The Pacific Garbage Patch

Every family has their talks over the dinner table, mine is no different. Our topics have ranged anywhere from local gossip to things we've heard or seen in the news. This week the Olympics have been the obvious conversation starter, the Chick-fil-a protest and its Appreciation Day were among others. But today at lunch, my sister brought up a topic that, embarrassingly, until today I had no idea existed:

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

My sister mentioned this after I had a fight with the kitchen trashcan to get out the bag stuffed full with smelly unmentionables. (I won, in case any of you were wondering.) A whole slew of observations/jokes/et cetera brought us to the subject of the world's biggest landfill and I was more than eager to sit down for my education.

source via: The Wrapping Scarf Revolution
Click for larger image.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an area of small- to large-scale garbage easily spanning TWICE the size of Texas currently suspended in a vortex of ocean and wind currents in the Pacific Ocean, meaning once the trash is in the Pacific, it stays there - forever. It's located between California and stretches to Hawaii, but bounces off of the coast of Japan to form an oddly shaped triangular area. Trash from as far as Iowa can get swept into the ocean and eventually end up in Hawaii. To be truthful, however, almost every country's trash ends up in this great dump, not just those in N/S America and select countries in Asia. What's worse, a tested stretch of 3,000 miles between Perth, Australia and the coast of Madagascar showed that the water is infested with the same high concentration of trash/plastic particles as that in the Pacific Ocean, meaning that the "garbage patches" are not reserved for the Pacific Ocean alone.

These "garbage patches" are almost entirely made up of plastic. Some visible large-scale trash deposits can go as far as NINETY FEET below the surface, trapping animal life beneath and inside it. Small-scale trash deposits outnumber plankton, the most abundant food source in oceanic waters, forcing animals such as seagulls and fish to eat what's available - trash. Studies and necropsies shown by various environmental groups and other organizations prove that there is a rising trend of plastic not only in the water but in marine and other wildlife. Seagulls are more likely to feed bottle caps to their young than actual food!

The "Plastic Dilemma" as my mother and I call it, is the fact that too many products are made with plastic and plastic, unfortunately, is not 100% biodegradable. The irresponsible consumption and waste of plastic is what is attributing to the "garbage patch" not just in the Pacific, but everywhere. Scientists and environmentalists, and myself included, are not so deluded into thinking the "dilemma" can be stopped and the oceans clean forever. Waste not only from land but ships attribute to the growing plastic in our oceans and even if the entire United States Navy worked 24/7 to skim the ocean's surface, the constant flow of plastic and other debris into the oceans would make their hard work seemingly counterproductive.

But there IS a way we can all help - by stopping plastic at it's source. 

1. Instead of buying that 24 count of Ozarka water bottles, buy a filter for your water faucets at home and tote a thermos to work or when you're out and about. If water filters are out of your price range, buy water in large jugs and refill at water stations. Here where my parents live, we have a place called the "Windmill" (but it's not the windmill water pumps you'll find on Google, it's just the name of the place), where we take our 5g jugs and fill them with water whenever we need it for only .75 cents per jug. (These jugs are available at Wal-Mart near where they sell ice, usually. Click here if you have NO clue what I'm talking about.) I understand in big cities carrying around 5 gallons of water is not only awkward but impossible in certain situations. That's where those Starbucks tumblers come in handy. ;-) 
2. Another way to help is to stop using plastic bags. In Austin, Texas, (and yes, I am aware there are other cities imposing this law) the City is in the process of passing the "plastic bag ban", essentially stopping the use of plastic bags at retail and grocery stores to  instead encourage people to use cloth/knit/canvas or paper bags to bag their groceries. Again, I understand that there are arguments against this (green bags are marginally less sanitary than plastic, job losses could be attributed to those working in the biz, etc.) but COME ON people. You can recycle paper which is saying more than plastic (which only 25% is actually recycled) and knit bags can be bought for a few dollars a pop. Most of the delay in the said ban has everything to do with money, but with enough support the ban could be passed.

I won't go into an entire spiel about the "garbage patch" or ways to prevent them from occurring, as there is much to say and many ways to counter the problem. Google can take care of those questions for you. But in case any of you are interested, here are a few links to widen your knowledge:

NOAA - the NOAA Marine Debris Program also talks about the incoming wave of trash from the Japanese earthquake/tsunami that is just now hitting Alaskan shores over a YEAR later. SO much info here, guys.

"The Great Garbage Patch" - here's a more accessible/easier to read (and maybe understand) version about what's going down in the oceans. (source via HowStuffWorks)

Here is just one of many videos on YouTube that you can access for a more visual aspect on the Pacific Garbage Patch. Just type in "pacific garbage patch" and viola. Oprah is a spokesperson on one of these videos as well. (NOTE: some of this stuff is pretty vivid. Have a strong/empty stomach before previewing.)

Plastic Bag Usage of the USA vs. The World - pretty visual that gives you a very good idea at how REAL this problem is.

Austin's Plastic Bag Ban - for those of you interested on the "plastic dilemma", here it is.

Please, please, PLEASE take note of your plastic use and properly discard it! Recycle, burn (if there isn't a burn ban in your area, that is) and otherwise cut back on your use. A little goes a long way, kind of like shaving cream. =)

Saving the world one blog post at a time,

Lily A