Pacific Trash Vortex! Wow! I had no idea it was this bad!

[Peter_C]

scubadrewvideo, I sent you a PM.

So what can we do as individuals? Well for starters recycle. Your recycle bin should be more full than your trash can. Pick up other peoples trash. I call it my good deed for the day. I try to pickup something every day. No longer use plastic bags EVER! Instead use a reusable grocery bag or non at all. Most every grocery store sells reusable bags for cheap. As in around a few dollars. They also give you a credit when you bring in your own bags.

Order a bunch of these bags and give them away as gifts.
1 Bag at a Time : Reusable Bags :: Reusable Grocery Bags :: From Lisa Foster

These are pretty cool.
Amazon.com: Reusable Grocery Tote w/ 2 Corner Bottle Holders, Tan 4 Pack: Apparel

Choose a non profit organization you feel is helping and donate something to them. Money helps them get the word out to other people and funds research projects. The people working for non profits are not in it for the money, but instead they believe in what they are doing and many are making major sacrifices to do so.

Oh and as far as I am concerned this thread should be in a more public part of this forum. This is the largest website I post on and could begin the changing of the world.

[Shaka Doug]

I thought I posted this somewhere else in Scubaboard but I can't seem to find it.

Here's a thread from last year on the subject but it didn't get a lot of attention. Time to revive it!

So that's where plastic goes...

[D_B]

good idea on a use tax like on pop bottles, supporting efforts at clean up and such ... I like plastic for groceries bags but I may have to do the reusable bag thing .. thanks

[Peter_C]

good idea on a use tax like on pop bottles, supporting efforts at clean up and such ... I like plastic for groceries bags but I may have to do the reusable bag thing .. thanks

Once you start using reusable you will immediately see the benefits. No longer do you have to worry about handles breaking. If they have a flat bottom they stand up better. The handles are more comfortable.

My rule is if I forget my bags in the car, then I leave the groceries in the cart and load them into my bags when I get to my car. I call it my punishment for being stupid. There will come a day when it becomes second nature. For now I have alternate methods.

[JGibbs]

Top Facts - Environmental Impact

# Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.

While I agree that plastic trash is a huge problem, be careful about quoting statistics like this, as it has been proven that they have come from a misreading of scientific reports. While its important to raise public awareness, its all important to do it in the most factual way to keep creditably.

And as big of a problem as the trash island is, it can paradoxically be really hard to find. NOAA did a recent scientific cruise to study the debris, and they couldn't find it!

[Peter_C]

OK so the statistic is probably wrong. I have no idea how many marine mammals die. Really it does not matter as one is too many. Much like this one
Last supper: A 50-year-old turtle chokes on shredded plastic on the Hawaiian island of Midway, where beaches are covered with rubbish

[andrejs]

I just came across this and I just don't know what to say. We are really destroying this planet in ever way possible. This is just so terrible and saddening! I would love to be part of a team to take care of things like this if possible.

[obsession600]

thank you everyone for giving this problem some public attention

[Shaka Doug]

Here's a couple more videos I found on YouTube. There's quite a lot of info there if you want to see more. Does anyone know where this "Plastic Beach" (from the first video below) is on the Big Island? Anyone go there? I'd like to hear some first hand accounts from people here on the board who've witnessed it. Maybe you could put up some photos or personal video clips?

[scubadrewvideo]

Anyone on Oahu can go look at Malaekahana State Park beach or walk across the golf course in Kahuku to the beach (7th hole surf spot) and you will see an example of such trash. Not as severe as the Big Island, but gross enough to understand the problem.
Thank you again for continuing this awareness effort. As a volunteer crew/videographer for AMRF Capt Moore's second voyage to the Gyre aboard the ORV Alguita, I was unfortunate enough to see it first hand and that was almost 7 yrs ago. Mahalo to all for your care and concern. Please check out this links in this post to learn more and find out how you can help. Capt Charlie Moore is the man to talk to. If you can make the time, maybe you can volunteer in some way.
Drew