Environmental Justice

Introduction and Rationale

In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “The Ancient Mariner”, the sailor and his men are surrounded by ocean water but cannot relieve their thirst. The famous line from the poem, “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” depicts being in the midst of something but not being able to partake in the very thing one is surrounded by. If Coleridge were to rewrite this poem in 2050, the sailor might say, “plastic, plastic everywhere” because it would not be merely the salt in oceanwater that made it undrinkable, but the overabundance of plastic pollution. The sailors might be reluctant to eat the fish from the sea as microplastics have permeated the marine ecosystems and food chains.¹ They may sail upon a gyre swirling plastic debris, and traverse across the estimated 51 trillion pieces of microplastics on the ocean’s surface.² When they reach the shore of their destination, they could see plastic waste blanketing the sand. And when they walk through their villages, they could see mountainlike landfills of plastic. For Coleridge’s sailors, the problem of having more plastic than fish in the ocean in the year 2050 would be the most shocking.³

Coleridge’s sailors are fictional, but the projections and estimations of plastic pollution on the environment, especially the ocean are very real and dire. The life cycle of plastic from production, to use, and to its disposal poses a danger to the planet. Fossil fuels are taken from the earth to create plastic. By the end of plastic’s life cycle, it is littered on land or reaches the ocean, wreaking havoc on the environment. Because of the chemical properties of most plastic, it is not biodegradable. Plastic is created from fossil fuels, and 99% of all plastic is created using crude oil.⁴ Globally, 380 metric tons of plastic is produced a year and 40% of the plastic is single-use plastic.⁵  The life span of single use plastic is short lived, and it is difficult to recycle.⁶ When it is improperly managed, plastic waste is discarded in landfills and can leak from waste management systems. The discarded plastic waste travels through the environment changing ecosystems. Plastic pollution also emits greenhouse gases contributing to global warming.  

Like Coleridge’s sailors, students will discover the pervasiveness of plastic pollution in the world. Plastic use is emersed into daily life. Individually, people are reliant upon plastic for a range of items such as food packaging, plastic straws, water bottles, food containers, and plastic shopping bags. Plastic production and use are interconnected worldwide. Plastic is produced in the United States and exported to other countries. The US also imports plastic from other countries.  Students will learn how pervasive plastic is in everyday life, the range of plastic products, and the global connectiveness of plastic production, distribution, and use.

Most of the unit will concentrate on pollution in the ocean. However, to explain the impacts of social and environmental justice, the results of plastic pollution on land and in the air, as well as the ocean, will be addressed. The ocean is a topic that a wide range of students find interesting in the 5th grade. From the mysterious creatures that live in the deep sea, to ocean exploration, kids are fascinated by the ocean. Students will learn about the environmental impact humans have on the ocean and the disproportionate impact plastic pollution has on developing nations and coastal regions. Lastly, throughout the unit students will learn some of the efforts being made to mitigate plastic pollution.