2. Looking at 3 major environmental
issues in Hawaii
vOcean Plastic
vToxic Waste
vTerrigenous Sediment and Coral Reefs
3. 1. Ocean Plastic Pollution
“If you were to dig up the sand through the rocks and sift
through it with your hands, you’ll find more plastic than sand.
It’s so sad to see it covered in everything you can
imagine.”Alison Teal, a local sustainability activist
4. Ocean trash doesn't just affect Hawaii, but the
entire world. Some 10 million to 20 million tons
of plastic enter the ocean every year
5. The North Pacific Gyre off
the coast of California is
the largest garbage site in
the world. It is an island
of garbage twice the size
of Texas and the number
of floating plastic pieces
outnumbers total marine
life six to one.
6. “These animals face enough threats to their survival
from sea level rise and habitat loss; the last thing they
need is to choke on a floating plastic bag.” Emily Jeffers, an
attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity
7. Now the waste is circulating the ocean
and harming the marine life.
8. Three hundred thousand dolphins and
porpoises die each year as a result of
becoming entangled in discarded fishing
nets and other items.
11. Coral
Reefs
aren’t
just
a
fun
site
to
see,
they
are
a
home.
There
are
more
that
500
species
of
algae
that
provide
fish
with
food,
and
create
oxygen
for
human
and
marine
life.
12. Kaneohe Bay
The combined effect of sedimentation and sewage
waste was the overall destruction of some 70% of
the former coral reef over a period of less than 30
years.
14. The US Navy used Turn Island as an airfield
and left behind an airstrip, and a landfill of
electronics, cables, wires, generators,
batteries and a 50,000 gallon neoprene
fuel tank
15. Small animals at the bottom of food chain
absorb the chemicals as part of their food. These
small animals are then eaten by larger animals
that increases the concentration of chemicals.
Animals at the top of the food chain have
contamination levels millions times higher than
the water in which they live.
