic use in your entire household comes from?  

COOL IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS -- How Can We Solve These Problems in the Ocean

Review some of the ideas below.  Click on the links and scan the pages.  The point is to realize how many incredibly creative and innovative solutions there are out there to these problems. 

What Can You Do? Individual Solutions

• 7 Ways to Reduce Your Ocean Pollution Now!
• Make your Cosmetics Safer - Beat the Microbead
• Great Infographic on Daily Things You Can Do To Make a Difference
• https://www.eartheclipse.com/pollution/solutions-plastic-pollution.html

Corporate and Government Solutions

• Pressuring Corporations and Industries to Deal with Plastic Packaging - Greenpeace
• Ocean Clean-Up Project & Machine
  
• Plastic Bank - Case Study of Haiti
• Plastic Bank - What the Collectors Are Doing
• Canada announces ban on Shark Fin exports and imports
• Creating Marine Protected Areas - Like National Parks for Oceans

Crazy Cool Ideas to Minimize Plastic Waste, Packaging and Save Ecosystems

• Futuristic 3D Printed Tires by Michelin, made from recycled Food Scraps
• Biodegradable 3D Printed Coral Reefs - Save the Great Barrier Reef
• Using Art to Educate, Inform and Create Activism
• Thinking About Packaging in a whole new way - mushroom packing and other ideas
• 7 Inventions that are Literally Saving Our Oceans
• LED Lights on Fishing Nets That Save Sea Turtles
• https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03629-7

LESSON - November 2/3 - SOLUTIONS TO PLASTIC WASTE

We ended our Oceans unit by exploring a few key principles related to solving environmental issues, and also related to determining what a 'good' solution is. 

Here are the notes from our Lesson Today - thanks for the wonderful discussions.  This includes the Real Solutions Framework. 

Here is the powerpoint on Ocean Solutions that we reviewed together.