Plastics, Greenhouse Gases, and Sustainability

Plastics and an increase in greenhouse gases through man made means have many negative effects to planet Earth because it changes the environment organisms have evolved to thrive in for billions of years in the time span of a few hundred years. The effects of these things are drastic and sudden, and may eventually compromise the food chain through extinction of animals we need to survive.

Plastics find their way to oceans through humans that dump their trash there, where the plastics break down in a process known as photodegradation. As plastics degrade into smaller and smaller pieces they begin harming the ecosystem. It's allowing insects that live on the sea to lay more eggs with the plastics increasing the land they can lay eggs on as well as harm sea life such as fish that breathe in the degraded plastics.

Human-produced greenhouse gases affect Earth in most likely the most detrimental way. With more greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect increases in strength, allowing Earth to retain more and more heat. This is a very harmful effect because many animals and insects evolved to thrive in very specific conditions. For these conditions to change so fast and so much, they may very well go extinct. It also hurts crops that are temperature specific, changing where they can be grown and maybe even changing fauna that live in places that will be the most affected.

Plastics and greenhouse gases are sustainability issues because they will harm future generation's ability to survive.

Getwellstaywellathomelife

An example of plastics used in everyday life

A portrayal of the greenhouse effect
www.ecy.was.gov