Bronte Wells
Climate change and ocean pollution are closely linked. Oceans are a critical component of the global carbon cycle, absorbing 23% of human-caused CO2 emissions. However, plastic pollution in the ocean, largely caused by poor solid waste management, interferes with the ocean's ability to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide, accelerating climate change. The production, use, and disposal of plastic also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, and plastics are expected to become the largest driver of global oil demand growth in the coming years. As a result, addressing ocean pollution is essential to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is ocean pollution part of climate change? | Yes |
| How is ocean pollution linked to climate change? | Plastic pollution is linked to climate change as it is made from fossil fuels. |
| The production, use, and disposal of plastic create significant greenhouse gas emissions. | |
| Microplastics are polluting every layer of the ocean, harming marine life. | |
| Plastic in the ocean may interfere with its capacity to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide. | |
| Extreme weather events associated with climate change, such as flooding and storms, will increase the amount of plastic and chemical pollution in the sea. | |
| Oil spills and other pollution at sea account for a small fraction of ocean pollution. | |
| The ocean is a natural resource that can help address the climate crisis. | |
| What can be done to reduce ocean pollution? | Move from a single-use society to a circular economy that is free from harmful chemicals. |
| Stop producing single-use plastics and reduce the carbon footprint. | |
| Embrace a circular economy where items are reused, refilled, and repaired. |
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What You'll Learn
- Plastic production, use, and disposal create significant greenhouse gas emissions
- Oceans are a carbon sink, absorbing 23% of CO2 emissions
- Microplastics are in the air we breathe and the food we eat
- Extreme weather events associated with climate change increase plastic pollution in the sea
- Plastic is expected to be the largest driver of global oil demand growth until 2030
Plastic production, use, and disposal create significant greenhouse gas emissions
Plastic pollution is tightly linked to climate change. 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, and the production, use, and disposal of plastic create significant greenhouse gas emissions.
The production of plastic is an energy-intensive process that emits greenhouse gases. In 2015, emissions from the production of ethylene, the building block for polyethylene plastics, were 184.3 to 213 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. This is about as much as 45 million passenger vehicles emit in a year. The extraction and transport of fossil fuels to create plastic also produce significant greenhouse gas emissions. Sources of these emissions include methane leakage, emissions from fuel combustion, and land disturbance when forests and fields are cleared for pipelines and well pads.
The disposal of plastic waste also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Incineration of plastic waste releases significant amounts of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. In 2015, U.S. emissions from plastic incineration were 5.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The use of plastic also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic is a durable material, and due to its longevity, it breaks down into microplastics, which are found in the air, water, and food. These microplastics affect the climate and can interfere with the ocean's capacity to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide, creating another pathway through which plastic pollution contributes to and accelerates climate change.
Overall, the plastic lifecycle, from production to disposal, creates significant greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. To reduce these emissions, it is essential to move towards a circular economy where items are reused, recycled, and repaired, rather than created and disposed of.
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Oceans are a carbon sink, absorbing 23% of CO2 emissions
The ocean is a natural carbon sink, absorbing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. Oceans absorb about 30% carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which equates to roughly 3 billion tons of carbon each year. This absorption rate is higher than the atmospheric CO2 levels, which have been increasing since the middle of the 20th century due to human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
The ocean's capacity to absorb carbon is driven by a huge carbon pump, which is influenced by tiny marine animals like zooplankton and phytoplankton. When phytoplankton die, they sink and trap carbon deep in the ocean, locking it away from the atmosphere for centuries to millennia. This process is essential for maintaining a cooler climate and has provided over A$3 trillion worth of natural emission reductions annually.
However, the size of the ocean carbon sink has changed over time, and even small variations can lead to significant atmospheric temperature changes. The ocean's ability to absorb carbon is also threatened by plastic pollution, which may interfere with its carbon sequestration capabilities. As plastic breaks down into microplastics, they can accumulate on the ocean's surface, potentially disrupting the ocean's carbon cycle and accelerating climate change.
To address these concerns, there are proposals to enhance the biological pump artificially by fertilizing the ocean with iron to stimulate phytoplankton growth. Additionally, transitioning to a circular economy that reduces single-use plastics and harmful chemicals is crucial for protecting the ocean's health and its ability to act as a carbon sink.
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Microplastics are in the air we breathe and the food we eat
Plastic is everywhere, and it is polluting our bodies, our oceans, and our planet. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles smaller than 0.2 inches in diameter, which can be found in the air we breathe and the food we eat. They are created when larger pieces of plastic break down due to environmental factors such as the sun's radiation and the ocean's waves.
The production, use, and disposal of plastic generate significant greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. With approximately 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic produced as of 2018 and an expected tripling of production by 2050, the plastic crisis is only worsening. Single-use plastics, which account for the majority of plastic waste, are made from fossil fuels, further exacerbating the issue.
Microplastics have been detected throughout the human body, including in the blood, lungs, liver, brain, and even lower limb joints. Studies have shown that microplastics can accumulate in our organs and cause inflammation, with potential links to growing rates of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. The average person is estimated to inhale or ingest between 74,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles annually through breathing, eating, and drinking.
Microplastics have also been found in various foodstuffs, including seafood, honey, tea, sugar, fruit, and vegetables. A study in Oregon found microplastics in 98.9% of seafood samples, while another study concluded that consuming mussels meant eating microplastics. Microplastics are making their way into our food through contaminated water and soil, as well as the use of plastic in food packaging and processing.
The pervasiveness of microplastics in our environment and our bodies is a cause for concern, with potential impacts on human health and the environment. While the full extent of these impacts is yet to be understood, reducing exposure to microplastics is crucial. This can be achieved by minimizing the use of plastic in food packaging and choosing to avoid single-use plastics whenever possible.
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Extreme weather events associated with climate change increase plastic pollution in the sea
Plastic pollution and climate change are fundamentally linked. The production, use, and disposal of plastic create significant greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. As a product of fossil fuels, plastic is tightly linked to the fossil industry. The extraction, refining, and manufacture of plastics are all carbon-intensive activities.
The ocean is a huge natural resource that can help address the climate crisis and build a sustainable future. However, it is being polluted by plastic. Marine ecosystems are impacted by both the plastic and climate change crises.
Extreme weather events associated with climate change, such as flooding and storms, will increase the amount of plastic and chemical pollution in the sea. For example, industrial chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been banned for years but are still contaminating oceans. As the climate warms and the ice melts, these chemicals are released back into the environment, posing an increased threat to marine wildlife and human health.
In addition, plastic floating in the ocean has a devastating effect on marine wildlife. Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and mammals become entangled in or ingest plastic debris, causing suffocation, starvation, and drowning. Extreme weather events can increase the amount of plastic debris in the ocean, thereby increasing the likelihood of entanglement or ingestion by marine wildlife.
To address the climate crisis and reduce plastic pollution, it is essential to move from a single-use society to a circular economy that is free from harmful chemicals and where items are reused, refilled, and repaired.
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Plastic is expected to be the largest driver of global oil demand growth until 2030
Marine pollution and the climate crisis are fundamentally linked. Plastic is a significant contributor to marine pollution, and it is expected to be the largest driver of global oil demand growth until 2030.
Plastic is made from fossil fuels, and its production, use, and disposal create significant greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The production of plastic is an energy-intensive process that releases greenhouse gases from the fossil fuels used to create it. As of 2018, approximately 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic had been produced, and due to the abundance of cheap natural gas, production is expected to triple by 2050.
The plastic industry is a significant contributor to global oil demand growth. Petrochemicals, which include plastics, are expected to account for more than a third of global oil demand growth by 2030 and nearly half by 2050. The demand for plastic is growing rapidly, driven by its low cost, versatility, and increasing usage in developing nations. Oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell are investing in new petrochemical plants, anticipating the rising demand for plastics.
The impact of plastic pollution on climate change is felt at every stage of its lifecycle, from extraction to disposal. Plastic pollution also interferes with the ocean's ability to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide, further exacerbating the impacts of climate change. Microplastics, which are tiny plastic particles, are found in the ocean, the air, and even the food we eat. They can affect aquatic animals' survival, behaviour, metabolism, and reproduction, ultimately leading to a decrease in fish populations.
To address the climate crisis, it is crucial to transition from a single-use society to a circular economy that reduces carbon emissions and prevents plastic and harmful chemicals from entering the ocean.
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Frequently asked questions
Oceans are a natural resource that can help address the climate crisis and build a sustainable future. However, plastic pollution in the ocean interferes with its ability to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide, accelerating climate change. The production, use, and disposal of plastic also create significant greenhouse gas emissions.
Microplastics have been found in almost two-thirds of all studied fish species, including those we eat. Plastic waste harms marine life and ecosystems, reducing the ability of organisms to mitigate global warming by sequestering carbon.
To reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, we must stop producing single-use plastics, embrace a circular economy where items are reused and recycled, and improve solid waste management.
