| Oceanic Plastic Not Fantastic |
 |
| Wednesday, 04 August 2010 | Heidi Auman, Ph.D. | Blog Entry |
|
Sadly, this extent of such junk is not localized to Midway or even the Pacific Ocean. Gyres, eddies and convergence zones concentrate floating marine debris in vast patches. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for example, is estimated to be twice the size of Texas and contain over 100 million tons of debris. Within this plastic soup, the concentration of synthetic flotsam and jetsam has been found to be seven times higher than that of zooplankton. Marine debris consists of any man-made object disposed at sea, whether on purpose or by mistake. The most common sources of marine debris are plastics, glass, metal and rubber; they enter the ocean environment by illegal dumping from seagoing vessels, littering, shore-based landfills, storm-water discharges and natural events such as hurricanes. More than 220 billion pounds are dumped into the oceans annually. This trash ends up not only on beaches, but also on the oceans’ surface, within the water column and upon its seabeds. Once jettisoned, synthetic waste is very persistent and carried long distances by oceanic currents, creating hazards to wildlife. Ironically, the virtues that make plastic polymers useful to consumers—mainly their durability and chemical stability—are the same qualities that wreak an ecological nightmare. They don’t biodegrade; they just break down into more minute synthetic crumbs, impacting those species closer to the base of the food web. In fact, published data show that at least 267 species are impacted by anthropogenic marine debris. Derelict fishing gear can be an entanglement hazard to seals, turtles, whales, dolphins, fishes and seabirds, injuring or killing countless numbers each year. Ingestion hazards occur from smaller miscellany, causing choking and blockages within the digestive system. And on an even more sinister level, plastic fragments act as a chemical sponge, soaking up toxicological nasties that affect the endocrine and immune systems. The marine debris problem is a personal one. I spent years on Midway Atoll dissecting albatross carcasses, studying the amounts and effects of plastic refuse in their guts. Over 97% contained marine debris and most of it could be measured by multiple handfuls. This desecration must be stopped—and it can be. The solution: reduce, reuse and recycle; also refrain from buying disposable items. When the result of our collective consumerism ends up fouling some of the most elegant, endangered and remote-living of species, our sense of responsibility to the oceans and its creatures must be questioned. Additional resources: Comments
(5)
Written by Manuel , August 06, 2010
Hello Heidi. This is Manuel Maqueda, cofounder of Plastic Pollution Coalition and member of Midway Journey.
Report abuse
Thank you for caring about this issue, and for writing this article. Here are a couple of comments. We believe that the term “marine debris” (used consistently by the plastics industry) is euphemistic, vague and ineffective. We prefer the term plastic pollution because it calls it what it is: plastic pollution in the oceans, plastic pollution on land, and plastic pollution in our bodies. Lumping all "debris" together dilutes the issue. Regarding the cliché of "reduce, reuse, recycle" we think this is not enough for something as pervasive and destructive as plastic. When it comes to single use plastics, our answer is to Refuse. It makes no sense to use a material that lasts hundreds of years for objects designed to be thrown away. There is no away. We need to stop single use plastics worldwide, and this is one of the goals of our organization. More information: http://plasticpollutioncoaliti...-concepts/ Thank you, Heidi, we look forward to working together to protect human health and our environment from the destructive and toxic effects of single use and disposable plastics.
Written by Joan Miller , August 04, 2010
A poignant message to the human race that we are truly responsible for what we are handing down to future generations; extremely well-written as well as a veritable eye-opener!
Report abuse
Written by Terry Auman , August 04, 2010
Very well written. Descriptive words make you feel like you are there, and can understand why help is needed by those who dumped on a special island. Hope someday those people go back and clean it up. Maybe I should pray for them also as they will litter all their lives.
Report abuse
Written by Roger Harshbarger , August 04, 2010
An outstanding article by an outstanding individual. I was with Ms Auman on Midway Island and I can attest to the incredible amount of waste thrown into our oceans and waterways. We saw this on a daily basis by watching our beautiful beaches get swamped with all the debris.
Report abuse
|
For several years I lived on Midway Atoll, one of the most remote points on the planet, an idyllic speck of sand in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean. But an appalling incongruity confronted me daily—its beaches were littered with the spew of collective human consumerism from the far corners of the globe. Upon the powdery soft white sand the wind and waves offered up derelict fishing buoys, lines, nets and floats, disposable lighters, toothbrushes, shoes, bottles and even the occasional television and used syringe. 
Show/Hide comments
We welcome you to attend presentations on the most recent innovations and solutions in the biodegradable plastics market. Topics will include: plastics sustainability, biodegredation testing, recent legislation, and more! View details here.
or,
Register here: http://events.constantcontact....dkf2007923