Tow #17- Best Life Magazine Article/ "Plastic Ocean"/ Susan Casey

What happens to all the things we throw out? And more importantly, what happens to all the things we think we throw out? Not what most would think- large quantities of trash, particularly plastic, end up in the world's oceans. In her 2007 article, "Plastic Ocean", writer Susan Casey brings to attention environmental issues associated with recycling, trash, animal life, and the future of our planet as an attempt to inspire readers to make a change in what they throw out and "recycle". She does this through the use of exemplification, appeals to logos, and personal anecdotes.

In the beginning of her article, Casey introduces a sea captain named Charles Moore with a passion for saving the planet and cleaning up trash. Her anecdotes on his life and experiences around the world's oceans, in California, and in the North Pacific Subtropical gyre, or "Eastern Garbage Patch" introduce readers to the concerns of the article. This area of ocean is one of about 5 that contain unheard of amounts of trash, resembling seas of garbage. All in all, these areas make up 1/4 of our planet's surface. Moore's in this tragic area grab the readers' attention from the beginning and then mix with statistics to make a very thorough, almost inspiring article.

While the statistics mix with Moore's examples and anecdotes, they also provide information about why all the trash and plastic in the gyre are a problem- for our health, the earth' health, and animals' health. Casey gives a detailed overview of what many of the plastics in production today can do to our health, as carcinogens and resource-wasters. She urges readers to think about the amount of trash they throw out, and educates them on what really gets recycled from what they put in the recycling bin. By the end, Casey;s article turns from entertaining to educating and becomes, if possible, even more serious. Casey establishes her credibility as a writer and fellow human being on planet Earth while educating and inspiring people to care about what they put in the trash can at the same time, arguing, if "our oceans are turning to plastic, are we"?

Casey, Susan. "Plastic Ocean." Love for Life. Best Life Magazine, 20 Feb. 2007. Web. 02 Feb. 2014.