A Positive change to the system

Introduction:
The Chao Phraya River flows all the way up from Chiang Mai down to the gulf of Thailand, while it flows the tributaries (Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan) meet up and that is where the river forms itself. Currently the river is a disaster. All the waste and dispensable things get into the river. While all this happens, the water is still a necessity for us we use it for various purposes. As time passes where our necessity with the river gets more and more the condition of the river gets worse. This river is Thailands life blood, we use it for fishing, irrigation, washing and mainly transporting, which sometimes we do not pay attention to therefore it contaminates the river by all heavy metals and filthiness, which restores in the river repeatedly. (Tung)

Indictors:

During the field trip with my class we got a bucket of the Chao Phraya water, we had measured the amount of Nitrates, phosphates, pH (a measure of hydrogen), Dissolved oxygen, water temperature and Total dissolved solids. Depending on table #2 you can see the results of the water is on an average level, which means that it could get worse but for it to improve we need to support it. (Barge Trip) I also noticed this river being used as a trash can which the society needs to stop doing because once it becomes hard to filter, it will affect NATURE, SOCIETY, ECONMY, ours and the animals WELL-BEING, once it starts to affect it becomes hard to stop. (myself) The river seems usefull to people as a result of people using it for transporting themselves, fishing, washing dishes, trashing mostly plastic bags and a whole lot more. As I went by I also saw some disastoures consequenses such as oil leaking from boats, coke cans, dead fish, utensils, food. These all cause consequenses which could cause a lot of harm to us. As I had mentioned earlier that we use the river for various purposes if anything happens it would start to be really hard to find water. Water is something everyone needs in there daily life. (barge trip/Myself)

There are many indicators but this proposal focuses on correcting one indicator-the quantity of plastic bags floating in the river. Table 1: Indicators of the problem Table 2: Health on Measured Indicators Test Nitrates Phosphates Optimal values Under 10 ppm= good Below 10 ppm= bad 0-1 ppm= good Over 1 ppm= bad 6.5-8.2= good Over 8 ppm= good Under 4 ppm= bad 5c - 25c= good <300=excellent 301600= good 601-900= fair 901< poor Results 0.10 0.10 0.11 0.17 0.10 29.2

Quality indicators of my problem Plastic bags from take away food Dead fish Deceased plants Water contaminated

Current level lots lots lots A lot

Predicted innovation fewer some some slight

pH Dissolved oxygen Water temperature Total dissolved solids

Systems: Different stakeholders have different opinions on the use of Plastic bags.

Current problem/indicator

Fishes stay in the river looking for food every second but as fishes get very hungry they look around, the plastic bags look like jelly fish to them once they eat it their stomach is filled so they dont eat something else. The problem is the plastic bags do not give any protein and they are nonbiodegradable. Some fishes die and some survive. Another problem with plastic bags is the plastic and the coloured dye that makes the labels on the bag, which may have toxic heavy metals in them. Plastic contains heavy metals like mercury. When fishermen people catch the fishes that survive people eat it and it causes them a stomachache or sometimes the heavy metals, cause something very harmful to the human body. Plastic contaminates the soil and that prevents the plants growth to take place. (Science) An extra problem that I would like to discuss is EUTROPHICATION. The soil near the river is unhealthy due to pollution> the farmers try to correct this by adding fertilizer that contains nitrates. Nitrates are put onto the sides of the river to make plants grow but once it rains the Nitrates are washed away into the river which makes plants grow inside, when that happens plants in the water grow too tall that it becomes hard for sun to give the plants at the bottom the river light. Therefore the bottom plants die. Plants and trees give us oxygen and food in this case it would be harmful if they get decomposed. (Science) Since the plastic bags can contain toxic heavy metals, that make the plastic bags have to deal with the dangerous process of making the bags. In this case companies would most likely have to stop making more plastic bags. So it would be better if we start trying to prevent them from getting in the water, in this case we need the societies help to throw it in the bin. Plastic floating in the river may not harm us right now, but if we take advantage and be careless, then everyone will have to face the disastrous consequences, which in no way would be pleasant to us. (http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/plastic-ocean/)

Innovation:

I think that we should not blame companies and so we should do something ourselves, hence, I have decided to create an attractive trashcan. By doing this, it will be easier for people to look for a trash can and not having the excuse of I could not find one. Most of the time when something strikes you, your eager to know what it is so most likely people would get up to have a look at it, they would notice that its a trash can, since they are next to it they will throw the plastic bag in there. Therefore, by doing this, it would start to prevent the pollution of throwing plastic in the river. The different types of businesses would not get affected due to having a lower quantity of plastic bags, in the river. Some new businesses would be able to start as a result of the water being more hygienic. The society will be able to use the river for more purposes, it will be easier for society to find water, when that happens we would not want the society to throw the dirty water back in and so that would give business people a new job to start. When water is being used, eventually it would be more hygienic and so people would not have to go through having a lot of discomfort and illness. Our environment would be more improved; the different plants and trees would not be affected harmfully any longer. (Myself) WHY THIS IS THE IDEAL POINT TO MAKE A CHANGE? We all can see that different consequences start to occur due to the presence of plastic bags. Some of the most compelling reasons are: A shortage of trash cans along the banks of the river People are too lazy and careless to look for a bin There are no strict commands/ laws considering people throwing trash into the Chao Phraya River. People do not know the causes of plastic well enough

This is an ideal point to make a difference because it will prevent plastic from getting in the river and so it would help the river be more hygienic, which would be beneficial for us and the environment. We would no longer have too much problems with heavy metals affecting us.

Conclusion: The problem with plastic bags is that it causes harm to fish and other marine lifes, involving having the most possible effects on humans and their lives, which would be hard to end off that matter right away. The Chao Phraya River is looking more like a trash can as the days are passing by, if we do not take care of that then these small affects will start growing. Plastic pollution affects NATURE, ECONMY, SOCIETY, and everyones WELL-BEING. When it affects these four compass points, then it will cause a lot of harm as every thing is connected. (view the bottom to find out how)Plastic contaminates the soil; the heavy metals start preventing the plants from growing. From my proposed solution I think that contaminated water will become much more hygienic and would not affect the plants too much. Right now businesses are getting affected due to the societies complaints furthered on when the water is cleaner new businesses could launch. Right now society have problems with finding water to use but once the river is in a better condition to use, society would not have so many inconveniences with getting water. Right now few diseases are being caused threw heavy metals but afterwards there will hopefully be none. ( Myself/http://kuow.org/post/study-eating-plastic-causes-tumorsliver-problems-fish) Link To Image So overall Plastic contains a large number of toxic chemicals and heavy metals, which contaminates the water it would better if we could stop throwing them in the river. Plastic may be easy to take around but Have You Ever Thought about the Damages it causes?

How Every thing is connected?

In this image it shows that even if plastic is on the banks of the river it still can slip in.

N= Nature E= Economy S= Society W= WellSociety harms nature by the products being business people create. Natures damages affects on societies Well-being, therefore society people complain to business people to make the products without heavy metals because they cause damages and harm to the environment and themselves.
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Everything is connected considering that if damages get caused on one of them the impact goes on the other one. As you can see above that is one cycle on how everything is connected. Therefore we need to take care of each compass of sustainable points

Work cited

The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. "Chao Phraya River (river, Thailand)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. 30 Mar. 2014 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/105979/ChaoPhraya-River>. "Important call: Plastics kill!" Endangered Species International. 29 Mar. 2014 <http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/plastickills.html>. "Population and socio-economic situation in the Chao Phraya basin." World Water Assessment Programme. 30 Mar. 2014 <http://webworld.unesco.org/water/wwap/case_studies/chao_phraya/>. "Solutions to Plastic Pollution in our Oceans." Plastic Pollution in Oceans. 30 Mar. 2014 <http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/plastic-ocean/>. "Study: Eating Plastic Causes Tumors, Liver Problems In Fish." KUOW News and Information. 30 Mar. 2014 <http://kuow.org/post/study-eatingplastic-causes-tumors-liver-problems-fish>.

Some information from Science and Humanities class

Tung, Teresa. Notes from Y7 Humanities Altemen, Jane. Notes from Y7 science Brainstorming sheet Barge trip