Scott1

Adam Scott
Jennifer DeBock
English IV
27 October 2016

Essential Question: Do governments in the world do their best to control ocean waste and
pollution?
Working Thesis: The government works hard creating laws and outlawing pollutants into the
ocean.
Refined Thesis: The government works hard to create laws and outlaw pollutants into local
waterways and oceans through plastic bag bans, The national ocean policy, and ongoing efforts
to control offshore oil drilling.
Annotated Bibliography
Conathan, Michael. "The National Ocean Policy Benefits Businesses." Endangered Oceans. Ed.
Helga Schier and Lynn M. Zott. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014.
Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Sensible Ocean Policy Falling Victim to Political
Games." ThinkProgress. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.
The National Ocean policy was developed originally to protect commercial and
recreational fishing both inshore and offshore. More recently the policy has been refined to even
conduct research to limiting and correcting water pollution. Many businesses, most of which are
commercial fishing believe that the policy infringes on the open policy of the ocean. The efforts
made by this policy have corrected many issues along the lines of water pollution. With the
expansion from saltwater bodies into freshwater bodies of water also a lot of disagreement has
come. The policies should only apply to saltwater, yet others believe the policy should apply to

Scott2

both because one has lasting effects on the other. This source is important because it shows the
need for policies to protect the ocean and to what extent the laws need to be.

Crye, Michael. "Voluntary Efforts Are Adequate to Reduce Cruise Ship Pollution." Endangered
Oceans. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing
Viewpoints. Rpt. from "A Delicate Balance." World Cruise Industry Review.
2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Oct. 2016
Many cruise line companies are starting to work alongside the government helping to
stop ocean contamination through cruise ship waste. The efforts of the cruise ship companies to
help keep the ocean and local bodies of water clean are a huge help. In addition to the voluntary
efforts the government needs to work to create a plan to guarantee that all cruise ship companies
continue to give back to the ocean that gives them all of their profits. Most recently standards
have been created to acknowledge the release of greywater discharge. These standards help to
draw a line between clean, reusable water, and water that needs to be treated further before its
release. This source is important because it shows that cruise ships and private businesses are
doing their best to keep the ocean clean, in addition to their efforts government needs to develop
laws to force other private companies to keep the ocean clean as well.

Natural Resources Defense Council. "Offshore Oil Drilling Endangers Oceans."

Endangered Oceans. Ed. Helga Schier and Lynn M. Zott. Farmington Hills, MI:
Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Protecting Our Ocean and

Scott3

Coastal Economies: Avoid Unnecessary Risks from Off-Shore Drilling." 2009. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
This article explains the downside of offshore oil drilling. Oil drilling does not harm the
natural environment, until common mistakes are made. Many times the risk of oil spill is equal to
the risk of successfully harvesting the oil. The temporary success from harvesting the oil does
not outweigh the possibility of mistakes. Government needs to further develop energy policy
decisions to protect the ocean and surrounding waterways. The oceans are far too important to be
overlooked by temporary economic success. This article is important because it weighs out the
risks and rewards of economic success and environmental damage. The government has to assess
both sides of the argument to implement the best laws.

Seachman, Steve. "Government Regulations Do Not Prevent Water Pollution." The Environment.
Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt.
from "American Citizens Are Left to Swim in Government Cesspool." Insight on the
News (26 Aug. 2002). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.
Regulations created by the government have not 100 percent fixed issues with water
pollution, especially through sewage disposal. Many believe that the true answers to the issues
cannot come from Washington itself. Private sewage companies face a far larger penalty for any
of their mistakes comparative to that of the government and local governmental offices. Sewage
disposal is still a large issue with water pollution. Just as much chemical damage is done to the
ocean as there is physical trash. Government officials need to work together with local
governments to create a far superior way to monitor sewage disposal and create harsh
punishments for wrongful disposal. This source is important because government has had

Scott4

negative interactions with preserving the ocean and ocean life. More laws and stricter rules must
be formed to protect the ocean.

Winn, Pete. "The National Ocean Policy Endangers Businesses." Endangered Oceans. Ed. Helga
Schier and Lynn M. Zott. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing
Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Fishermen to Congress: Please Scuttle Obama's National Oceans
Policy." CNS News. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.
Many commercial companies oppose the National Ocean Policy stating that the laws
infringe on the decision making and law enforcement beyond the government's power. The
policy strengthens laws on companies making it harder and harder to be successful. The National
Ocean policy is seeming to be another speed bump on the route to creating a successful
business. The development and changing of the policy shows the impact of laws and politics on
businesses, especially small businesses. Although the idea that the policy was created to better
preserve bodies of water business think that the law imposes more issues than it could ever
imagine fixing. This source is important to my research because many people argue that national
policies limit free reign

Wilson, Stiv. "Plastic Bag Bans Protect the Environment." The Environment. Ed. Lynn M. Zott.
Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "In
Defense of Plastic Bag Bans." GreenBiz.com 28 Dec. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.
Recycling and reusing plastic bags help the environment but the only way to completely
remove plastic debris from the ocean is to ban plastic bags on land. Many of the debris that come

Scott5

onto land make their way into local waters and from local waters to the oceans. By banning
plastic bags there is a guarantee that they will not end up in the ocean. With the complexity of
society many solutions to the plastic bag issues have been found. Society is capable and has the
technology to modify plastic bags to have less harm to the environment where they sadly end up.
A plastic ban is required temporarily as a first step to clean up the oceans. This source is
important to ocean pollution research because the only way to truly end water pollution is to stop
making harmful items on land that may end up in the ocean.