MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), marine debris is “any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes”. Since marine debris is mostly plastic, experts often refer to marine debris as marine plastic pollution. 

A large portion of marine debris is attributed to items related to the fishing industry such as ghost nets, which are abandoned fishing nets that circulate through our oceans “ghost fishing” by continuing to catch everything in their path and destroying coral beds before washing ashore. 

Plastic pollution is not restricted to just our oceans. Plastic has been found in the Arctic snow, the air we breathe, and human feces. If plastic production and waste management practices remain the same, 12,000 metric tons of plastic will pollute our environment or be landfilled in the next 30 years. Nearly 168 million metric tons of plastic produced in 2016 was single-use plastic. 

Global plastic production is projected to more than triple by 2050, accounting for one fifth of all fossil fuel consumption and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Sara Jeanne Royer and colleagues (2018) found that plastic releases methane as it breaks apart, which is 21 times more powerful than CO2. They found that plastic exposed to air produces more than twice as much methane as plastic submerged in water and 76 times more ethylene, another greenhouse gas. The more plastic we choose to produce, the more methane we release into our atmosphere that accelerates climate change. 

When we ingest plastic from the air or the food we eat, we may absorb toxic chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that can lead to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption, and other ailments.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that at least 100,000 marine animals have died after ingesting or being entangled in marine debris. Plastic has been found in 90% of seabirds’ intestines and whales have starved to death after ingesting plastic bags.

Marine plastic pollution cost an estimated $10.8 billion in annual damage to the marine economy sectors and predicted this cost to rise to $216 billion by 2050 if no preventative action is taken. 

A 2019 NOAA tourism study found that the amount of visible marine debris on beaches within these coastal areas will decrease the amount of time tourists spend on the beach. Potentially costing coastal economies up to $414 million in tourism revenue and costing up to 4,300 jobs.

A veteran refers to anyone who has served in the military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable. “Veteran” can cover a myriad of people, including anyone who served for one day to those who served for over forty years.

There are now more than 1.9 million U.S. Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 50,000 veterans were physically seriously injured in combat or combat related conditions.

Veterans can experience mental health issues, substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation at disproportionate rates compared to their civilian counterparts. Army and Marine Corps veterans experienced the highest rates of PTSD, major depression, and substance and alcohol abuse. 

PTSD is “a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault". Symptoms may include intrusive thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, hyper-vigilance, emotional numbness, and avoidance of triggers associated with the trauma.  PTSD is a prevalent mental health condition among veterans who have experienced traumatic events during their military service.Approximately 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan, 12% of Desert Storm, and 30% of Vietnam veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD.

Depression is the experience of persistent sadness and/or loss of pleasure in activities individuals previously enjoyed, combined with other symptoms such as feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, concentration difficulties, or changes in eating and sleeping.  At least 43% of veterans struggle with depression and mental health concerns. Army veterans were diagnosed with depression more than other branches. 

Veterans may attempt to self-medicate to alleviate their psychological symptoms using drugs and alcohol. Longer deployments and combat exposure increase the risk of substance abuse.

While treatments for veterans exist, providers are often overwhelmed by need or veterans are asked to wait for weeks before receiving the care they need. Less than half of returning veterans in need of help receive any mental health treatment at all. Of those receiving treatment for PTSD and depression, less than one-third are receiving evidence-based care. Additionally, veterans might feel ashamed or embarrassed to seek treatment. In the past, mental illness was seen as a sign of a weakness. So veterans might convince themselves to "suck it up" instead of seeking the help they need.

Importantly, mental health disorders can increase the risk for suicide. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (2022), 17 veterans commit suicide every day and veterans’ suicide rate is 1.5 times higher than non-veterans. Veterans’ suicide rate is nearly twice as high as civilians. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among veterans.