Global Warming: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 NECESSITY FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The earth has been heating up at an accelerating pace over the last decades mostly due to major greenhouse gases generated by human activities (see Figure 1). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is mainly responsible for the anthropogenic impact on the planet’s energy balance, however, an increase of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) represent an even higher threat to global warming as these gases possess a 25 and 298 times greater global warming potential than that of CO2 (Knohl and Veldkamp, 2011).

Figure 1: AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURES SINCE 1880

(Randall, 2016)

Not only do carbon emissions and pollution harm the environment but also the accumulation of waste particularly plastic, endanger the planet. At least 268,940 tonnes of human-induced garbage, mostly plastic, is floating off the coast of California. Scientists call it the Great Pacific Garbage Patch of which 75% are items measuring more than 200mm. All this litter has been dumped into the sea or washed out from rivers, threatening wildlife. Consequently, a major part of these plastic pieces are being widely dispersed through the world’s oceans as microplastics and sedimented at the bottom of the sea. The contact to marine creatures has possibly toxic effects on them and on the food chain in general (Economist, 2014).

Not only can individuals benefit from a consumption model which is based on access rather than ownership but so can businesses since they face a rise in the cost of raw materials as well as escalating carbon emissions, waste, and pollution (Gould,