Makenna Tavis

Professor Pfister

English 102

20 May, 2019
Annotations
Entry #1: Beyond the ocean: Contamination of freshwater ecosystems with (micro-)plastic
particles​.
APA Citation:
Dris, R., Imhof, H., Sanchez, W., Gasperi, J., Galgani, F., Tassin, B., & Laforsch, C. (2015,
August 6). ​Beyond the ocean: Contamination of freshwater ecosystems with (micro-)plastic
particles.​ Retrieved from​ ​http://www.publish.csiro.au/en/EN14172
Summary:
This source explains that plastic pollution exists not only in saltwater ecosystems but also in
freshwater ecosystems like lakes and rivers. It addresses its claim that the seriousness of
freshwater plastic pollution is being severely ignored. It describes how freshwater plastic
pollution is, in fact, more serious than saltwater ecosystems. It explains as to how the source
found its sightings and evidence of the support used for the claim. This source also provides
predictions of how these ecosystems will be affected in the future. It persuades the audience that
the seriousness of freshwater ecosystems should not be ignored and how people need to take
responsibility for the issues of the ecosystem.
Evaluation:
The author was very efficient in persuading me that the thesis was reasonable and credible. First,
the author used an overwhelming amount of support to back up his claim which persuaded me of
the authors claim even more. The author used a language that was professional and straight to the
point which made the source seem sophisticated and credible. The author included other claims
that differed from his own. Having a rebuttal in any source makes the claim much more
believable and efficient. He addressed the other perspective and provided a counterargument that
was extremely beneficial towards persuading the audience of his claim. Overall, the author went
to extreme extents to demonstrate his claim in a credible and favorable way.
Reflection:
Although I personally had trouble reading this article due to its highly educated vocabulary, it
did contain great points. I predict that I will use this article to write about a perspective that is
different from the primary one of plastic pollution. I think this article was helpful because it
contained more than one perspective about plastic in the ocean which allowed me to see the
situation in a different way.
Significant Quotes:
● “Although environmental contamination with microplastics is constantly in the media,
almost no basic data on contamination in freshwater ecosystems exist” (p. 22).
● “..recent studies demonstrate an almost equal contamination as reported in the oceans” (p.
22).

Entry #2: Plastic debris in the open ocean.

APA Citation:
Echevarría, F., González-Gordillo, J. I., Irigoien, X., Úbeda, B., Hernández-León, S., Palma, Á
T., Duarte, C. M. (2014, July 15). ​Plastic debris in the open ocean​. Retrieved from
https://www.pnas.org/content/111/28/10239
Summary:
This source explains how plastic pollution in the oceans has increased over the years. It explains
the dangers of polluting our oceans because plastic is such a highly durable product, in fact,
plastic can last thousands of years. It informs the audience how this time period is referred to as
the Plastic Age due to the alarming amount of plastic in our waters. It begins to explain how
plastic is ingested by wildlife and how it will affect the well being of ocean ecosystems. This
source describes how they received their data and explains what the data actually means. This
source also shares multiple diagrams that display the highly congested areas of plastic in the
ocean.
Evaluation:
Overall, this source was very successful in addressing their claim. What made the source so
successful was that they actually had several rebuttals in their data. The source would identify
another perspective on plastic pollution and would immediately refute this with evidence that
their research found. This source also contained visual maps that showed the extreme pollution
in our oceans. With every statement, the author would provide data and evidence to back it up.
This source achieved its goal of educating the audience of its claim. This source was successful
and was written in a way that supported their claim.
Reflection:
This source made me see plastic pollution in a different way. The statistics that the source
provided were very shocking and eye opening. I plan to use these statistics in my project. The
visual elements also helped me visually see data that was hard to analyze in the article as well.

Significant Quotes:
● “​In the 1970s, the US National Academy of Sciences estimated that the flux of plastic to
the world oceans was 45,000 tons per year (​23​), equivalent to 0.1% of the global
production of plastic”
● “The annual production of plastic has quintupled (265 million tons per year in 2010)”
Entry #3: Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean.

APA Citation:
Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., Law, K. L.
(2015, February 13). ​Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean.​ Retrieved from
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/768.full
Summary:
This source explains how people's knowledge of plastic pollution is known but the actual amount
of plastic pollution in our oceans is unknown. This source went and decided to determine that
unknown amount. This source also researched which country produced the most pollution. It
learned that population size and quality of waste contributed to the amount of plastic pollution
produced. This source also explains the history and beginning of plastic pollution which helps
the audience to understand the effects plastic has on our saltwater ecosystems. Finally, the source
informs the audience how this pollution also exists in areas other than oceans.
Evaluation:
I enjoyed reading from this source and I believe other people could benefit from reading this
article. The source was very successful in portraying and addressing their claim. This source
provided research of their own findings which supported the ideas that they addressed. The
source successfully addresses their claim and supports it with proper support. The language of
this article was very sophisticated and educated which made it appear credible and efficient. Like
other sources, this source included diagrams and visual elements that contributed to the overall
quality of the piece. While reading from this source, I did not find the author addressing any
rebuttals which could have made the source much more efficient.
Reflection:
This source contained several statistics which will help me write writing project two. I also think
the ideas mentioned in this article were very sophisticated and interesting. I will use this article
when writing my essay.
Significant Quotes:
● “​We estimate that 2.5 billion MT of municipal solid waste was generated in 2010 by 6.4
billion people living in 192 coastal countries (93% of the global population)”
● “Global plastic resin production reached 288 million MT in 2012 (​3​), a 620% increase
since 1975”.

Entry #4: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

APA Citation:
Ocean Cleanup. (n.d.). ​The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.​ Retrieved from
https://www.theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/
Summary: ​This source provides insight as to the dangerous conditions of our oceans due to an
overwhelming amount of plastic pollution. It provides statistics and visual elements to display
the consequences of abusing nature. This source describes what the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
is and the conditions of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It provides details about the size,
location, mass, concentration, and persistency of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. More
importantly, this site describes the impact that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has on wildlife,
humans, and society. Finally, the source explains the research and findings of the Great Pacific
Garbage Patch. The importance of the source is to explain to the viewers the dangerous
consequences of polluting wildlife.
Evaluation:
Overall, this source successfully demonstrates its claim in a credible way. The viewers or
audience of this site could benefit from reading its findings and research. The source is
successful because it provides statistics, diagrams, and graphs, that prove the authors claim. The
use of these elements makes the sources claim reasonable and credible. The source had no
evidence of any other perspectives. This specific source provided only its claim and evidence to
support the claim. The website would be even more successful if they provided another
perspective other than their own. However, the source made many reasonable and significant
points that spoke to its audience. It efficiently educated and informed the audience of the issue
that they were portraying.
Reflection:
This source only had one perspective about plastic pollution which doesn't make it one of the
best sources. However, this source provides a great amount of essential information about The
Great Pacific Garbage Patch which will be written in my personal essay.
Significant Quotes:
● “​The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers an estimated surface of 1.6 million square
kilometers”
● “​Floating at the surface of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is 180x more plastic
than marine life”

Entry #5: Ocean Plastic Pollution.

APA Citation:
Ocean Plastic Pollution. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/
Summary:
This source explains the effects of plastic pollution on the ocean's wildlife. The source also gives
insight as to what the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is and why it is so serious to nature. This
source explains how plastic pollution takes a heavy toll on wildlife in the ocean and how it is
such a serious issue. It explains how we must urgently take responsibility and how humans need
to do something to protect the wildlife in the ocean before matters become worse. The effects of
plastic pollution are as serious as extinction for some species. The purpose of this site is to
inform and persuade humans to make a change in the concerning topic of plastic in our oceans.
Evaluation:
This source is successful in demonstrating and supporting its claim. This source provides details
and evidence that their claim is reasonable and serious. The source achieved its goal of informing
and persuading the audience to take their claim seriously. The source did not have any insight as
to other perspectives towards their claim. In most situations, addressing other perspectives and
claims can make the sources claim even more successful. Also, visual elements such as graphs
and diagrams would be beneficial towards the overall quality and efficiency of this source. The
support that they used for their claim was significant to alarm the audience of the effects of
plastic pollution on our wildlife. Overall, this source was successful in explaining and addressing
its claim.
Reflection:
This source is very useful to use for the essay I am writing. It provides information on a
perspective that the situation regarding pollution in the ocean is poor. This source only contained
one perspective which would have made the source even better.
Significant Quotes:
● “​At current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050”
● “Thousands of animals, from small finches to blue whales, die grisly deaths from eating
and getting caught in plastic”

Entry #6:

APA Citation:
Survey of Plastic Pollution. (2019, March 21). Retrieved from
https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/nrt2tdkSOIKmo2m5kF_2BNY4EXBWbD_2FzArmua
ulfJEkDc_3D?tab_clicked=1&show_dashboard_tour=true&source=dashboard_list
Summary:
This source provided information for people's personal habits with things such as recycling and
plastic usage. This source also provided insight as to how people feel about today's situation on
plastic pollution. This survey allowed people to analyze information regarding the overwhelming
amount of plastic in our ocean.
Evaluation:
This resource is very reliable and allows the audience to visually see evidence that articles
couldn't. The source is also credible because the people taking the survey are allowed to answer
unanimously which prevents any biased data.
Reflection:
This survey will work well with the essay I am writing because it provides data specific to
people's habits of recycling and how often they use plastic products. This survey will allow me to
support a perspective that there needs to be more done for our ocean ecosystem.
Significant Quotes:
● It was determined that only “50% of people surveyed felt somewhat concerned about
plastic pollution and waste”
● The survey found that “90% of people surveyed think that there should be more
information and helpful tips to help people make better choices and cut down on using
plastic”.