Another big ol' landfill floatin' inna ocean... Scientists Found a Second Giant Garbage Patch in the Pacific Jul 21, 2017 - As if one wasn't bad enough.
Garbage is going to start backing up into waste disposal operations around the world. .. The Chinese blockage in the global waste disposal system Wed, 18 Oct 2017 - A ban on the import of waste in China is about create a major blockage backing up through the global waste disposal system
Consumerism. I am not a fan of government regulations as an answer, but what is it going to take to get rid of plastic bottles? Did we have this problem when everything was glass?
Most Ocean Plastic Pollution Comes from just 10 Rivers... Most Ocean Plastic Pollution Carried by 10 Rivers November 24, 2017 — The equivalent of one garbage truck full of plastic waste is dumped into the world’s oceans every minute, equal to 8 million tons a year. New research suggests that 90 percent of that waste gets into the oceans through 10 major river systems.
I wonder if these plastic and other particles are assisting in ocean warming or cooling? Or no thermal effect? And if they are microscopic can they, do they, find their way into fish and then into humans digestive system?
Krill can breakdown microplastics in ocean garbage... Researchers find krill can break down microplastics Tue, Mar 13, 2018 - OCEANS OF GARBAGE: Digestion of plastic into much smaller fragments does not necessarily help ease pollution, Australian researchers said in a paper
Yuck... The Trash Patch In The Pacific Is Many Times Bigger Than We Thought March 22, 2018 - Between California and Hawaii, there's a teeming patch of garbage that's stretched over an area more than double the size of Texas.
Big deposit on all plastic containers, big return. Yeah, I know that's inconvenient but money talks. Big fines for littering, making an example of a few to stop the many. Anything thrown in a drainage culvert or ditch goes to larger and larger streams, rivers, and finally to the oceans. Use harsh laws to make weak human beings stronger and more obedient.
When we're talking about 7+ BILLION people on Earth, unless 100% of litter can be mitigated (which is not possible), just imagine how much waste stuff is added to Earth each day. If you change to glass for example, this just creates different problems when multiplied by 7+ BILLION people's behavior. And society will never allow a person caught littering to receive a heavy fine while other more egregious behavior goes on without penalty. Lastly, don't forget that there are no world laws. This issue helps explain why 7+ BILLION people of Earth, plus Trump, refuse to talk about global climate change...
Garbage islands are way worse than mere climate change. You can see garbage islands with your eyes and believe in them.
Another problem we can't do anything about. The majority of the worlds ocean pollution comes from Asia, specifically countries like China, Vietnam etc. If you want to stop the problem you need incentives. In the US recycling didn't take of just because people were given blue bins to toss their stuff in and put out on the lawn once a week. It took off when you could make some easy money by taking stuff in to the recycling center. We are very good at recycling cans and steel and especially copper because you get paid for it. We already know that companies that make plastic products can save tons of money by reusing plastics so I am wondering how long it takes for someone with a brain to go out to "garbage island" with some giant barges and collect that stuff and resell it to manufacturers. Easy money folks.
NYC hasn't dumped garbage into the ocean in our lifetimes. They used the Fresh Kills landfill for garbage starting in 1947. NYC did dump sewage into the ocean up until about 1992. Currently, NYC garbage is mostly exported to landfills in other states. It might be the 1987 story of the unwanted garbage barge you're thinking of. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...-york-unwanted-garbage-barge-article-1.812895
Chicago reversed the flow of the Chicago river away from Lake Michigan and emptying into the Illinois and Mississippi to dump their sewage into the Gulf. But that was corrected long ago. Still, in a big rain there is a lot of sewage in the Chicago river that heads for the Gulf. The sculling teams cancel workouts for awhile.
I am unaware of anyone in the general public who can see garbage islands? Factually garbage islands are not even 5% the potential problems of global climate change...
https://news.nationalgeographic.com...cycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment/ 91% of current plastics are not recycled so no need to seek plastics in the middle of the ocean...
it requires a cultural shift where acceptable environmental behaviour is taught in schools, people need to be shamed into not littering, see it as an unacceptable social behaviour...like not picking up after your dog, not parking in handicap spots etc...peer pressure is a wonderful tool to modify public behaviour...
I agree but cultural changes can take many generations to evolve. Today we are so self-serving and ignorant that it's difficult for me to fathom any sense of positive change. My guess is we continue down our current paths until something crashes...then we will panic...and we will point blame...but it will be too late...
I agree there's going to be huge crash of some sort before the deniers take notice but I'm trying to remain optimistic... my guess for collapse is that of the ocean fisheries...fishermen have no financial stake in the ocean unlike farmers who nurture and protect their land/livelihood they own...whereas fishermen deplete/destroy the resources and move on...
In many areas the fish are already gone today. Fishing fleets are forced to fish farther and farther from shore which is dangerous and expensive. Reference farmers; Many of them today are using pesticides and herbicides and fertilizers which not only contaminates the land but also finds it's way into the aquifers and lakes and streams and eventually the oceans. Farmers are also, by default and need, depleting water resources at a faster rate than they can be replenished. Farming is absolutely necessary but we should be doing a better job...
While all that’s true farmers ive met are concerned with their land and reinvest into it in an attempt to keep it healthy and productive...
I am a farmer today and our entire property is managed organically. However, in my same area, I'll guess at least 95% of the farmers continue using RoundUp and other non-organic materials. I wish it was different but it is not...