THE OCEAN

Whether deliberately discharged or unintentionally introduced, plastic  waste, pharmaceuticals, toxic heavy metals, insecticides and other  chemicals have found their way to every corner of the oceans. The  consequences are catastrophic and often lethal, especially for marine  organisms. The only good news is that international prohibitions of some  pollutants are beginning to have an effect. Without radical changes in  industry and commerce, however, the pollution crisis in the oceans  cannot be overcome.

Not only does the world ocean play a major role in the climate and  species-diversity crises of the Earth. It is also affected by a third  global environmental crisis: the widespread pollution of terrestrial and  marine ­areas. The average person uses 10 pounds of single-use plastic every month. Every year as much as 400 million tonnes of pollutants  end up in lakes and rivers, and ultimately in the seas. These include  thousands of different chemicals, nutrients, plastics and other  synthetic products, toxic heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic  products, pathogens, radioactive substances and much more.