Alert ! We Need to Address our Plastic Problem ! Charles J. Moore | Hurray ! Boyan Slat | The Oceancleanup

I’ve decided to repost this article in the New York Times written by Charles J. Moore, “Choking the Oceans With Plastic“, because of its importance. This needs to be brought to the world’s attention. Awareness of the epic amounts of plastic that are drifting into the oceans and accumulating in massive islands, is a start. We need to put our heads together towards finding solutions that will educate & create actions and incentives to ameliorate the problem.

“Plastics are now one of the most common pollutants of ocean waters worldwide. Pushed by winds, tides and currents, plastic particles form with other debris into large swirling glutinous accumulation zones, known to oceanographers as gyres, which comprise as much as 40 percent of the planet’s ocean surface — roughly 25 percent of the entire earth.

No scientist, environmentalist, entrepreneur, national or international government agency has yet been able to establish a comprehensive way of recycling the plastic trash that covers our land and inevitably blows and washes down to the sea.”

In addition to the Pacific Garbage Patch

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

A 2nd Garbage patch: Plastic soup seen in the Atlantic.

“Since there is no realistic way of cleaning the oceans, advocates say the key is to keep more plastic out by raising awareness and, wherever possible, challenging a throwaway culture that uses non-biodegradable materials for disposable products.”

Tom Bawden in his article posted in The Independent: Plastic Rubbish heaps at sea pose bigger threat to Earth than climate change references the ocean expert Charles J. Moore.

Reccomendations

Moore states, “The real challenge is to combat an economic model that thrives on wasteful products and packaging and leaves the associated problem of clean-up costs. Changing the way we produce and consume plastics is a challenge greater than reining in our production of carbon dioxide,” Captain Moore added.

How to reduce ocean plastic

There are no high-tech methods for reducing the volume of plastic at sea. In fact, those techniques we do have are surprisingly mundane.

• Plastic bag tax: The best way to reduce the amount of plastic is to use less of it, and the best way to do this is to cut down on plastic bags.
• Sieve-like skimmers: These come in a variety of shapes and sizes but essentially they aim to scoop up debris out of the water.
• Screens: Covering gutters and catch basins in urban areas with 5mm screens has reduced the amount of debris flowing down rivers into the sea.
• Circular economy: The basic idea is to recycle as much as possible and to design products in such a way that as little has to be thrown away as possible.”

As Bucky McMahon says in this article ‘The Terrifying true story of the garbage that could kill the whole human race’ “Of course, the petrochemical complex, its dependents and beneficiaries—just about everybody—resist change.”

Yet as we introduce awareness, educate one another and resolve to solve the problem with actions, we can begin to make a difference.

the five major gyres in the oceans around the world

Created by the 19 year old Boyan Slat The Ocean Cleanup is his entrepreneurial creation using technology to combat and reduce the plastic pollution collecting in the world’s gyres.

There is hope!!
Click on this image below of him and listen to his presentation.

19 year old Boyan Slat of the Netherlands

Hurray!

Not only is Boyan Slat brilliant, but he demonstrates resilient determination. He’s not put off by people saying, ‘this can’t be done’, as his speech clearly reveals.

Greenpeace banner: Real change is possible when we work together!

Together We Can Do So Much

Coming up on the 21st of September on the autumnal equinox, is the Climate March in New York City organized by a number of global environmental organizations.

In a community outreach, various groups have organized screenings of their informative movie about climate change.

Climate Change Disruption
the film

“Climate. Change. Disruption” is a film by Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott. They ask you to be a part of the largest climate march in history.

Our actions matter!

And here’s a pic of Carol Keiter, the blogger, beneath one of the creatures featured by the photographer Joel Sartore, who is capturing photos of all the species, in his series, the photo ark.

Picture of primate, compliments of Joel Sartore’s photo catalogue of species and me, Carol Keiter the blogger