Annotated Bibliography for “The Dangers of Polystyrene”

Addicted to Plastic: The Rise and Demise of a Modern Miracle. Dir. Ian Connacher. Documentary. Bullfrog Films, 2008. Film.

[This documentary film examines plastic and its negative effect on various ecosystems. Marine life specifically suffers from plastic pollution. In fact, the ratio of plastic material to marine organisms in the ocean is currently ten to one. This debris is later ingested by marine animals, who will choke or die as a result. Despite the generality of the film, I will use some of the presented information. First, I will tie in the various statistics about plastic; such as the low percentages of plastic being recycled worldwide, before concentrating my argument on Styrofoam. This will convey a serious tone for the paper and will emphasize the magnitude of the problem. Next, I will elaborate on landfills and the impact that plastics have on landfills—they do not compress or degrade. This section of the paper will help my readers to realize that we need to lessen our dependency on landfills. Finally, I will discuss the methods of recycling that were shown in the film to persuade my audience that Styrofoam, a plastic itself, can be successfully recycled.]

Boena, Graca, and Magdalena Bedowska, Patrycja Wrzesie, and Aleksandra Zgrundo. “Styrofoam Debris as a Potential Carrier of Mercury Within Ecosystems.” Environmental Science and Pollution Research International 21.3 (2014): 2263-2271. ProQuest. Web. 24 March 2016.

[This scholarly journal article presents the findings of a recent study on Styrofoam debris that was conducted in the Southern Baltic Sea drainage basin. The journal article briefly describes Styrofoam’s influence in the food chain, human heath, and the environment (2263). The study shows that after coming into contact with water, Styrofoam debris bonds with mercury deposits, thus making the material toxic to the human brain and nervous system (2263). Boena et al. also compare the Styrofoam debris measurements in the Baltic Sea basin with those on the shores of the Gulf of Gdansk and Goldap Lake (2268). The authors opine that the experiment exemplifies the importance of the worldwide waste problem. When discussing the dangers of Styrofoam in respect to human health and the food chain, the mercury evidence will be greatly beneficial. However, this information is irrelevant to some extent because the experiment was conducted in an aquatic setting whereas my paper concentrates on the Southern Nevada desert.]

Daneman, Matthew. “More Cities Ban Polystyrene Foam, Citing Environment.” USA Today. USA Today, 21 December 2013. Web. 24 March 2016.

[This newspaper article is interesting and informative about New York City’s decision to ban Styrofoam. The law was implemented in July of 2015 (par. 3). Daneman deems Styrofoam to have “numerous problems” (par. 8) and supports the decision with evidence of other popular fast food chains who have abandoned the material. He acknowledges that banning Styrofoam is a major change for these companies, but is necessary for the future of our environment. Due to the impressive statistics that Daneman presents, I am likely to use this article to increase my credibility.]

Egendorf, Laura K., ed. The Environment. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2005. Print.

[This anthology is part of the Opposing Viewpoints Series. Sam Martin, a writer for Mother Earth News, has an intriguing article in the anthology in which he argues that recycling can and does reduce pollution. With supporting research, Martin declares that America is “the most wasteful country on the planet” (101). He then designates recycling as the best option to reducing waste (103). Martin finishes his article with statistics about the wastefulness of the American lifestyle. One statistic in particular states that American citizens accumulate nearly four million tons of junk mail every year but do not open 44% of this mail (Martin 106). I can definitely use these statistics either in the introduction or conclusion of my paper to alarm my audience; I will pair these statistics with appropriate commentary to persuade the audience that recycling Styrofoam is a crucial change.]Need paper for a annotated bibliography