Plastic Ocean
This could be one of the most important and unforgettable articles you'll ever read. It is stunning to discover the horrific dilemma we now find ourselves in, and we continue to amplify the problem with large-scale production of enduring, deadly plastic. What is even more unthinkable is that there is no easy solution to undoing the enormous damage already unleashed on the planet and ourselves.
During a 1997 trip in the Pacific Ocean 800 miles north of Hawaii, Captain Charles Moore sailed upon a chilling discovery: a vast swath of stagnant bobbing plastic waste. Scientists now refer to this area as the "Eastern Garbage Patch," or the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" that now covers an area twice the size of Texas.
This plastic wasteland is not only causing widespread death but is making its way into the food chain as evidenced by the many forms of sea life discovered with ingested plastic parts inside their digestive system. Many creatures are found strangled or deformed by entangled pieces of plastic.
Because of its molecular structure and its inability to rapidly biodegrade, discarded plastic can only break down into tinier pieces from exposure to natural elements. These fragments are unlikely to disappear over the next few centuries. There hardly seems justification in the production of close to 60 billion tons per year for short-term, single-use application, with the actual discarded plastic product existing virtually forever. It is estimated each person throws away approximately 185 lb of plastic per year.
On the bright side, efforts are being made to curb plastic production and use, make plastic easier to biodegrade, and increase awareness of its devastating effects. NOAA uses satellites to find and retrieve ghost nets—abandoned fishing nets that continue killing sea life. Production of biodegradable plastic-like products made of starch and corn continues to gain popularity. And Captain Moore perseveres in his quest to educate the public through the creation of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation to further research and spread the word of his continued findings.
But there's still a long voyage ahead in our efforts to rectify our accumulative and enduring synthetic mess.
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Original article: Plastic Ocean: Our Oceans Are Turning Into Plastic...Are We?
(original article in its entirety can also be viewed here)
Related post: Plastic Bag Controversy
PlasticLess.com Ways to reduce use of plastic
and
Deep-Sea News: A to-do list for reducing plastic
