Plastics as marine pollution
January 16th, 2006
No, I’m not talking about that trendy high school girl clique in the movie Mean Girls.
Plastic solid waste is one of MANY significant pollutants in ocean world (and freshwater systems as well). In the North Pacific, currents have accumulated floating plastic waste en masse. The flotilla is estimated to be roughly the size of Texas. (!!!)
This plastic waste has a penchant for finding its way into the mouths of seabirds, turtles, marine mammals and other already-threatened ocean life. Death or some degree of morbidity ensues.
How can this problem be averted or at least mitigated? A top-down approach, directed at waste management, ocean dumping, etc.? Or a bottom-up attack, looking at plastic-use in products, or even eco-friendly polymers? What do you guys think?
For more information:
Moore, 2003 in Natural History interesting and easy read (non-technical kinda)
Reading list at Mindfully.org
p.s. the photo shows the body of a dead albatross (bird), filled with consumer plastic waste. whoops!
Popularity: 5% [?]
August 18th, 2006 at 1:47 am
Thats fucking disgusting.
November 6th, 2007 at 2:36 am
I’m working on it..
There are many methods of attack. Organized legit no doubt and fast. Within my network I’m the science officer, my team (with different area’s of specialty ranging from computer programing to electronics, to this and that doesn’t see, believe or realize the urgency, as with most people on Earth.
The younger generations do instinctually know there is a problem. They don’t play Captain Planet Cartoons anymore, but Al Gore did a good job in getting the message out there that yes there is a problem.
I invite whomever to join my think tank and help me tackle this disaster. I’ve got some girl’s doing cartoon’s for a magazine and there are a lot of other projects in the works which will all come together with this, it’s now or never so might as well throw down and see what we as people have got.
Joe
603-629-7604
604industries.com
November 12th, 2008 at 6:06 am
could you show a little more humor me and my freinds were bored by the first snetence so humor it up because im bored.