Great Pacific Garbage Patch

[BlindMansBluff]

I wonder if that plastic is commercially recoverable. Looks like a lot of money floating around there to me. Big tug boat with a net maybe.

The reason no one would try to "collect" it is it isn't exactly an island. the debris is spread out over thousands of square miles. The picture you see with the bottles isn't from there.

For a minute there I had some big ass dollar signs in my eyes.

[Broil]

It IS sickening ..... hopefully some microorganisms will evolve to be able to eat plastics ..... theoretically there's no reason it can't be done, there are natural hydrocarbons that are similar.

Of course then there might be a later problem with our food containers suddenly rotting away .....

Looks like it's already happened, and been isolated--by a high school student no less ...
http://news.therecord.com/article/354044

Thanks for the link, very cool!  Of course the world will manage to completely ignore this while patting him (and the Irish researcher) on their heads.

[Stanb999]

I'm guessing, Stanb999, that you didn't look at the video or know anything beyond "pile of shit."  You do know what a food chain is?  You do know the birds and fish are eating the pieces thinking it is food and regurgitating it to their young?  You do know that certain plastics can mimic hormones?  You do know they are present in most living organisms now?  Or do you?
I did learn a new term.  Nurdles.  Sounds cute, but no.

All I said was the pile of plastic bottles isn't even close to accurate. And yes I watched both videos. One poster on this site asked if it could be seen from space... Come on. This kinda disingenuous thing is why you greens are never gonna convince the masses.

P.S. This isn't the first I'd heard of this. I saw pictures of this a while back... And the story of the Australian? That build his own floating island out of used plastic bottles to raise awareness and how he grows his own food on his little "island".  You people just think the green movement is new and about CO2.

[SabreKai]

300 million tons would require one hell of a shop vac and garbage truck. But from the cruising sites I frequent it is getting to be a huge mess out there and the wild life kill is unbelievable. This is doing to birds what the lost drift nets do to the fish. Thats another huge mess that no one talks about.

Like I said on the other post, the Cosmic Muffin is about ready to pull the plug on this particular lab experiment and clean out the cages. B'bye human race.


Sabre

[DNVRLIZ]

If we all stop using plastic it might make an impact. Sound stupid??? Its not, but only if we all co-operate. And dont anyone tell me its impossible because it isnt. I use glass as much as possible and try hard to not use anything thats not biodegradible.

We are just too lazy I suppose to try and fix the problem.

[kenjamkov]

I think it's better to call it a "Sea of Plastic" (much like the Sargasso Sea) rather than an Island.

[graveday]

I think global skin cancer fits just as well.  It is metastasizing, after all.

[Alecia]

Yummy. 

[Satori]

http://chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11


sad sad commentary on what we are doing to our world

[Alecia]

http://chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11


sad sad commentary on what we are doing to our world

Horrifying.

[homesteadelectric]

This is a global sized example of entropy - energy dissipates into smaller and less recoverable bits. We could never afford the fuel and technology required to clean it up. The only exception is the self organizing principle of biological life - if this stuff was nutritious it would help support fish and seabirds up the food chain. Except its the opposite - poisonous and carcinogenic and also passed up the food chain. Just another way we have fucked up this beautiful planet.

[DoomOrBust]

They deserve what they get for living on our planet!!!    Just kidding, totally depressing photos to view.

[JedC]

There have been several recent aircraft crashes over the seas and in each case, news reports would state that 'debris was spotted in the area that the aircraft went down but it is not certain that the debris was from the crash.' That suggests that trash is floating all over our planet's oceans. Very sad.

[graveday]

That is insanely tragic.  They grew big enough to eat the bad stuff and then died.  Puts a new spin on "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink".