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Disabilities, women and girls, and family violence

1)      What does the research tell us about the impact and the effects of family violence on the group you have chosen? 

On a global platform, there have been comprehensive national initiatives aimed at addressing the distorted notions of gender equality in a bid to tackle the global issue of violence against women and vulnerable children. For the specific case of Australia, the staggering statistics have necessitated wide-reaching policy measures aimed at bringing to an end the incessant issue of violence against women. For instance, about one in every three women has experienced one kind of domestic violence, while one in every five women had been a victim of sexual violence at one time or another (Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, 2006).  It is out of such heart-breaking statistics that the World Health Organization has declared domestic violence against women and children as a global epidemic. As such, various policy initiatives have been developed, both the national and international levels with the sole purpose of advancing equality, mitigating high levels of domestic violence, and above all, the promotion of human rights.

Domestic violence mainly takes different forms which may include physical violence, emotional violence, verbal violence, economic violence, and sexual abuse among others. However, despite domestic violence being a concern to a very wide range which may include violence on kids, violence on husbands, and violence on wives the abuse among women is the most common occurrence.  For women with disability, there is an even high likelihood of one form of domestic violence or the other (Mays, 2006).

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Impact of Plastic Use on the Ecosystem

The deposition of plastic wastes in the oceans has lead to the destruction of coral reefs that are an important habitat to fish and other aquatic creatures. The tourism and fishing industries have also had to bear the consequences of the wastes. For instance, fishing beaches have been polluted while some fishing equipments have also been fouled. There has been growing micorplastics concern since the year 2011. This is the year when the year book process of the United Nations Environmental Program last checked the content of plastic in ocean waste. The microplastics are a result of plastic breakdown during the manufacturing of various plastic products. Their diameteris less than or equal to 5[PS1] millimeters. There have been several reports about the ingestion of the particles by aquatic creatures. Some of the creatures noted to be ingesting the microplastics in large quantities include zooplankton, worms, fish and seabirds (Unep.org, 1).

Unep.org (1) goes on to note that microplastics are being directly used in products supplied to consumers. Some of the consumer products that contain the microplastics include facial cleansers, gels and toothpaste. All the mentioned products contain microbeads. During sewage treatment, the microplastics do not get washed away. Instead, they are directly released into the oceans, lakes and rivers. The North Atlantic is an area that has been identified to contain communities of microbes. The organisms thrive on microplastics. Such areas can be prone to the transportation of algal species, pathogens and harmful microbes. All these micro-organisms would thrive on the consumption of microplastics. Stephens & Kille (1) argue that though coatings and containers made from plastic materials aid in keeping consumables fresh, they can lead to the deposit of neurotoxins in the body system of humans. In addition, such things as floor covers and pipes are made from polyvinylchloride (PVC). However, phthalates compounds are contained in the PVC and according to research, the compounds would lead to the development of disorders in the male reproductive system.

Conclusively, it is clear that the effects of plastic use on the ecosystem should be given due consideration. The human race should not major on the benefits of plastic materials without considering their disastrous negative effects. Failure to combat the problems associated with the plastic wastes would paralyze the ecosystem. If this happens, human survival in the world would be tampered with. Therefore, the necessary measures should be put in place to regulate the production and disposal of[PS2]  the plastic products and wastes respectively.

Works Cited

Andrews, Gianna. ‘Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health’. Case Studies. N.p., 2013. Web. 21 May 2015.

Knoblauch, Jessica. ‘The Environmental Toll of Plastics — Environmental Health News’. Environmentalhealthnews.org. N.p., 2009. Web. 21 May 2015.

Stephens, Rachael, and Leighton, Kille. ‘Plastics, Human Health And Environmental Impacts: The Road Ahead - Journalist's Resource’. Journalist's Resource. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 May 2015.

Unep.org,. ‘Plastic Waste Causes Financial Damage of US$13 Billion To Marine Ecosystems Each Year As Concern Grows Over Microplastics’ - UNEP. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 May 2015.

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Impact of Plastic Use on the Ecosystem

There is a heavy use of plastic products in the contemporary world society. The synthetic products are widely produced by various companies for use in various sectors of the economy. While the products are of great importance to the society, the impact they create on the ecosystem cannot be overlooked. This is because human life is directly dependent on the ecosystem and therefore depreciation in the latter would be disastrous. The production and use of the plastic products have a significant negative impact on the world environment. This paper discusses the various negative effects that the use of plastic has on the ecosystem.

Andrews (1) points out that large quantities of garbage have been dumped into the ocean by human beings over the last few decades. It should be noted that a significant part of this garbage is formed by plastic wastes. The wastes made of plastic materials take considerably very long to decompose. Resultantly, aquatic wildlife and fish undergo intoxications. Notably, fish is consumed by humans as food. Human health is thus threatened since the food chain has been intoxicated by the plastic wastes. In some ocean points that are the most polluted, the plankton amount is exceeded six times over by the mass of plastic. This is enough evidence that the world oceans are overly polluted. Unfortunately though, as observed by  Andrews (1), less than enough is being done to address this problem.

Andrews (1) continues to state that some islands are referred to as “Plastic Islands”. This is because the Islands contain large amounts of plastic wastes. He gives three examples of such Islands. One of them is found in the North Pacific Ocean and is known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. In terms of size, the Patch outdoes the state of Texas. The other two large patches (Islands) of plastic garbage are located in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. There are higher plastic amounts in the patches in comparison to the surrounding oceans. It has been established that five plastic patches are existing in the world oceans. The meeting points of ocean currents form the convergence points of the plastic wastes. This leads to the creation of large plastic islands.

According to Klobnauch (1), plastic wastes would take centuries to decay after the time of their dumping. The scholar stipulates that both humans and the environment would suffer due to the chemical building blocks from which plastic materials are made. Moreover, there is a range of environmental problems that emanates from the production and disposal of plastic products. One of the problems is that human bodies do absorb the chemicals that are always added to plastics.  It has been established that the human body hormones can be altered by these chemical compounds. The compounds can also lead to other potential effects on human health. Another problem is that marine animals can be injured or poisoned by plastic debris. This is because the animals often ingest the chemicals found within this debris. Further, wildlife habitats can be disrupted by floating plastic waste. Notably, these wastes would take thousands of years without decaying and as to such; they can be used by invasive species mini transpiration means. Nevertheless, groundwater can be polluted by harmful chemicals due to leaching of the same by deeply buried plastic waste materials.