Plastics And Us

New ocean concern: tiny plastic pollutants

2010-06-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

While scientists have documented the effects of large plastic flotsam in the oceans for decades — turtles trapped in fishing nets, albatrosses swallowing plastic cigarette lighters — very little research has focused on what happens when those bigger pieces break down into tiny specks, called microplastics.

Read more about the impact of microplastics in this article (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012102451_microplastics13.html) by Phuong Le, The Associated Press.

Albatross Chicks

2010-01-07T23:14:00.000-08:00

See Chris Jordan's collection of amazing photographs of albatross chicks
from one of the world's most remote marine sanctuaries,
more than 2000 miles form the nearest contintent. Unfortunately they have died, theirbellies full of plastic fed to them by their parents.

http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11

Colbert Nation and the Pacific Gyre

2010-01-07T22:57:00.000-08:00

Charles Moore talks with Stephen Colbert about the garbage patch that's turning the Pacific Ocean into a plastic wasteland.

See it yourself at http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/260772/january-06-2010/charles-moore

Afloat in the Ocean, Expanding Islands of Trash

2009-11-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

Light bulbs, bottle caps, toothbrushes, Popsicle sticks and tiny pieces of plastic, each the size of a grain of rice, inhabit the Pacific garbage patch, an area of widely dispersed trash that doubles in size every decade.

Read this November 2009 update from the New York Times.

Timelines - Plastics Longevity

2009-06-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Charles Moore says "Plastics, like diamonds, are forever". For a good introduction, read the "Why is plastic in the ocean a problem" section from his Algalita brochure.

Here are several overview timelines, showing how long different materials will last in a marine environment. You might be surprised - plywood lasts a few years, but a plastic 'disposable' diaper or a plastic water bottle last four to five hundred years.

The Texas 'Adopt A Beach' program created this visually dynamic timeline, illustrating how long it can take commonly used items to dissolve back into nature.

Here are some more tabular versions of similar information:

This simple page shows how long some common things will stay in the ocean - from the Los Angeles, California stormwater program.
And here's a more complete list - from the Long Beach Peninsula visitors bureau in Washington State.
A similar Marine Debris Timeline - from the United States Environmental Protection Agency - Gulf of Mexico Program.

This timeline comes from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 15 islands about 3/4 of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines.

Here's another pictorial view
that you can download from the Irish Sea Fisheries Board

Slideshow - Plastics in the (Ocean) Environment

2009-06-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

This 12 page 'slideshow' provides a wonderful introduction to the issues of plastic marine debris:

Plastics Debris Washed Ashore
Plastic Debris on the Move
North Pacific Gyre Study Site
Plastic Deburs in the Ocean Water Column
Sources of Pollution in our watershed
Nurdles
Chemical Pollutants from Plastic
Pollutants from Plastic Incineration
Peril of the Albatross
Plastic Debris Pollutes the Food Chain
Stopping Pollution in our Watershed
Changing How We Think About Plastic

Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundation

FAQ - Pacific Gyre and Plastic Pollution

2009-06-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

This set of frequently asked questions and answers will give you a jump-start to your understanding of the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", and many related issues of plastic pollution.

Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundation

UNEP - Marine Litter Publications

2009-06-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

The United Nations Environment Programme has several comprehensive publications available for download (in pdf):

Marine Litter: A Global Challendge (2009)
Guidlelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter(2009)
Guidelines on the Use of Market-based Instruments to address the Problem of Marine Litter (2009)
Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (2009)
Marine Litter - An analytical overview (2005)
Marine Litter - Trash that kills (a 20 page 'brochure')

Source: United Nations - Environment Programme - Marine Litter

Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program

2009-06-15T08:30:00.001-07:00

Watch these videos about the recovery and recycling of monofilament fishing line.

Source: Boat U.S - Reel In and Recycle

Brochure - Used Fishing Line

2009-06-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

DID YOU KNOW…?

Monofilament fishing line lasts about 600 years in the marine environment
Discarded monofilament line can injure divers and boaters, foul boat propellers, entangle and poison wildlife, and threaten the health of fisheries
It can be recycled

Find out more in this brochure

Source: Sea Grant and Univ of Florida Extension

Video - The NOAA Marine Debris Program

2009-06-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

This five minute video provides an overview of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, with special focus on retrieval of "monster debris"

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

Music Video - Marine Debris

2009-06-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

No words - just enjoy the music and pictures

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

Video - Marine Debris

2009-06-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

What is marine debris - where does it come from - what does it damage - what can you do to minimize it?

Get a quick overview in this 3 minute video from NOAA.

Source: NOAA - Ocean Media Center

Video - Sylvia Earle at TED

2009-06-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Several of our fellow volunteers were privileged to hear Sylvia Earle at a COSEE gathering for Puget Sound Volunteers in 2007.

You can hear her here, giving a presentation at TED in 2009.

Note: We have Sylvia to thank for Google Earth's wonderful new ocean features. While accepting an award in Madrid in 2006, along with a Google Earth's John Hankes, Sylvia told him

My children, my grandchildren think it is great to see their backyard, fly through the Grand Canyon, visit other countries .

But, John, when are you going to finish it?
You should call Google Earth 'Google Dirt'.
What about the three-quarters of the planet that is blue?

Timelines - Plastics History

2009-06-11T17:47:00.001-07:00

Plastics are invented things - they did not exist several hundred years ago. Follow any of the links before to learn more about the inventions of plastics over time.

about.com - The History of Plastics
americanchemistory.com - the history of plastic
plasticsindustry.org - History of Plastics- narrative history - with focus on United States
plasticstech.info - The Plastic Timeline & History- starts 1000BC with use of resins in China.
plastipedia.co.uk - A History of Plastics - includes a short (5 minutes) video, and poster-style images by time period. (from the British Plastics Federation)
plastiquarian.com - People and Polymers - click on the little gold buttons for more information
plastiquarian.com - Timeline
polymerplastics.com - History of Plastics

Games and Activities - Understanding Marine Debris

2009-06-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Please download

Understanding Marine Debris:
Games and Activities for Kids of All Ages

for more than 20 fun pages of puzzles and activities of all kinds. You'll be glad you did!

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

Resources - Marine Debris 101 (NOAA)

2009-06-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

NOAA has provided a wealth of materials to learn more about marine debris, including

Brochures,
Fact Sheets,
Posters/Placards,
Guidebooks

Interested in helping - read What YOU Can Do !!

Interested in diving deeper? Check their Publications and References

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

FAQ - Great Pacific Garbage Patch

2009-06-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

See this NOAA map of, and some common questions about, the "Pacific Gyre" and the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch"

When you get there, click on some of the links on the right side of the page for lots more valuable information.

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

Marine Debris - Learn and Help

2009-06-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

For over 20 years, the Ocean Conservancy has been organizing the International Coast Cleanup, held the third Saturday of every September.

As they often state:

Trash doesn't fall from the sky,
it falls from our hands.

What can you do:

Review their 10 things you can do to stop marine debris.
Read A Rising Tide of Ocean Debris and What We Can Do About It. presenting data recorded by nearly 400,000 volunteers in 104 countries in the September 2008 cleanup.
Read their Pocket Guide to Marine Debris (35 pages)

Source: Ocean Conservancy

Report - Growing Global Problem of Marine Litter

2009-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

UNEP Head Calls for World-Wide Ban on Pointless Thin Film Plastic Bags

Washington DC/Nairobi, 8 June 2009

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director:

Marine litter is symptomatic of a wider malaise: namely the wasteful use and persistent poor management of natural resources. The plastic bags, bottles and other debris piling up in the oceans and seas could be dramatically reduced by improved waste reduction, waste management and recycling initiatives.

Some of the litter, like thin film single use plastic bags which choke marine life, should be banned or phased-out rapidly everywhere-there is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere. Other waste can be cut by boosting public awareness, and proposing an array of economic incentives and smart market mechanisms that tip the balance in favor of recycling, reducing or re-use rather than dumping into the sea.

You will find the full article here, along with links to other related stories.

Source: United Nations - Environment Programme - Marine Litter

Art - Watershed -1500 plastic water bottles per second

2009-05-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

Graphic designers create an installation using 1500 plastic water bottles, the number used each second in the United States.

Source: inhabit.com

Ocean Health - California, Oregon, Washington

2009-05-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

In 2006, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington states launched a regional collaboration to protect and manage ocean and coastal resources along the entire West Coast of the United States.

See:

Source: westcoastoceans.gov

Article - Bottled water outlawed in New York State agencies

2009-05-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

In May 2009, the governor of New York State has banned public sector offices from using bottled water:

Taxpayers have spent billions of dollars to ensure that we have clean drinking water supplies
If we are going to make such significant investments, we should reap the benefits and use that water.

Source: fairhome.co.uk

Visualization - Through The Gyre

2009-05-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

From Good Magazine / Transparency ,
( A graphical exploration of the data that surrounds us )

This visualization represents the distribution of plastic (by size) in the Pacific Gyre.

Once at Good Magazine, make sure you

click on the image, OR
scroll down and click on the [Launch Infographic] link

This will give you a MUCH LARGER view, with readable explanatory text surrounding the image.

Source: Good Magazine / Transparency

26 billion liters of bottled water and counting ...

2009-05-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Take 5 minutes with this slideshow, alternately title "Water Disaster" or "The Water Bottle Problem".

Learn the impact of the 26,000,000,000 liters of bottled water our world uses each year.

You can view it by:

Source: unknown

Article - Message in a Bottle

2009-05-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

This three part article appeared in the May 2009 issue of Sierra Magazine. This quote from the introduction is as succinct as it can get:

Plastic never goes away, and
scientists are finding that it
absorbs toxins with spongelike efficiency.

The fix?
Cut it off at the source.

The article, by David Ferris, is in three parts:

The Captain - Charles Moore, of Algalita
The Scientist - Richard Thompson, Professor of Marine Ecology
The Lawyer - Drew Bohan, California Ocean Protection Council

Source: Sierra Club

Plastic Water Bottles MayPost Health Hazard

2009-04-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

This Discovery News report describes how scientists in Germany have found that PET plastics -- the kind used to make water bottles, among many other common products -- may harbor hormone-disrupting chemicals that leach into the water.

Source: Discovery Channel - April 2009

Brochure: Plastics Are Forever

2009-04-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

This excellent and informative brochure (pdf) explains that "Plastics, like diamonds ... ARE FOREVER", and goes on to explain and discuss the impact on our oceans and their creatures.

It explains why plastic in the ocean is a problem, and provides some harrowing statistics on the American peoples use of plastics, and how so much of it makes its way to the ocean.

Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundataion

Video - Poisoned Waters

2009-04-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

In this PBS Frontline special, Hedrick Smith shares startling new evidence ...

that today's growing environmental threat
comes not from the giant industrial polluters of old,

but from chemicals in consumers' face creams,
deodorants, prescription medicines and household cleaners

that find their way into sewers, storm drains,
and eventually into America's waterways and drinking water.

Source: PBS - Frontline

Poster - Marine Debris

2009-04-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

Download this colorful poster from NOAA to hang on your wall.

The poster highlights the impacts of marine debris, particularly entanglement and ingestion in marine species such as the humpback whale, green sea turtle, and Hawaiian monk seal.

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris

Oprah Winfrey - Earth Day 2009

2009-04-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

See this article about Oprah's interview with Jacques Cousteau's grandson Fabien on Earth Day 2009.

See also the video - "What Happens to Our Garbage", shown the same day.

Source: Oprah Winfrey Show

Overview - Marine Debris

2009-04-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

This overview of Marine Debris, from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), covers these topics:

The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH)
The International Coastal Cleanup
National Marine Debris Monitoring Program
Other Floatable Debris-Related Legislation
Debris Hazardous for Marine Animals
Polluted Waters Make Trouble for Humans, Too
Fishing Industries and Communities Hit Hard by Marine Debris
Beach Raking
Unseen Consequences
Trash In
What You Can Do

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

Audio - Talking Flotsam ...

2009-04-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer is the oceanographer who first started tracking the flow of debris around the oceans in order to understand the ocean currents.

Listen to these Seattle KUOW radio programs where he discusses his work.

Video - The BAY vs the BAG

2009-04-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is a fun video which brings home the fact that what we each do adds up to a much larger impact than we might imagine.

Source: savesfbay.org

Audio: Beached Trash Tells A Story About the Oceans

2009-04-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hear this entertaining interview with Curtis Ebbesmeyer (17 minutes) about his tracking of 'flotsam', including nike shoes, and rubber duckies.

Source: NPR - Science Friday

Book: Flotsametrics and the Floating World

2009-03-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

What can rubber ducks tells us about swirling ocean currents, and how they redistribute our society's debris? This book is by the expert: Dr Curtis Ebbesmeyer, written with Eric Scigliano.

Some other interesting pages about this book:

Games - NOAA Planet Arcade

2009-03-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

This Games - Planet Arcade lets you play lots of different kinds of games, including:

WaterLife - Where Rivers Meet the Sea - you'll learn a lot about the ecosystem of an estuary.
Ocean Challenge - you join others worldwide in helping to put together a puzzle.
Recycle City - you'll explore how a city's residents can reduce, reuse, recycle, ...

Source: NOAA

Video - Charles Moore at TED

2009-02-25T22:03:00.000-08:00

Everyone who sees this VIDEO says "Yikes!".

Watch Captain Charles Moore (of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation) talk at TED about how discarded plastic debris floats around the Pacific, and finally 'lands' in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- an endless floating waste of plastic trash.

Online Education Resources on Marine Debris

2009-02-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

NOAA has assembled a page with links to non-NOAA educational resources.

See either:

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris

Art - Running the Numbers

2009-02-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

Look at some amazing art by Chris Jordan depicting the sheer quantities of our consumption of 'stuff'.

Running the Numbers - An American Self Portrait
Running the Numbers II - Portraits of global mass culture

Source: http://www.chrisjordan.com

If you'd like to see Chris Jordan in person, see his February 2009 presentation at TED.

Video - Synthetic Sea

2009-01-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

This video, "Human Impact: Synthetic Sea "plastic in the open ocean", has some wonderful pictures, showing

how similar krill and plastic pieces look
what plastic nurdles look like,
and how closely they resemble fish eggs

Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundation

Brochure - Facts About Marine Debris and How You Can Help

2009-01-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

"Marine debris is a problem we can solve and by working together we can make a difference"

This two page brochure/factsheet provides a quick introduction to Marine Debris.

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris

Bring Your Own Bag

2009-01-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Check out igotmybag.org for

reasons to buy/bring reusable bags to the store
tips to remember the bring them!

Source: igotmybag

Say No to Plastic Bags, It's Easy

2008-12-20T18:01:00.000-08:00

In 2007, we researched available options, and
worked with stores to help educate consumers.

We weren't totally happy that the inexpensive
tote bags we could get were themselves made
of recycled plastic, so researched some more,
and found a reusable bag that suits our needs.

It is made of canvas, sits squarely on the counter
for easy packing, and sports the Beach Watcher logo.

Video - Learn about 'upcycling'

2008-12-20T17:30:00.001-08:00

A young business is being innovative in finding ways to turn our plastic trash into treasures

From Our Planet - Nightly News with Brian Williams

Overview - Information and Common Questions on Marine Debris

2008-12-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

This NOAA five page fact sheet and FAQ is a great way to quickly get up to speed on the subject of marine debris.

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris

Top 5 Eco-Friendly Water Bottles

2008-12-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

This December 2008 article from Time Magazine recommends five different "reliable, durable, and green alternatives to the plastic water bottle".

Read the full article here.

Source: Time Magazine

What We Are Doing

2008-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the things Island County Beach Watchers
are doing to reduce the negative impacts of plastics.

Just say NO to plastic bags - it's easy.
We've done the research to find an eco-friendly reusable bag to replace one-time plastic bags.
Help others learn the issues
To help educate others, we’ve put together a "travelling show kit" that consists of a display board with photos of "trash", birds entangled and birds who’ve died by ingesting plastic. We augment that with our Problem with Plastics Brochure.
The kit is used at events, fairs, local club meetings, K-12 classrooms, church groups, marinas, and community beach organizations.
Let’s face it, plastic IS a convenient commodity
BUT we don't need to rely on it for every occasion. Our Beach Watcher events are almost entirely plastics free. We bring our own mugs, dishes and cutlery from home. It’s a whole new way of thinking, and you can get into the habit pretty easily.
We've extended that mind set to larger, more public gatherings. At our Sound Waters "one-day university for all" held annually the first Saturday in February:
- we ask attendees to bring their own cup/water container and provide compostable cups for those whoe don't
- we've eliminated plastic water bottles
- the food vendors use biodegradable serving containters and tableware, and we work with them to minimize the packaging around the food.
- after the event, the biodegradable tableware and scraps get composted.
This is quite an achievement as attendance is upward of 500 people! In addition, several of the 60+ Sound Waters classes cover plastics, toxins, and what they’re doing to the marine environment.
Don't trip over it
We've implemented a Monofilament Recovery and Recycle Program (MRRP) at fishing beaches and boat launches around Whidbey Island.
Discarded monofilament fishing line is responsible for entangling wildlife, often causing loss of limb, and death from starvation. Sea birds seem to be particularly susceptible. It’s also a danger to divers who can become caught up in the line under water, and is easily tripped over when walking along the beach.
how small can it go?
We are participating in a plastics debris study with Port Townsend Marine Science Center, where beach substrate is sifted and small plastic particles collected and identified back in the laboratory.
Don't eat that plastic
We are assisting the Port Townsend Marine Science Center with presentations to local schools to increase awareness of the threat of marine plastic debris to wildlife.
By dissecting the boli from young albatross and combined with audio visuals, the children get a hands on expererience to understand why plastics are devastating to marine bird life

About This Blog

2008-11-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

The "Plastics And Us" blog is maintained by volunteers from Island County Beach Watchers, a group supported by the county's WSU Extension.

We live on Whidbey and Camano Islands in Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

We are very concerned about the impact of over- and careless- use of plastics, and the subsequent impact on the quality of the marine environment all around us, and the fellow creatures who share it with us.

As we find helpful information across the Internet, we will post it here for you.

WSU Island County Beach Watchers
WSU Extension - Island County

Animation - 21st Century Waterfalls

2008-11-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

See this article and video which highlights the rate at which we
recycle (and DO NOT recycle) bottled water bottles.

Source:

Professor Doug James, Cornell University,
(riseaboveplastics.blogspot.com)

Brochure - Problems with Plastic

2008-11-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

See this brochure (.pdf) for answers to:

what are the problems that plastics are causing now,
how long do things take to degrade in the ocean,
what are some things we can do about it

Source: WSU Beach Watchers - Island County.

Video - World's Oceans Face Plastic Pollution Problem

2008-11-14T16:16:00.001-08:00

Please see this excellent video report from PBS - the Online NewsHour - that discusses

how our plastic junk ends up in a large garbage 'gyre' in the Pacific Ocean.
how that quantity of trash affects fish, marine mammals and birds.

Other resources:

transcript

Source: PBS - Plastic Oceans

Quiz: Plastic Recycling Quiz

2008-11-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

PBS posted this Plastics Recycling Quiz in November 2008, as part of its series on "Plastic Oceans".

Source: PBS - Plastic Oceans

MRRP Overview

2008-11-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

See this succinct 8 page slideshow on a Monofilament Recovery and Recycle Program for a quick intro, and how to pictures.

As the author states:

Wouldn’t it be nice to collect all the discarded monofilament line from all Washington beaches?

LET’S DO IT!

Source: WSU Island County Extension - Beach Watchers

Make A Suggestion

2008-11-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Have you found an error?

Do you have a suggestion for a new topic,
or in general, how we might improve this site.

Send us email at plasticsandus@gmail.com

:: Please start your subject with one of the following:

- Error
- Typo
- New Topic
- Suggestion

:: For errors/typos/suggestions about one of our existing posts,

please include the title of the post,
or even better, click on the title,
and give us the http://............... web address of the new page.

Thank you!

Sampling for Plastic on Puget Sound Beaches

2008-10-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

See Sampling for Plastic on Puget Sound Beaches - which describes how volunteers, working in conjunction with the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, sample local beaches for very small plastic debis.

Source: Port Townsend Marine Science Center

'Microplastics' eyed as marine pollutants

2008-10-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

Experts start to ask if tiny particles might be clogging ocean food chain.

Read more in this article by Jessica Marshall of Discovery News at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26994478/

Monofilament Recovery and Recycling starts on Whidbey Island

2008-09-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Read this informative news article, about the Beach Watcher volunteer who initiated a monofilament recycling program on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound.

Source: Whidbey News-Times

Guide to Recycling Monofilament Fishing Line

2008-08-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

In this 5 page 'brochure', Reeling in Marine Debris, A Reference Guide to Recycling Monofilament Fishing Line, page 4 gives a good overview of recycling programs for used or discarded monofilament fishing line.

Source: NOAA

The Dangers of Plastic Bags

2008-07-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

This slideshow was created by Vishal Mody, Physics and Science Teacher at Taft High School in Chicago. It quickly spread around the world, via email attachments and a YouTube video.

Article - Sea of Trash

2008-06-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

In Sea of Trash - Pollution in the World's Oceans, Donovan Hohn tells a story of volunteer efforts to clean up marine debris (mostly plastics) from remote Alaska shorelines and forest. The debris arrives there via ocean currents, just as it gets to the Pacific Gyre. In two weeks, a crew of ten bagged over 30 tons of debris.

But, he says ...

As nearly everyone I spoke to about marine debris agrees,
the best way to get trash out of our waterways is,
of course, to keep it from entering them in the first place

Hohn provides an excellent overview of the many people who are working this problem - from understanding its dimensions, to raising public awareness, to the complex issues of political reality.

Source: NY Times

Art - Urban Tumbleweeds - 2663 plastic bags per second

2008-06-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Source: inhabit.com

Quiz: Plastic A-B-Cs

2008-06-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

It crops up in everything from clothes to coffee canisters, but how much do you really know about plain, old plastic?

Try this challenging quiz

Source: National Geographic - Green Guide

Thirst for bottled water unleashes flood of environmental concerns

2008-06-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

This article, from the Ithaca (NY) Journal gives a good overview of all the issues raised by our increasing use of single-use plastic water bottles.

Read the full article here.

Source: USA Today

Overview - Reusable Water Bottles

2008-06-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

So you've decided to kick the single-use plastic water bottle habit,

You are fine at home, or at a restaurant, where you can just use tap water. But what about when you are traveling - to a local meeting or cross country.

For most people, the choice of a reusable water container comes down to one made of:
aluminum, OR BPA-free plastic, OR stainless steel.

See this comprehensive review of water bottles by consumersearch.com, which collects the best reviews from other sites, analyzes them, and summarizes them for you. Be sure to click on the [What to Look For] tab, and also the [Full Report].

Source: consumersearch.com - June 2008

Report - Tackling Marine Debris in the 21st Century

2008-06-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

This 219 page report, Tackling Marine Debris in the 21st Century, was written by the Committee on the Effectiveness of International and National Measures to Prevent and Reduce Marine Debris and Its Impacts, from the National Academy of Sciences.

You can view the report page by page at the link above. You can also download the entire book, or just selected chapters - but may need to login and give your email in order to do so.

Source: The National Academies Press, Washington, DC

Plastic Finds a Second Life and Skirts the Dump

2008-05-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Read this NY Times article about ...

Recycline, a company founded ... in 1996, transforms recycled plastic into toothbrushes, razors, colanders, cutting boards and other personal-care and houseware items that can all be sent back to the company — in postpaid mailers — and recycled again.

Source: New York Times

Future History: Plastic Water Bottles

2008-04-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

This short (2 minute) video from KQED images a time far in the future where athropologists are trying to determine what our civilization used "sacred vessels" for - they must have been important because we used so many of them, but what could they have contained. The future anthropologists pretty much discounted the theory that it might be water, since:

we already had water piped into our homes and businesses
and ...

To manufacture one plastic bottle takes
1/4 bottle of petroleum plus 3 bottles of water

Source: KQED

Article - Recycling plastics

2008-04-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

This CNN report, Recycling plastics, provides this quick synopsis:

Only 1 percent of plastic bags produced globally each year are recycled
Recycling of plastics has declined in U.S. despite rise in recycling programs
Many think more incentives to recycle or bans on some plastic products needed
Rising oil prices could be economic incentive to use more recycled plastics

Read the full article here.

Source: CNN.com

Buyer Beware: Harmful Microplastics in Facial and Body Scrubs

2008-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

In the past few 20 years, many health and beauty companies have begun utilizing 'microbeads' as exfoliates in cleansing products. This is economical for the corporations but creates a large problem when these particles are rinsed off your body and into the wastewater stream. Many of these particles are too small to be filtered out in wastewater treatment screens. So, the final destination for these plastic microbeads is often our oceans.

Brochure - Trawl Net Recycling

2008-04-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

Commercial fisherman should recycle their trawl nets:

to reduce storage and disposal costs
reduce solid waste in landfills, and costly dealys if nets are entangled in equipment
because lost nets and other debris can smother and crush sensitive ecosystems and bottom-dwelling species
because fishing nets and line can entangle, maim or drown wildlife species

See the brochure - Fisherman's Terminal - Trawl Net Recycling, for more information about this program begun April 2008. (press release)

Source: Port of Seattle

Video - Trash on the Spin Cycle

2008-03-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Jean Michel Cousteau says:

It is our problem,
and it is our problem to solve

This video includes

good animation of the Pacific Gyre
good discussion of the impact on albatross

Source: PBS

Drinking Water: Bottled or from the Tap?

2008-02-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

The most memorable paragraph from this short article from National Geographic Kids (Febrary 14, 2008) :

Imagine a water bottle
filled a quarter of the way up with oil.
That’s about how much oil
was needed to produce the bottle.

Read the full article here.

Source: National Geographic Kids

Art - Interview with Chris Jordan

2008-02-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

Chris Jordan gave the keynote address at the Greener Gadgets Conference in 2008.

See a portion of his keynote here and the full thirty minute presentation here. He talks about trying to find a way to depict the actual quantities of our consumption - since its true scale is invisible.

See interview with Chris Jordan as he talks about how his artwork is trying to show that -every- individual matters. He speaks eloquently about the role of each of us in the collective, and that

in the giant problem that we all face each of us in charge of one piece of the solution, and that is our own consumption

Source: inhabit.com

Article - Message in a Bottle

2007-12-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

This 9 page article, by Charles Fishman, appeared in December 2007 in Fast Company Magazine.

Synopsis: Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets: $15 Billion. A journey into the economics--and psychology--of an unlikely business boom. And what it says about our culture of indulgence.

Read the full article here

Source: Fast Company Magazine

Kids Views on Marine Debris

2007-08-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Read letters from kids about marine debris:

Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency

Article - Tapped Out

2007-08-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

This short article, Tapped Out, succinctly describes our wasteful use of plastic water bottles

Last year Americans spent nearly $11 billion on over 8 billion gallons of bottled water, and then tossed over 22 billion empty plastic bottles in the trash. In bottle production alone, the more than 70 million bottles of water consumed each day in the U.S. drain 1.5 million barrels of oil over the course of one year.

Check out the second page of the article for recommendations on sources for reusable "Better Bottles".

Source: National Geographic - Green Guide

Learning Guide - Turning the Tide on Trash

2007-05-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Educators, parents, students, and researchers can use “Turning the Tide on Trash” as they explore the serious impacts marine debris can have on wildlife, the environment, our well being, and our economy.

(Appropriate for Grades 1 through 12)

This 100 page learning guide is available as

screen-quality-pdf (3.5Mb)
print-quality-pdf (8.4Mb)

It was initially developed in 1992, and updated in 2007.

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris

Modbury, Great Britain's First Plastic Bag Free Town

2007-05-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

In May 2007, every trader in Modbury, South Devon, joined together to make Modbury plastic bag free - the first town in the British Isles to do so.

Watch this video - Message from Modbury on what motivated the change, and how they went about it.
Visit their plastic facts page.

Source: Modbury - plasticbagfree.com

Book: Tracking Trash

2007-03-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

This wonderful book's complete title is "Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion". It is part of the "Scientists in the Field" series aimed at kids 10 or older; but anyone can learn a lot from it.

You can probably find it at your local library or bookstore. The author is Loree Griffin Burns. Here are several places that describe it in more detail:

Games - Keep Oceans Clean

2007-02-01T14:01:00.000-08:00

The Keep Oceans Clean website lets you:

explore the different marine debris
see short movies about some marine debris and how it gets there
make your own ecard
play a cleanup game - though there's way too much debris to fully cleanup - we need to really pay attention to how to stop adding more!

Source: keepoceansclean.org

A partnership of:

Environmental Defense Fund
National Marine Sanctuary
NOAA
Department of Interior
Advertising Council

Slideshow - Marine Debris Overview

2006-12-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

While titled, Marine Debris - Impact in the Gulf of Mexico, this (22 page) pdf/slideshow provides an excellent overview of marine debris

definition
impacts
sources
types
characteristics - time, locations
effect on marine life
effect on habitat
effect on humans

Source: NOAA - Fisheries - Southeast Regional Office

Article - Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas

2006-08-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Read this 2006 article by Kenneth Weiss about:

marine debris on and around Midway Island, and its impact on albatross chicks.
cleanup efforts re "ghost nets," tangles of abandoned fishing lines, nets and traps that snare and kill marine life.
Charles Moore and plastic nurdles

See also: the supporting graphics which shows an animation of the Pacific gyre, and a video that follows the article.

Source: LA Times -

Video - Trashing the Ocean

2006-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Watch this short (2 and a half minute) video overview of marine debris, large and small, and the Pacific Gyre.

Source: LA Times - Altered Oceans

Game: Kure Waste Chase

2006-03-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

Your adventure begins on Kure Atoll, the most remote of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, home to amazing wildlife but threatened by marine debris ...

Start the game - make sure to read the "how to play" for hints on winning bonus points.

Source: PBS - Ocean Adventures

Brochure - Plastic Debris

2005-06-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Plastic Debris - Rivers to Sea
is a project of Algalita Marine Research Foundation and the California Coastal Commission.

Download this brochure to find more about-

quantitative measure of the amount of debris,
and a breakout of where it comes from.

Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundation

Games - A-maze-ing Debris

2005-06-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Can you help Tente the Turtle find his way through a maze of marine debris to get his favorite food, the jellyfish.

Source: CNMI - Coastal Resources Management Office - Education Materials

Americans' thirst for portable water is behind drop in recycling rate

2005-03-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

Plastic bottles pile up as mountains of waste

According to this MSNBC report (march 2005)

only about 12% of plastic water bottles are recyled
it's important to recycle
- to reduce the amount of petroleum used to create the bottles
- to reduce litter

It goes on to describe the issues raised by proposals for a national bottle deposit law; states that have such laws have recycle rates of 80-90%.

Source: MSNBC

Article - Beachcombing Science from Bath Toys

2004-09-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Beachcombers' Alert is Curtis Ebbesmeyer's website.

See his interesting page on 'rubber duckies' (actually turtles, ducks, beavers and frogs).

Note: he now has several websites now:

Oceans Awash With Microscopic Plastic, Scientists Say

2004-05-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

Oceans Awash with Microscopic Plastic is a great overview of the impact of plastics on the ocean, and on us.

hint: click on "Printer Friendly" to the left of the third paragraph for an easier to read version

Source: National Geographic News

Article - Discovering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - by Charles Moore

2003-11-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

In this November 2003 article from Natural History magazine, Charles Moore tells the fascinating story of how he first came upon what we now call "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch".

The subtropical gyres of the world are part of the deep ocean realm, whose ability to absorb, hide, and recycle refuse has long been seen as limitless. That ecologically sound image, however, was born in an era devoid of petroleum-based plastic polymers. Yet the many benefits of modern society’s productivity have made nearly all of us hopelessly, and to a large degree rationally, addicted to plastic. Many, if not most, of the products we use daily contain or are contained by plastic. Plastic wraps, packaging, and even clothing defeat air and moisture and so defeat bacterial and oxidative decay. Plastic is ubiquitous precisely because it is so good at preventing nature from robbing us of our hard-earned goods through incessant decay.

But the plastic polymers commonly used in consumer products, even as single molecules of plastic, are indigestible by any known organism. Even those single molecules must be further degraded by sunlight or slow oxidative breakdown before their constituents can be recycled into the building blocks of life. There is no data on how long such recycling takes in the ocean—some ecologists have made estimates of 500 years or more. Even more ominously, no one knows the ultimate consequences of the worldwide dispersion of plastic fragments that can concentrate the toxic chemicals already present in the world’s oceans.

Source: Natural History Magazine - November 2003

Ocean Litter Gives Alien Species an Easy Ride

2002-04-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Read this interesting article on how small marine animals can hitch rides across the ocean.

... plastic acts like a floating hotel, transporting the organisms to areas they would never be able to reach on their own

hint: click on 'Printer Friendly' to the left of the third paragraph for an easier to read version

Source: National Geographic

Coloring Book - Don't Teach Your Trash to Swim

1998-06-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Have fun with the 30 or more pages to color, or puzzles to solve, in the book created for the International Year of the Ocean.

Source: NOAA - Year of the Ocean - 1998

Report - Plastic Pellets

1993-08-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

Download this report from the EPA (from August 1993!)

Plastic Pellets in the Aquatic Environment
Sources and Recommendations
A Summary
August 1993

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency