Our Disgusting Beaches

Marine debris, often called litter, has become a problem along shorelines, coastal waters, and oceans throughout the world. It is defined as any man-made, solid material that enters our waterways directly (by dumping) or indirectly (washed out to sea via rivers, streams, storm drains, etc.). Objects ranging from detergent bottles, hazardous medical wastes, and discarded fishing line all qualify as marine debris. In addition to being ugly, it poses a serious threat to everything with which it comes into contact. Marine debris can be life-threatening to marine organisms and humans and can wreak havoc on coastal communities and the fishing industry.
There are two different sources from which debris pollutes our oceans. The first is from the land and includes users of the beach, landfills, solid waste, rivers, and streams, and litterbugs. Marine debris also comes from combined sewer overflows, and storm drains. Typical debris from these sources includes medical waste, street litter and sewage. Land-based sources cause 80% of the marine debris found on our beaches and waters. The second source of marine debris is from ocean sources, and this type of debris includes galley waste and other trash from ships, recreational boaters and fishermen and offshore oil and gas exploration and production facilities. Adding to this problem is the population increase along our nation's shores. More people means more paved area and wastes generated in coastal areas. And that sucks. These factors; combined with the growing demand for manufactured and packaged goods, have led to an increase in non-biodegradable solid wastes in our waterways, which seems to be the ultimate problem.
Any visitor to a local beach can tell you that this is no longer a problem that can go overlooked. It has become prominent in our society and we have to do whatever we can to help save the favorite vacation spots for parents and kids for centuries. Everything from hypodermic needles to used tampons can be found littering the gorgeous sands of our beaches all along both the east and west coasts. That's gross.
For more information on the the problems that we have on our beaches or for general information about perserving our natural environment, check out www.epa.gov which is the homepage for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.