Where did we come from? For centuries it has been pondered how life began here on Earth. Thanks to supporting evidence from researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, it is clear that all life on earth originally came from the ocean, and this is how. In the Ocean's early form it was considered a "primordial soup" because it was filled with gases and minerals such as carbon dioxide, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron, and calcium. All these minerals are what make up RNA, however only DNA has the instructions to make life and transfer through reproduction. without DNA and protein-based enzymes, RNA cannot survive. Therefore the scientists from Georgia recreated what the non oxygen filled primordial soup would have been like billions of year ago and recorded in their data that RNA actually changed and adapted. The new instruction carrying RNA performed a single-electron transfer with the iron in the primordial soup and therefor created the reactions needed for photosynthesis and respiration. Approximately 3.5 billion years ago when this process first started, the bacteria created by it became the origin for all living things ever on Earth, including humans. This video is the best video to represent my issue of oceans because it proves that all life came from the ocean. Without the ocean, everything we know and love about Earth would not exist. The ocean has given so much to us in the past that is extremely important for us to protect it and give back to it in the future. This video falls under the the social lens due to the creation of all human life coming from the ocean.
Everyone everywhere depends on the ocean, it is a major source for oxygen, food, income, travel, and climate control. However the ocean is in serious trouble. The large and important fish are all either extinct or smaller than usual. The are oceans infected with a toxic "plastic soup" causing animals to digest plastic and either die from it or end up in our diet as humans. The pollution has also created over 400 "dead zones", areas with no oxygen, throughout the world's oceans and these areas are doubling every 10 years. How does our future look? In only 40 years seafood populations can be nearly completely wiped out. This means that in about 100 years, jellyfish will be the only seafood. The video ends with a quote by Dr. Sylvia Earle, an oceanographer, where she states that "We are the luckiest generation because we know how to solve the problem. All it takes is will." This video is the best to represent my issue of oceans because it specifically states the how the problem has occurred and how it affects both humans and the rest of the world. This problem is more significant than anything we can imagine because of the wide range of influence it has on the world. The video also expresses how much of an affect our past and current actions have on the near future. This video falls under the social lens due to our activities as humans causing the problems and then the massive effects on human life resulting from the ocean dilemma.
Every year, 14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the oceans and 90% of the trash is plastic. This plastic then photodegrades into millions of tiny pieces instead of biodegrading. There are so many of these plastic particles that they outweigh plankton 6 to 1 in some areas. This plastic not only kills marine life but it also is mistaken for food and enters the food chain and eventually ends up in human meals. The solution for this problem is to make a national recycling law. The law should require recycling of more types of plastics and waste materials. The reason for requiring this recycling is because 80% of ocean trash originates on land. Unfortunately it is impossible to get out all the plastic that is already in the ocean but the problem can be limited if the proper actions are taken on land. Along with helping limit the serious of this problem, the new recycling law would boost the economy by creating more business with new revenue and new jobs. This video is the best to represent my issue of oceans because it offers a reasonable solution to the problem. It is very unfortunate and upsetting that there is nothing we can do to get the harmful plastic out of the oceans safely but thankfully we can stop more from getting in. Through a legal lens, a law seems like the most effective way to alleviate the stress of plastic on the ocean. Through an economic lens, many businesses can see prosperous opportunities to make money through the new recycling programs. The growth of businesses also creates more jobs and more monetary flow throughout the economy.