Humes Garbology, Our Dirty Love Affair With Trash

Edward Humes writes, “A hundred years ago, not a shred of plastic could be found in the ocean because there was no plastic at all (Humes, 136).” In chapter six, “Nerds vs. Nurdles” of the book, Garbology, Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, Edward Humes asserts that humans are responsible for the plastic and its byproducts that pollute the oceans of the Earth. Informing the readers that the pollution is a serious problem is the first priority because many people are not aware that Nurdles are hidden below the waterline. Humes successfully builds his credibility by establishing the credentials of a prominent researcher, providing accurate information from reliable sources, and influencing readers with emotional appeals. At the beginning of each chapter, Humes introduces a person and tells their story. In chapter six, Miriam Goldstein a researcher is presented to the readers with a story about a childhood trip to the ocean and how the outing did not end well. Humes’ description of Miriam and her family “time spent at the rail barfing" was a vivid image. The author explains how Miriam became involved in the research of Nurdles, a small

Humes used an adequate amount of information about the “plastic pollution,” the studies, and the researchers to educate the readers without the readers losing interest. Although Humes presented several pages of data to provide stimulus for logical thought, he mixed the story with the history of plastic without it becoming tedious. The author included information on the ocean creatures to serve as an emotional appeal, but his comparison of the “Patch” to the size of aircraft carriers was even more dynamic. Humes uses one of Miriam Goldstein’s quotes to close out his point about plastic pollution effectively, “It’s ours, Goldstein says. “We made it. We own it