Which of the following statements most directly expresses the author’s thesis in the passage? The importance of removing the garbage patch is gaining greater visibility in the international community and greater attention from scientists. To effect real change and clean up, countries need to take a deeper look at the ways they use plastics in everyday life. Now that scientists have identified the five major ocean currents where plastic gathers, they can begin cleanup efforts by focusing on the larger plastics first. A concerted international effort is needed to both remove the existing garbage patch and reduce plastic waste overall. Given the amount of plastic waste that flows into the oceans each year, the best way to clean up the garbage patch is to focus on eliminating plastic.