As part of this assignment, I have viewed three videos, titled “Tap Water versus Bottled Water” by Tamera Lay, “Synthetic Sea” by Charles Moore, and “Why there are plastics in Pacific Northwest shellfish?” by EarthFixMedia.
Discussion
The first video, by Tamera Lay, speaks about how tap water is healthier, cheaper, and better for the environment than bottled water. She brings up an important point about how bottles pollute the environment and how bottled water is generally better (Lay, 2011). However, I found parts of her opinion to be rather misinformed. Her words on FDA control of bottled and tap water are wrong, as more people are inspecting the plants and handling reports than just one person. Moreover, the same agency oversees the production of tap water. Thus, Tamera comes across as misinformed on the issue, having only seen and cited one source to prove her point.
The second video, “Synthetic Sea” talks about plastics found in the ocean. As it is known, over 80% of all plastics end up in the water, where it breaks down into smaller particles (007bmac, 2010). These are later ingested by fish, which we are using to eat. Thus, plastics may end up in our bodies. Moreover, these elements are dangerous to marine wildlife, as Charles Moore points out (007bmac, 2010). The video presents its arguments well and in an organized fashion. The dangers of this trend cannot be overstated. Seeing the sample demonstrating plastics in water was harrowing and disturbing at the same time.
The subject of microplastics is wrapped up in the “Why there are plastics in Pacific Northwest shellfish?” video. It showcases how tiny bits of plastics end up being eaten by smaller fish and clams, which in turn are being eaten by larger fish, transferring toxic elements into their bodies (EarthFixMedia, 2017). Since we are on top of the food chain, those plastics eventually return to us. It made me think about just how healthy our modern food is these days.
References
EarthFixMedia. (2017). Why there are plastics in Pacific Northwest shellfish. Youtube.
Lay, T. (2011). Tap water vs. Bottled water. Youtube.
007bmac. (2010). Synthetic Sea….. NEW version for 2010. Youtube.