How Trash Islands are Polluting our Oceans

By Madison Schick

Trash islands are a problem commonly looked over by the government and companies. Most people don’t even know they exist. With six in total, the biggest one stands at 600,000 square miles and growing. It sits between the coast of Hawaii and California, growing bigger everyday.

It will take millions of years to dissolve on its own. Nearly 3 times the size of Texas and over 30 feet deep in some parts, it’s polluting the ocean, causing some serious issues.

Recently the concerns regarding the bleaching of coral reefs worldwide have come to light. Although proposed solutions like wearing less damaging sunscreen and avoiding touching the coral, the trash islands play a huge part in the pollution of oceans. To put this into perspective, half the Great Barrier Reef is dead due to bleaching, according to National Geographic. Bleaching occurs when coral gets too warm, gets surrounded by chemicals, or is cut down. Coral is very sensitive, so chemicals in the water from plastic waste make the coral sick.

In addition, the pollution is also killing sea life when trash is mistaken for food. Animals can’t digest plastic, often it gets stuck in the animal’s system, or the animal physically gets trapped in an area of plastic. Even when fish do survive after eating plastic and we can end up eating that plastic, if the fish is caught and sold.

According to the 2012 U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimate, it would cost the United States at least $122 million. They estimated it would take $489 million just to hire enough boats to clean the Pacific garbage patch. It’s clear the government won’t pay for it, therefore leading to no one addressing the problem.

All in all, this problem is becoming irreversible. We need to find a way to fix this problem before it reaches the point where we can’t.

New Music from the Week of March 6th

By Ronak Dsouza

It’s finally March which means it is one month closer to summer and festival season. In anticipation, many artists are releasing new content to perform live. Here are some of the best and biggest picks from this past week.

Kicking off the list is the surprise release of Eternal Atake, Lil Uzi Vert’s long awaited album. The tape is full of Uzi’s signature autotune and techno-heavy production. The album consists of 18 songs with only one feature: “Urgency” featuring Syd, The Internet band member. The standout track is “P2,” acting as a sequel Uzi’s smash hit “XO Tour Llif3.”

Next is Chilombo by Jhené Aiko, the other highly-anticipated album of the week. Aiko has been building up the release of Chilombo since 2019 with the release of “Triggered (Freestyle).” The album does not disappoint with Aiko’s soulful vocals perfectly syncing with Chilombo’s minimalistic acoustic production. The standout track is “B.S.” featuring H.E.R. with the two R&B singers giving one of the best R&B duets of the year.

Finally, arrives Megan Thee Stallion’s latest mixtape, Suga. The tape had been the topic of discussion for many due to Megan’s label, 1501, attempting to block Megan from releasing any new music. This was in result to Megan trying to renegotiate her contract. Thankfully after Megan sued her label, a judge ruled in favor of Megan, allowing her to release Suga. The mixtape once again shows her rapping ability is unmatched. The standout track is “Captain Hook,” featuring numerous flows and her signature bragadocious lyrics. 

Be sure to also check out Katy Perry’s new single “Never Worn White,” the remix to Brockhampton hit “SUGAR” featuring Dua Lipa, and Demi Lovato’s latest single “I Love Me.”