Closing the Loop

Everyone knows littering is bad and illegal but like many other things, people do it anyway. Carelessness is the major issue for most and the mass of people who do drop their garbage onto the ground do it without thinking twice or ever looking back. Littering of every substance is bad, but plastic specifically is the major problem considering it’s durability to the elements and mass quantity that has taken over the world. We must look for further ways to battle the problem by pushing federal regulations and providing the population with more accessible ways to dispose of their waste.

Unfortunately, a number of people are simply not bothered by dropping their belongings on the ground. Maybe it’s because they don’t understand the consequences our earth and wildlife are left to face or maybe the sight of trashy streets and beaches do not faze them. That being the worse case, better access to trash cans and recycling containers can subconsciously make even the careless put their garbage in a proper place. Garbage is everywhere, but since our main focus here is the ocean, trash cans should be more accessible on beaches. I have been to countless beaches where there is no garbage can in sight. Many spend all day down by the water eating and drinking from plastic products and when the days is done, they leave their trash behind. Garbage/recycling cans and cigarette disposals should be placed about every 30 yards or so with the goal being one, people will use them, and two, the careless won’t feel that the trip to the can is too far out of their way. Some may argue that too many garbage cans on the beach are an eye sore but considering their positive effect on the world, the two considerations are not even comparable.

The popularity of plastic products has only increased since its invention. Today, countless items are being created and used by consumers who support them. Once plastic enters a trash can, it seems gone forever. Truth is, that plastic garbage will outlive the person who threw it away. Logically, a majority of plastic production should be federally regulated and based off of a test following these simple criteria: 1. If removed from the face of the earth, there would be no negative effects. In fact the earth would benefit; 2. There is no logical reason for its existence; 3. It can easily be replaced with eco-friendly, simpler means.

Littering fines should also increase. I have no doubt people will think twice about throwing trash on the ground if they are pinned with a hefty fine.

Reality is, most all people including myself, are not completely willing to alter their lives and boycott even the most ridiculous products. But, it must be understood that even the smallest change makes a difference. Plastic is not the most eco friendly invention but it will always remain, and our goal should be to keep it in a safe place. Recycle, reduce, re-use, and use a garbage can. The ocean is plagued by large amounts of plastic and there’s not much that can be done about it at this point. The only thing we can ultimately do is prevent any new plastic from entering our oceans!

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4TSHA_enUS331US331&q=useless+plastic+products

Removal is Hardly an Option

Evidence shows that plastic is still consistently going out into the ocean but it is a wonder why we don’t see an increase in the regions where researchers are collecting. When I picture the garbage patch I picture large, visible pieces of plastic bobbing up and down in the water. But, the plastics have broken down into such small pieces, or the bacteria and organisms growing on the pieces cause them to sink. Some of the trash could escape to other areas of the ocean on wayward currents.

I’m sure a lot of people are wondering why we just don’t go out there and drag huge nets around till we collect all the trash. Picture that happening in a soup of trash that is possibly twice the size of the continental United States. As well, most of the plastic is in such small pieces that it would bypass the nets anyway. Trying to clean up the Pacific gyre would bankrupt any country and kill wildlife in the nets as it went.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is aggressively using satellites to identify and remove “ghost nets,” abandoned plastic fishing gear that never stops killing. (A single net recently hauled up off the Florida coast contained more than 1,000 dead fish, sharks, and one loggerheaded turtle.)

When it comes to capturing and cleaning up the plastic, there is no practical method to capture the liquid graveyard of waste. Most experts agree that cleaning up the tiny pieces already swirling in ocean currents thousands of miles from land is impossible. That being said, the number one objective we face is how to capture it all. This is where technology is uncertain. Moore, the man who discovered the mess in 1997, didn’t put the situation lightly. “All this BS about going out there and scooping this stuff up--you can’t scoop this stuff up! No way in hell you’re going to get that out of there--it’s just not feasible! The idea that there is this convergence zone’ in the gyre, and the plastic waste all goes there, it’s coming from other places and screwing up those parts of the ocean too. No matter where you are, there’s no getting over it, no getting away from it, it’s a plastic ocean now.” (Doucette, 2009)


Cleaning up the garbage patch does indeed appear to be impractical considering the man power, funding, technology, and later disposal methods it would take to make it possible. It would also further endanger innocent sea life. Twenty five percent of our planet is a toilet that never flushes and the only way we can stop it is through prevention.

Doucette, K. (2009, October 29). An ocean of plastic. Rolling Stone, (1090), 54-57.

http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/06/18/the-pacific-isnt-the-only-ocean-collecting-plastic-trash/

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/first-great-pacific-garbage-patch-clean-up-effor-to-begin-next-month.php

Plastic Conversion v. Climate Change

The amount of debris continues to double each decade. The threat extends well beyond the Great Pacific Garbage Patch because this North Pacific Gyre is only one of five major gyres in the world’s oceans. “Half of the world’s oceans are accumulators-- these high-pressure gyres that bring stuff into themselves…and every single one of them is full of plastic.” (Doucette, 2009) Researchers are in the process of figuring out if anything can be done about this.

Some researchers are exploring ways to clean up the plastic by using an emergency technology to convert the oceans of plastic waste into fuel. One of the principal ingredients of plastic is crude oil, which is four percent of the world’s entire supply or about 3.4 million barrels of oil a day at our current levels of consumption. If the energy in plastic could somehow be released, it is thought that it could simultaneously solve the waste problem while easing energy demand.

Plastic is made from crude oil and if you break it down, what you get is liquid hydrocarbon. A researcher developed a system that, with the aid of secret catalyst, can turn “one kilogram of waste plastic into one liter of hydrocarbon.” (Doucette, 2009) The hydrocarbons can then be distilled into a rough gasoline suitable for powering machinery, motorcycles, and heating systems. The issue here is that extracting a single liter of fuel takes one kilogram of plastic and 100 grams of coal, which is not an ecofriendly process because it adds to climate change and global warming.

We are the world’s largest oil consumer and the world’s biggest producer of waste. It is no doubt hard to balance the consumers’ desire for excessive plastic products (that come from oil) and the need to power America’s SUV’s. The idea of sacrificing one ecosystem problem for another is hard to balance considering the severity of both situations. Global warming is such an epidemic problem that we couldn’t consciously add to more catastrophic effects on wildlife, as well as the natural world. Further research is in effect to balance these two major differences but in the end, the real solution would be to reduce the amount of plastic we use.

Doucette, K. (2009, October 29). An ocean of plastic. Rolling Stone, (1090), 54-57.

Recycling and Conserving Uses of Plastic

The volume of plastics in the ocean is always increasing, so the issue isn't going to go away anytime soon. “Next year, the world will pump out close to 300 million tons of plastic, well more than a third of it falling into the category of minimal use, meaning it will be discarded anytime within a few seconds to one year. In the U.S., 25 billion pounds of plastic go unaccounted for each year.” (Doucette, 2009) The relatively indestructible material has a small amount that is incinerated, but every other bit of plastic put in the ocean still remains. If we all do our part recycling plastics and minimize the amount of plastic products we purchase, we can be a strong force in changing the future. There are a few everyday compromises that can be made to better our world and also save ourselves some money.

For every six water bottles used, only one makes it to the recycling bin. Choosing tap water instead of drinking from plastic water bottles adds up. Water filters can be purchased and used in the home to make water taste just as great as bottled water. People can use a sealable container for daily water use, or re-fill an already used bottle. Another everyday useful way to conserve is to bring your own cloth or recycling grocery bags to the store instead of using plastic or paper one time use bags. Cloth bags are not only stronger, but some stores reward you by reducing your total bill. If you still find yourself using plastic bags, many stores have recycling bins inside for you to drop off your used bags.

Plastic bags...or jelly fish?

Reduce, Reuse then Recycle! Recycle from your home. Small and wide mouth containers marked on the bottom with a (PETE OR PET); or a (HDPE) up to one gallon in size can be recycled. Containers with other numbers or no numbers cannot, neither can containers larger than three gallons.

Buy in bulk. Re-use when possible. Reduce consumption by avoiding excessively packaged products. Notice your use with "disposable" products. They really aren't disposable and are extravagant wastes of the world's resources. If you must buy disposable buy paper instead of plastic.

We are all commonly associated with cryptic markers, the three arrow triangle found on plastic products. Truth is, it does not mean the plastic can be recycled, nor does it mean the container was made from recycled plastic. The markers only identify the plastic type and help people categorize their used plastic materials. This link explains it perfectly. http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/common.html

If every person put some effort into making recycling a daily habit the change would be unthinkable. Get involved! Participate in beach cleanups if you live in a coastal area. Even if recycling is not something you plan on doing, just make sure your garbage makes it in a trash can. The only way to stop the spread of plastic into the world’s food chain is to reduce the amount of plastic we use and the ways we dispose of it.

Curbside Recyclables

Doucette, K. (2009, October 29). An ocean of plastic. Rolling Stone, (1090), 54-57.

http://www.west-hartford.com/publicworks/RecyclableItems1.htm

Algalita Marine Research Foundation dedicated to the GPGP

When people read about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), it’s typical that they are picturing huge pieces of floating plastic easily visible to the human eye, stretching out from horizon to horizon as far out as can be seen. People picture a huge blanket of all different sizes and shapes of plastic bobbing up and down, so thick that the ocean water cannot be seen. Sights like this are relatively sparse; you might not see visible pieces at any particular location. But, there are little pieces of plastic that can’t be seen unless you scoop up samples of seawater. These are the plastic pieces that are more detrimental to marine life. There has been some previous research on the garbage patch but still, many questions remain. Experts are packing up and sailing the seas in hopes of finding answers to the mysterious garbage patch.

Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF) is one of the most prominent forces in research regarding the garbage patch. They are based out of Long Beach California and have provided over 10 years of marine research, education and restoration. AMRF is currently focused on one of the most under recognized and yet ever-present issues facing our planet. They are at the forefront of the investigation into plastic pollution and are examining both the scope/quantification of plastic contamination and the implications on the food chain considering both marine life and humans.

The ORV Alguita set sail as the first vessel to sample surface waters of the contaminated area. Also, the people behind AMRF were the first to develop a standard methodology for sampling, and processing samples, of ocean surface micro-plastic debris. Their voyages back out to the NPGP during the summer of 2009 were done in hopes of gathering data that will expand upon what we already know.

They are finding that very little can be done to directly fix micro-plastic pollution. The exclusive economic zone of the U.S. extends 200 miles in all directions from the U.S. coastline, marking the jurisdiction of U.S. federal environment management agencies. Outside of this area, they are not mandated to mitigate negative environmental impacts to protected species and to the environmental wealth of the country. Meaning, the oceans open waterways are a difficult place to justify governmental spending on research or cleanup efforts, unless it impacts the U.S. Economy.

As a result, direct sampling of the garbage patch must come from nonprofit groups like AMRF until the issue is present enough to bring about change in what has become a great tragedy affecting our marine life in every which way. AMRF has a great website listing all kinds of information regarding their journey, route, findings, progress, and donation information: http://algalita.org/index.html

AMRF also has their own blog you can follow at: http://www.orvalguita.blogspot.com/

AMRF has made huge progress in battling the GPGP and we would not know what we do now without them. With their dedication and smarts, we may come to a conclusion on how to organize a massive clean up attempt and reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans for good.

Humans Affected by Bioaccumulate Toxins

The toxins in our oceans are inevitably affecting marine life externally as well as internally. All different sizes and variations of plastic are wrapping around body parts preventing proper development. Plastic rings are clinging to bird beaks causing them to starve to death. Plastic, a near indestructible hazard, is filling the bellies of the oceans creatures. If animals continue to ingest pieces of plastic mistaken for food, they will eventually fill up and mistake that feeling for fullness, leading to starvation. The plastic in their stomach will leak toxins into the animals’ blood stream, posing additional threats to the animal. The unpleasantness that animal is personally experiencing does not only affect them, it can also further damage the rest of marine life, as well as humans.


There is an invisible pollution called PCB (PolyChlorinated Biphenyls) in plastics. Even though it was banned in the U.S. in 1979, there are still plastics in the ocean containing it. These chemicals are showing up in the tissues of marine life and affecting such animals as whales and dolphins, especially because of their extended life span. They bioaccumulate toxins, meaning the toxins build up, usually in its blubber or fat layer. Marine mammals are at the top of the food chain so eventually all the toxins ascend up to them. For example, “if a killer whale eats a seal which had eaten a large fish which in turn eats a small fish, the killer whale will absorb all toxins present in the small fish, large fish, and the seal. The toxins will continue to grow in the whales’ body for a long time," considering they may live up to 60 years old.


Although levels of PCB are not fully understood, it has been found that high levels can cause problems in the brain and central nervous system. It can also disrupt the endocrine system, causing masculine traits. Although marine life solely survives off of other marine life and would naturally ingest more than any human ever would, it’s not to say that humans cannot be affected by these toxins. Over the span of 60 years, an adult killer whale can weigh between 8,000-12,000 pounds and still be affected by toxins. A human life span is about 70 years old, and the average human weight give or take is around 200 pounds. Considering the size difference of a whale to a human, it’s recognizable that a person who consumes large quantities of sea life can be affected by the bioaccumulate toxins as well.


Studies have shown that PCB in humans increases rates of melanomas and all types of cancer. Children are being born with brain damage or autism because PCB is passed via the mother’s breast milk. Babies can also have decreased birth weight and head size and have lower performances on testing skills. Some children of women who ate contaminated fish were found to have performance impairments on a standardized behavioral assessment test. Women were found to have shortened menstrual cycles, and men to have reduced sperm counts. There is also the risk of altered sex organs, testosterone, and estrogen. PCB is also tied to an increased prevalence of ear infections, chickenpox and lower immune system function; thus there is greater susceptibility to disease, premature puberty, and changed sex ratios in children.


The ocean takes up 70 % of the planet’s surface and human life is dependent upon this source. “The largest source of protein in the world is fish, and more fish are harvested throughout the world than cattle, sheep, poultry, or eggs.” The most common route of exposure to PCBs is from eating contaminated fish. The question is what can be done. Every fish consumed cannot be tested and people will not be aware when they are taking in toxins. We must not focus on the past but instead, look to an environmentally safe future. We must do our best to eliminate any further contamination into our oceans and be more resourceful in regards to consumer products. The cycle has come full circle. Humans are the leading cause for this severe contamination and marine endangerment and now as a result, humans are suffering as well.


http://www.clearwater.org/news/pcbhealth.html


http://www.gloucestertimes.com/archivesearch/local_story_202165820.html

http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0091-6765(2004)112%3A8%253CA455%3ACTOAHH%253E2.0.CO%3B2-&cookieSet=1

Plastic Causes Severe Harm to Marine Life

The uses for plastic are limited only by human imagination. The development and diversity of plastics has been a phenomenon of the past half century. Yet plastic is insidious, invasive, environmentally lethal and virtually indestructible. It can be readily and irresponsibly discarded and it can survive almost indefinitely. Animals living in and around the ocean are suffering because of this.

Half a century ago this oceanic cesspit was made largely of vegetable matter and was essentially biodegradable. Today it is 90 percent indestructible plastic. The patch contained up to 100 million tons of debris. The plastic hangs like a blanket 10m deep. Plastic particles in this man-made scum outnumber living plankton - the basic marine food source - by something like six to one. Under prolonged exposure to sunlight, together with wave and current friction, plastic breaks down into small, mere millimeter fragments.

The result is obvious and catastrophic. The United Nations Environmental Program estimates plastic is killing one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles each year. Whales, which live on a diet of plankton and krill, ingest these tiny plastic shards. Plastic is inevitably found in the stomachs of dead seabirds and turtles.

The ocean isn't large enough to avoid marine life encounters with debris. Plastic's devastating effect on marine mammals was first observed in the late 1970s, when scientists from the National Marine Mammal Laboratory concluded that plastic entanglement was killing up to 40,000 seals a year. Annually, this amounted to a four to six percent drop in seal population beginning in 1976. In 30 years, a 50% decline in Northern Fur Seals has been reported.

When plastic reaches our waters, whether it be plastic bags or drifting fish nets, it poses a threat to the animals that depend on the oceans for food. To a sea turtle, a floating plastic bag looks like a jellyfish. And plastic pellets--the small hard pieces of plastic from which plastic products are made--look like fish eggs to seabirds. Drifting nets entangle birds, fish and mammals, making it difficult, if not impossible to move or eat. As our consumption of plastic mounts, so too does the danger to marine life.

Curious, playful seals often play with fragments of plastic netting or packing straps, catching their necks in the webbing. The plastic harness can constrict the seal's movements, killing the seal through starvation, exhaustion, or infection from deep wounds caused by the tightening material. While diving for food, both seals and whales can get caught in translucent nets and drown. In the fall of 1982, a humpback whale tangled in 50 to 100 feet of net washed up on a Cape Cod beach. It was starving and its ribs were showing. It died within a couple of hours.



Pelicans diving for fish sometimes dive for the bait on a fisherman's line. Cutting the bird loose only makes the problem worse, as the pelican gets its wings and feet tangled in the line, or gets snagged onto a tree.

Plastic soda rings, "baggies," styrofoam particles and plastic pellets are often mistaken by sea turtles as authentic food. Clogging their intestines, and missing out on vital nutrients, the turtles starve to death. Seabirds undergo a similar ordeal, mistaking the pellets for fish eggs, small crab and other prey, sometimes even feeding the plastic pellets to their young. Despite the fact that only 0.05% of plastic pieces from surface waters are pellets, they comprise about 70% of the plastic eaten by seabirds. These small plastic particles have been found in the stomachs of 63 of the world's approximately 250 species of seabirds.

Marine life is hopeless in this situation and they rely on us to help in diminishing the toxins in their home. Even little amounts can help, liking breaking down the plastic rings holding a six pack together, or cutting the ring on a milk carton. The damage is done, but it does not have to get worse for these innocent ocean creatures. Do your part.

Plastic and Its 400 Year Ability to Remain

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is causing massive amounts of harm to nature in every aspect and must be controlled.

It is unimaginable to try and picture a gigantic garbage dump swirling in the Pacific Ocean that stretches from Hawaii to Japan. Still increasing in size, it is currently estimated to cover an area twice the size of the continental United States. This enormous amount of debris has been nicknamed The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or trash vortex, and is the world’s largest rubbish dump. It is held in place by swirling underwater currents.

I became interested on the topic when I came across a headline discussing the matter. Huge quantities of trash were washing up on shores, sparking media attention. I was fascinated because I had never heard of the garbage patch, nor could I believe the size of this toxic monster. As I researched more, I was concerned about the hazardous effects troubling marine life, as well as humans.

Los Angeles River, photo taken after a recent storm

About one fifth of the plastic junk is thrown off of ships or oil platforms, and the rest comes from land. To form a clearer vision of just how large this dump is, we can look to Sailor Moore. He sailed through the area for a consistent week and saw mounds of floating garbage every time he looked out into the water.

An effort needs to be made by consumers to rid ourselves from living in a litter infested world. Unless consumers cut back on their use of disposable plastics, the plastic stew would double in size over the next decade. As well, the fate and impact on marine ecosystems must be analyzed. More than a million sea birds ever year, as well as more than 100,000 marine animals have fallen victim to the garage patch.

Before the days of plastic, when fishermen dumped their trash overboard or lost a net, it consisted of natural materials like metal, cloth or paper that would either sink to the bottom or biodegrade quickly. But plastic remains floating on the surface, the same place where many genuine food sources lie, and can remain so for 400 years. Plastic is durable and strong; precisely the qualities that make it so dangerous if it reaches the ocean. Ships were dumping massive amounts of garbage into the ocean, and littering people were letting their trash wash into drains and the garbage would eventually make its way out into the ocean.

In 1987, a law was finally passed restricting the dumping of plastics into the ocean. The Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act (MARPOL) went into effect on December 31, 1988, making it illegal for any U.S. vessel or land-based operation to dispose of plastics at sea. It prohibits the dumping of plastics anywhere in the ocean, and the dumping of other materials, such as paper, glass, metal, and crockery, closer to shore.

Some researchers say it is a clean up battle that could never be won. The large amount of plastic in the Pacific may always remain, but we can do our part and prevent the statistics from consistently increasing.