There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic trash in the world’s oceans, and each year, 8 million tons of plastic are added to the figure. Though the oceans seem vast enough to stomach a lot of plastic, the level of waste is starting to reach a crisis point: According to a new report by the Ocean Conservancy, by 2025, the ocean could contain one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish.
All these floating bits of plastic not only disrupt marine ecosystems, but also poison the global supply of seafood. “It’s reaching crisis proportions,” says Andreas Merkl, CEO of the Ocean Conservancy. “Plastic breaks down into small pieces that look like plankton (浮游生物) and is eaten by everything from plankton to whales.”
The new report calls for a focus on improving waste management systems in a handful of developing countries that account for the plastic leakage into the ocean. China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam contribute more than half of the oceans’ plastic since their waste facilities haven’t kept up with rapid industrialization.
How can countries reduce the leakage of waste into the ocean? The Ocean Conservancy report suggests that by providing more waste collection services, closing the leakage points within the collection system, getting rid of waste with effective landfill, and building more recycling facilities, the plastics leakage could be cut by 50% by 2020.
It’s not just an environmentalist’s daydream. Coca-Cola and Dow Chemical, along with some other multinational companies, have joined forces with Ocean Conservancy to fight ocean pollution. “We’re committed to working toward a future of a plastic-free ocean. Companies don’t make plastic with the intention of it ending up in the ocean, and we acknowledge the strong role industry must play in order to help eliminate ocean plastic waste by 2035.” Says a Dow Chemical director.
“While building landfills and incinerators (焚化炉) across these developing countries might not be pretty, it’s far more environmentally friendly than letting waste slide into the world’s oceans.” Says Andreas Merkl.
32. Five developing countries are mostly responsible for plastic leakage because .
A. there are too many factories in those countries
B. they produce the majority of the waste worldwide
C. their waste facilities fail to adapt to rapid industrialization
D. their citizens don’t make good use of waste management systems
33. The underlined word “eliminate” in Paragraph 5 means .
A. End
B. increase
C. remain
D. reduce
34. From the last two paragraphs, we can learn that .
A. many companies have begun to play a role in fighting ocean pollution
B. environment-friendly plastics will be invented by multinational factories
C. developing countries will be much more beautiful with a plastic-free ocean
D. landfills and incinerators have greatly reduced plastic leakage into the ocean
35. The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. suggest countries learn more about oceanic waste
B. persuade companies to produce fewer plastic goods
C. warn people of the danger of using too many plastic items
36. The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. suggest countries learn more about oceanic waste
B. persuade companies to produce fewer plastic goods
C. warn people of the danger of using too many plastic items
37. The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. suggest countries learn more about oceanic waste
B. persuade companies to produce fewer plastic goods
C. warn people of the danger of using too many plastic items