What will we be sailing thru, in the years to come?

[Geminidawn]

If I wasn't a tree hugger before, I am now:

YouTube - Charles Moore - the Great Pacific plastic trash island

[SaucySailoress]

That is a very sobering video. I'm sure we all know this is happening, but what do we do to help?

1. I'm drinking more water, and less soda; partly for health, and partly to reduce waste bottles and cans.
2. I never use disposable cups and plates at a bbq, or any function I host; I keep washable plastic plates in my sailing coolbag.
3. I'm growing vegetables, to reduce my 'supermarket footprint'
4. I never buy trash bags - I reuse shopping bags for that

It's not a lot, but I hope every little helps.

[Eleven]

The oceans can cope with far more than the coastal areas. The Plague, or whatever the antibiotic immune version of it turns out to be, will sort out the population surplus before too long (earth's time).
While Portugal has banned polythene shopping bags many other Euro Counties (not a spelling mistake) just can't be bothered. Brussels doesn't have a sewage works, it goes into the Rhine, only the BS written on paper goes to recycling!
Meanwhile those in charge continue their lunches. Hard to see the rocks ahead when your snout is so deeply buried in the trough.

[Lancerbye]

One of the world's biggest sources of plastic pollution is the bottled water source which has become popular in the last 10 years.

[barnakiel]

No worries. We will no longer be around one day, then the nature will rebound.

It is sad though today that we are still around.

b.

[AllezCat]

How come all the plastic on my boat perishes???
I was surprised at the number of "whole" light bulbs floating on the rocks above high tide, and everyone's missing left flip-flop, on some deserted atolls...

[zeehag]

plastic bottles are the fix with heat and a metal object for my kayak, which is maDE OF RECYCLED MILK/water bottles..LOL...i will continue to use bottled water and repair my kayak when needed. i will also buy another plastic kayak so i can recycle more bottles. never let any plastic go without cutting the constricting ring stuff open so it doesnt do to wildlife what that ugly pic does.

[Eleven]

Always cut a plastic bottle in half, top to bottom before packing together for recycling, they can't damage or trap anything that way.
Or use them as storage jars for stuff supplied in non water proof containers. The four pint milk bottles are great for under floor storage.

[rebel heart]

There is a ton of things people can do.

- Don't get bags unless you need them. Stores want to put everything in a plastic bag and 9/10 you can just carry it in your hands. Or bring your own bag if you need one.
- Try to use soaps/cleaners that aren't damaging to the environment.

Just in general I think you can do a lot by being cognizant of your impact. I've actually seen San Diego's waterfront get a lot cleaner over the years. Annual "Big Bay Cleanup" volunteer work removes the garbage and ensures that all the people who volunteer are so much less likely to make a mess.

There will always be litter bugs and polluters out there, but we can easily cut down on the numbers to something more manageable with some simple changes.

[rebel heart]

When I used to go backpacking as a kid we would make a point of picking up any trash we found along the way and packing it out. If you drill that stuff into your kid's head when they're small (like was done to me) it just feels horribly wrong to do "real" pollution.

Throwing banana peels into the ocean and a slick around the boat from cleaning some olive oil off a pan in the galley is completely acceptable and negligible (one could even argue "good") in my book, but plastic and anything that could foul or hurt marine life just has no place in the water.

[Lancerbye]

Totally agree with Rebel Heart, I also believe that filtering water and using reusable water containers while hiking etc. helps to cut down on the plastic dumping. We all have a plaques or are supposed to have something in writing on all cruising boats that states our waste management plan. Beyond 25 miles ( the least restrictive) no plastic is allowed to be dumped.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Thanks for posting. It really brings everything to reality.

Is that a turtle with the ring around the mid section? I'm surprised it survived so long like that.

[Whimsy]

Attached Thumbnails

That looks like a snapping turtle to me. Does anyone know if the band of whatever was put on the turtle intentionally when it was young?

I guess many people may immediately conclude the turtle is a victim of littering, but anyone who knows anything about snapping turtles know that they are widest in the middle (viewed from the top). How could a small snapping turtle ACCIDENTLY get a ring of whatever stuck around itself at its widest point?

I'm just asking if this is realistic to believe its accidental, or if anyone knows the real story for sure?

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by Whimsy

Attached Thumbnails

That looks like a snapping turtle to me. Does anyone know if the band of whatever was put on the turtle intentionally when it was young?

I guess many people may immediately conclude the turtle is a victim of littering, but anyone who knows anything about snapping turtles know that they are widest in the middle (viewed from the top). How could a small snapping turtle ACCIDENTLY get a ring of whatever stuck around itself at its widest point?

I'm just asking if this is realistic to believe its accidental, or if anyone knows the real story for sure?

This was taken from the video embedded in Post1. A story wasn't offered, just that this turtle is alive and under the care of some zoo keeper.

When turtles are fresh out of their eggs, they are tiny - like an inch or so, and it takes a few days for their shells to harden up. I can well imagine that this poor girl (?? They call it Mae West) got tangled in that bottle ring when tiny and squidgy...