| The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is what scientists | | | | some parts of the ocean there is already six times |
| believe is the largest rubbish dump in the world and it is | | | | more plastic then plankton which is a primary food |
| sitting in the Pacific Ocean. It is roughly twice the size | | | | source many fish rely on to survive and these |
| of Texas and is made up of about 3.5 million tons of | | | | statistics are not even taken from the center of the |
| rubbish. The patch contains various types of garbage | | | | garbage patch. |
| including shoes, bags, wrappers, and bottles however | | | | Plastics are very harmful to the marine environment. |
| the majority of it is made up of plastics which does not | | | | Fish, mammals and birds think that the plastic is food |
| biodegrade. Instead plastic slowly breaks up into | | | | so they eat it. The plastics can poison them or lead to |
| smaller and smaller fragments. Greenpeace estimated | | | | deadly blockages. Plastics have enormous effects on |
| that 10% of plastic manufactured every year ends up | | | | albatross that tend to breed at Midway Island which |
| in the Pacific Garbage Patch which is an excessive | | | | comes in contact with the edge of the garbage patch. |
| amount of pollution. | | | | Each year 500,000 albatrosses are born of which |
| Most of the pollution comes from countries ranging | | | | 200,000 die from being fed plastics from their mothers |
| from North America to East Asia and to Australia. An | | | | who confuse it for food. In total, more than a million |
| estimated 80% of pollution comes from land based | | | | birds and mammals die each year from consuming or |
| sources while 20% comes from ships. | | | | being caught in plastics, garbage or debris. They are |
| Garbage can make its way from land to the ocean | | | | dieing of starvation and dehydration with bellies full of |
| quite easily through our drains. With increased numbers | | | | plastic. Research has shown that this garbage and |
| of plastics, luxurious lifestyles and increased laziness | | | | debris affects 267 different species worldwide |
| litter is being flushed into our gutters which is ending up | | | | including sea lions, sea birds, turtles, fish, seals and |
| in the ocean and our beautiful environment. Once in the | | | | whales. As fish are consuming toxins at such a rapid |
| ocean, some sinks to the ocean floor or is ingested by | | | | rate they may soon not even be safe enough to eat. |
| sea creatures while the remainder is drawn to what is | | | | There are also a great number of effects on humans. |
| known as the Northern Pacific Gyre. The Northern | | | | Nineteen Hawaiian Islands including Midway island |
| Pacific Gyre is a system of currents which drags | | | | receive masses of garbage shot out from the gyre |
| garbage into the center of a huge vortex which is then | | | | some of which is decades old. Some beaches are |
| trapped by peripheral circulating currents. The enclosed | | | | covered by up to ten feet of plastic while others are |
| enormous mass of garbage is known as the Pacific | | | | covered by tiny plastic sand like particles which would |
| Garbage Patch. | | | | be near impossible to clean up. Soon we may be |
| Many people misunderstand the mass of garbage. | | | | unable to eat seafood as it may become toxic or we |
| They expect to sail out to the Gyre and find a rubbish | | | | may start eating our own plastic wastage. There will |
| island. In fact the ocean is full of tiny colored parts of | | | | be damage to boats and submarine equipment and if |
| plastic. The plastic is simply more concentrated in the | | | | the situation gets worse swimming in the ocean may |
| Gyre and is accompanied by bottles, helmets and nets | | | | even be discouraged. |
| floating on the surface. This huge environmental | | | | As the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is in such a bad |
| disaster is unknown to so many because it is out in the | | | | state researchers say it is unlikely it will be able to be |
| middle of the ocean which is yet to affect our | | | | cleaned up as it would be a multi-billion dollar process |
| everyday lives. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is | | | | so prevention and awareness are the current keys to |
| made up of the East Gyre and West Gyre which is | | | | success. Richard Pain, an Australian film maker plans |
| located roughly between 135 to 155W and 35 to 42N. | | | | to cross the area on a vessel made from plastic |
| It ranges from the coast of California all the way to | | | | bottles, in attempt to raise awareness of the problem. |
| Japan and in some places the debris is 90 feet deep. | | | | Research is looking for ways of possibly turning the |
| It was discovered by Charles J. Moore who came | | | | garbage into fuel and Volunteers from Project Kaisei, a |
| across this massive stretch of floating Debris while | | | | conservation project based in San Francisco and Hong |
| returning home through the North Pacific Gyre after | | | | Kong plan to send two ships into the affected area to |
| the Transpac Sailing Race in 1997. A similar patch of | | | | bring back some waste. |
| floating plastic debris is found in the Atlantic Ocean. | | | | Charles Moore has been researching the garbage |
| Something similar to the garbage patch was predicted | | | | patch ever since he discovered it. In 2008 he took |
| in a paper published in 1988 by the National Oceanic | | | | some young researcher out with him to show them |
| and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United | | | | the damage. |
| States, through Alaska-based research which | | | | The world can be thought of as a closed system in |
| measured the increase of tiny plastic particles in the | | | | the way that all plastic created remains on the planet |
| ocean water. This is evidence that as time goes by | | | | except for a small amount which has been incinerated |
| the situation is getting dramatically worse. | | | | and released toxic chemicals. Less than 5% of all |
| Plastic is such a terrible product because it does not | | | | plastic is recycled globally so recycling more is a good |
| biodegrade. Instead, it breaks up into smaller pieces | | | | start. Attempts to minimize plastic usage and BYOB |
| which always remain. The small parts of plastic are | | | | policy or 'bring your own bag' to shopping centers will |
| called mermaid tears or nurdles. Nurdles are dangerous | | | | cut down plastic bag usage. If we want our world to |
| as they have the unpleasant quality of soaking up | | | | remain beautiful for future generations we need to |
| toxic chemicals. Even if chemicals are widely diffused | | | | accept the responsibility at a local level by thinking |
| in the water, over time they are soaked up and | | | | globally and acting locally. |
| concentrated within these tiny pieces of plastic. In | | | | |