Plastic pollution in our seas

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I think history proves that education will never change the users and abusers.. else litter and doggie poo signs in parks etc would be obsolete and relegated to museums..

Having observed that in a couple of instances here in Australia education has been very effective I tend to the opinion that education sometimes works better than regulation.

The first instance was a TV campaign to get people to stop people disposing of rubbish by throwing it from their vehicles. At one time the road and highway verges in Australia were fairly severely littered, particularly on the outskirts of country towns. Our various governments carried out a fairly extensive advertising campaign and it is now fairly rare to see roadside litter in Australia.

The second was the Grim Reaper anti AIDS campaign which fairly effectively decreased the propagation of this disease in Australia.

[lordgeoff]

Originally Posted by Sputnik

I recently went to the Red Sea, Egypt, and was appalled by the quantity of plastic floating in the water. Please have a look at this petition....something really needs to be done.

https://www.change.org/p/un-secretar...ect-our-oceans

Thank you.

Neil

Hate to use the term #FakeNews....
There is a lot of photoshopped material to support various orchestrated bans on plastic. Even a Doctorate states that plastic in the ocean will weigh more than the fish and whales etc in the oceans.
Don't know about fellow cruisers both on water and on land but my plastic goes to recycle or land fill. Like most people. There are terrible littering issues in some of the 3rd world countries and Asia. My experience is coastal Tunisia.
In my experience European waters, USA, Australia etc have garbage collections and recycling programs in place and the waters are respectably free of any rubbish including plastic.
Considering the many countries on the shores of the Med and the massive boating and tourist business in the Med, the waters are remarkably clean.
As to the Island of plastic somewhere in the Pacific... I haven't seen it but if it exists it is undoubtedly the result currents AND littering.
Personally I cannot throw anything in the water or on a pavement.
Like most of us we would walk however long it takes to find a bin and we all bag our rubbish till we get to port.
As I said. Hate to use the term #FakeNews but the post above should be treated with suspicion.

[SV DestinyAscen]

Originally Posted by lordgeoff

Hate to use the term #FakeNews....
There is a lot of photoshopped material to support various orchestrated bans on plastic. Even a Doctorate states that plastic in the ocean will weigh more than the fish and whales etc in the oceans.
Don't know about fellow cruisers both on water and on land but my plastic goes to recycle or land fill. Like most people. There are terrible littering issues in some of the 3rd world countries and Asia. My experience is coastal Tunisia.
In my experience European waters, USA, Australia etc have garbage collections and recycling programs in place and the waters are respectably free of any rubbish including plastic.
Considering the many countries on the shores of the Med and the massive boating and tourist business in the Med, the waters are remarkably clean.
As to the Island of plastic somewhere in the Pacific... I haven't seen it but if it exists it is undoubtedly the result currents AND littering.
Personally I cannot throw anything in the water or on a pavement.
Like most of us we would walk however long it takes to find a bin and we all bag our rubbish till we get to port.
As I said. Hate to use the term #FakeNews but the post above should be treated with suspicion.

You're calling fake news despite the OP saying he observed that conditions in the red Sea was not good and you selfadmitting your exp limited to tunesia?

[Polux]

Originally Posted by SV DestinyAscen

I'm not interested in the blame game. I don't fault the less fortunate for being more concerned about survival and economic growth than sustainability. But the point re education stands.

In the US, I've seen adults shove fast-food trash down the storm water drain. We can regulate the industries but the education IMO will be key.

It is not only the education but the education and the mindset. It is clear for me that we have to change your living paradigm. We cannot continue living the way we live.

The news is that that tough 10 years ago would make most laugh and now most educated people take that seriously and industrialized countries stated to take serious measures.

Germans, curiously one of the more industrialized countries in Europe are one of the more concerned and their commitment is more visible on this measure than in anything else: the projected ban on combustion engines in 12 years. France and UK talk to do that in 22 years, a huge diference and some other countries don't want to hear to talk about it.

Off course the crazy climate that has put US with some large areas as cold as Siberia may give a help in what regards to start changing position in what regards that and more related things. That is not only the cold. Many countries had this year the most severe drought ever, not to mention the Sahara with ice.

It is all connected and we have to change our ways and the way we think. It is not going to be easy for our sons.

Edit:
It seems that there are countries with an even more aggressive policy regarding fossil fuels than Germany: Norway and Holland want a ban in just 7 years!!! India points also to 2030 (as Germany). Ir appears that China will join up on a ban in few years, maybe even faster than Holland and Norway: they are investing heavily on the electric car Industry.

[SV DestinyAscen]

We have to change your living paradigm?

What? Are you this obnoxious in Portguese?

[CascadeThumper]

The oceans need our concerted efforts and best science. I have heard several claims as to the size of the Pacific Garbage Patch, others say zoom in and comb the Pacific with Google Earth and the patch does not exist. I have seen kelp islands in the Strait of Juan De Fuca that are maybe 200 yards in diameter. I find 10,000 containers lost each year to be an astounding number. https://singularityhub.com/2011/04/0...look-at-one-2/
Many countries barge their garbage out to sea. Could be the bigger pollution/plastic sources are where change would have the most impact. Victoria BC is still dumping its raw sewage into the Straits. Whatever the facts are they tend to get lost in the emotional outcry. I'm skeptical of the sky is falling websites that collect email addresses then beg for $ now knowing that you have a special soft spot. How many of those $ are funneled to political group with an addenda you might not agree with. A Big garbage patch, I'll wager. Caveat Emptor take a good look before you send in your CC.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by SV DestinyAscen

We have to change your living paradigm?

What? Are you this obnoxious in Portguese?

I had to have a look at an English dictionary to see if I was not using the sentence "changing living paradigm" in an inappropriate way but I cannot see anything wrong.

Paradigm means: "A typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model"
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/paradigm

So I said what I wanted to say and the meaning is clear in English, as it is in Portuguese.

I looked also to the meaning of "obnoxious" to see what exactly you are calling me:

obnoxious: it means "Extremely unpleasant".
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/obnoxious

So are you saying that I am extremely unpleasant to have an opinion that we have to change our model of live, the way we live?

It seems to me that you simply don't know the meaning of the word paradigm.

It seems to me that you should look at a dictionary before calling others unpleasant names in a completely unjustified way. It is no nice neither leaves you well on the picture.

[SV DestinyAscen]

It is not only the education but the education and the mindset. It is clear for me that we have to change your living paradigm.

Guess your response answers my question.

[boatman61]

Polux.. I do proof reading for a couple of University professors here in Portugal to help with their international papers..
Maybe you should PM your posts to me first to keep the Grammar/Spelling Police in CF happy..

[cyan]

If you look a 7 maps of the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", you will find 7 different positions and shapes. This does not mean the problem is make-believe. Most of us have found floating garbage in our cruising, some of which looks down right lethal for sea creatures. I hate it. especially the plastic.

I really hope we humans can come together for a solution. A dialog is a good start. I'm not sold on petitions and donations, but I have an open mind. I get REALLY interested in new stuff like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiy7...ature=youtu.be

[Zugbug99]

I work at Midway Island in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. We sit at the bottom of the North Pacific Gyre. The amount of plastic and debris that washes ashore is astonishing! Most of it from Japan and China.

A 18 foot fiberglass fishing boat washed up on shore with the last big storm a month ago. It is actually in quite good shape! Covered in layers of barnacles and crud. Along with tires, fishing floats, toothbrushes, whiskey bottles, water bottles, and anything plastic.

Most of the debris is collected, sorted, and sent by barge back to Honolulu for further disposal.

There is a great movie on Youtube called plastic paradise for those interested on how plastics affect the environment. It takes a severe toll on the great seabirds, primarily the Lasan albatross that nest on island.

The solution starts with one - ourselves! We must demand more from our governments to help control the existing problem, and work toward realistic alternatives to plastics.

I think everyone on this board has a great love and respect for the oceans and waterways of the earth.

Getting the message to our friends and family is a start.

[boatman61]

In the UK there's a project started by Sky TV...
https://skyoceanrescue.com/our-latest-videos/
They have a sailboat with an all female crew that's circumnavigated the UK taking samples along the way to highlight the situation in UK waters..
I believe they are now venturing further afield.. possibly around the world.

[El Pinguino]

Plastic in the sea, Fake News!!

Meanwhile, back in the real world, in the delta above Buenos Aires..........

[SV DestinyAscen]

Originally Posted by CascadeThumper

The oceans need our concerted efforts and best science. I have heard several claims as to the size of the Pacific Garbage Patch, others say zoom in and comb the Pacific with Google Earth and the patch does not exist. I have seen kelp islands in the Strait of Juan De Fuca that are maybe 200 yards in diameter. I find 10,000 containers lost each year to be an astounding number. https://singularityhub.com/2011/04/0...look-at-one-2/
Many countries barge their garbage out to sea. Could be the bigger pollution/plastic sources are where change would have the most impact. Victoria BC is still dumping its raw sewage into the Straits. Whatever the facts are they tend to get lost in the emotional outcry. I'm skeptical of the sky is falling websites that collect email addresses then beg for $ now knowing that you have a special soft spot. How many of those $ are funneled to political group with an addenda you might not agree with. A Big garbage patch, I'll wager. Caveat Emptor take a good look before you send in your CC.

The "patch" isn't composed of large islands of garbage, but theorized to be composed of higher concentration of plastic particulates circling in the gyres. Efforts are being made to take water samples for empirical analysis, but the communications is always hampered by writers who aren't interested in communication but in views.

[Emerald Sea]

It is quite appalling indeed. In our 30k we've regularly seen plastic in water and particularly on the beach, but it was more prevalent in our passage from Hawaii to Victoria where it was both visible and near invisible constantly i.e. every day for 3 weeks. We would scoop up the water and see the micro plastic pieces.

Then we were advised - DONT eat the fish you catch on a daily basis. They ALL have plastic in their bellies and systems.

Tragic. Our children are going to think we are such dip shits for completely ruining our environment in a single generation.