Trash

[Vega1860]

Everyone should be aware of this issue. More than that, we should all be doing something about it. This is no eco-nut exaggeration. We sailed through the "Trash patch" in the middle of the North Pacific for two weeks in 2007. Every time you see a plastic bag blowing down the street you can believe it will wind up in the ocean.

Video Link

Let your conscience be your guide.

[Ram]

WOW GREAT!
I would like to see more of these guys

[Vega1860]

Originally Posted by Ram

WOW GREAT!
I would like to see more of these guys

They are not the only ones but they may be the most interesting because of the boat made from junk. You can see more on their YouTube channel.

Here is someone else working on it:

YouTube - Have You Heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? (repost)

And there are more. Just look at the "Related Videos" side bar on YouTube

[DeepFrz]

And Roz Savage

Roz Savage, Ocean Rower

[Celestialsailor]

Very cool Vega!!! I had seen something like this on another thread and was appalled on how many right thinkers were snubbing their noses at it. I for one feel we need more people like you on this forum to bring awareness

[maxingout]

When we were in the Tuamotu Atolls of French Polynesia, the windward side of the atolls was a giant plastic garbage dump. All the plastic washed up on reef and windward shore. There were lots of flip flops as well.

[skipmac]

This is not just a recent phenomenon. When I first started sailing in 1972 I noticed styrofoam cups floating along weed lines the first day at sea. Started paying attention and quickly realized they were everywhere. Every day I would see cups floating in the ocean, even hundreds of miles at sea. I grew to hate the damn things and vowed never use styrofoam cups if at all avoidable. Now trying to avoid plastic packaging.

[Aussiesuede]

Most have no clue about the enormous amount of floating garbage. It's a staggeringly disgusting amount....

[jwidahonurse]

I guess my quandry is....how do you stop the Cruise liners and other countries from throwing their waste out in the ocean?

[David M]

Aussie,
Those pictures just make me sick. Especially the guy canoeing through that stuff.

The solution first has to start with the individual. Stop throwing plastics in the ocean. Buy fewer plastic wrapped products. When you do have to throw away plastics make sure it is recycled or gets dumped in an appropriate land based disposal site.

Secondly, start making others aware of the problem.

Originally Posted by jwidahonurse

I guess my quandry is....how do you stop the Cruise liners and other countries from throwing their waste out in the ocean?

The major cruise lines are no longer dumping plastics in the ocean. Perhaps not all cruise lines have stopped this nasty habit, but the majors have. There are big fines now if they get caught and its real easy to get caught when there are so many potential witnesses on a ship, including whistle blowing employees.

I would imagine the major source is not ships so much as it is the wind blowing plastic garbage from land into the sea. There are lots of less developed countries where there is plenty of plastic garbage strewn along roads near the water. I have seen this many times.

Maybe it is time to start making more plastics that degrade in sunlight? Maybe it is time for a consortium of nations to build a few ships whose mission it is to strain plastics out of the ocean? That certainly beats paying $100 billion to AIG and Citigroup.

The only thing that can be done about countries that dump plastic at sea is international pressure. Start with 100% tariffs on their exports.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by David M

Aussie,
Those pictures just make me sick. Especially the guy canoeing through that stuff.






The major cruise lines are no longer dumping plastics in the ocean. Perhaps not all cruise lines have stopped this nasty habit, but the majors have. There are big fines now if they get caught and its real easy to get caught when there are so many potential witnesses on a ship, including whistle blowing employees.

I would imagine the major source is not ships so much as it is the wind blowing plastic garbage from land into the sea. There are lots of less developed countries were plastic garbage strewn along roads near the water. I have seen this plenty of times.

The only thing that can be done about countries that dump plastic at sea is international pressure.

For years though the U.S. and Japan as well as other countries I'm sure barged huge loads of garbage out to sea and dumped it. I'm sure this is what we are seeing now. We new then as we do now what the results would be. But as usual...out of sight...out of mind attitudes prevailed. The damage is done, now we pay. I'm sure while cleaning up this mess, another one is starting somewhere else.
My gripe has been for years that most of the worlds problems can be attributed to over-population.

[Ram]

Some places like the N. African Coast people throw plastic in the ocean like it was a garbage can! I think changing to biodegradeabul and education is the only way to go!

[jwidahonurse]

Wow.. I just didn't realize how horrendous the garbage problem was. We are getting ready to do a shake down in the Pacific Sound but, when we head out for our serious blue water sailing, I guess I need to revamp my thinking in what we will use to wash dishes with and take as few food items in their containers...Thank you for making me aware.

[TaoJones]

Captain Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, and captain of the foundation's research vessel, recently (Feb '09) gave a presentation at TED on this subject. It is 07:20 in length, and can be viewed here:

Capt. Charles Moore on the seas of plastic | Video on TED.com

And this is Capt. Moore's bio:

Charles Moore | Profile on TED.com

[Vega1860]

Originally Posted by jwidahonurse

Wow.. I just didn't realize how horrendous the garbage problem was. We are getting ready to do a shake down in the Pacific Sound but, when we head out for our serious blue water sailing, I guess I need to revamp my thinking in what we will use to wash dishes with and take as few food items in their containers...Thank you for making me aware.

You will need to develop a trash management plan.

Start by bringing as little packaging aboard as possible. In general, we transfer everything possible into reusable containers and try not to bring anything aboard in plastic packaging. You never know when something might get away from you and blow off the boat. Since our vermin control rule prohibits paper shopping bags, cardboard boxes (Including cereal boxes and the like) and egg cartons from coming aboard, we have very little trash to deal with at sea. Even though un-coated paper packaging will break down fairly quickly and is actually OK to toss overboard we avoid doing so mainly by not bringing it aboard in the first place.

Some things are OK to toss overboard at sea (Beyond 12 miles out) but NEVER plastics of any kind. The less you bring aboard the less you will have to worry about.

Buy soups and sauces in metal cans and glass jars instead of plastic coated paper cartons. Either open both ends of the cans so they will sink before tossing them overboard or wash them out with salt water and store them aboard until you reach shore if you have the room. Mylar packaging is problematic. If you like to bring Powerbars and the like you have to be careful that the very lightweight wrappers don't blow away and you have to wash them before packing them in the trash. You wouldn't believe what can grow inthe trash bin if any food remnants get in there.

We should all do our part as boaters, certainly, but the real problem is trash from cities on land.