It’s Mind Blowing Time: VBS.TV Visits the Garbage Filled Pacific Ocean Gyre

Excuse my language, but holy fracking shite! I’ve been aware of the global tragedy that is the Pacific Ocean Gyre for a while now, but I REALLY didn’t ‘get it’ until I watched this 12 part video from VBS.tv- TOXIC: Garbage Island. In short- humans have created a toxic wasteland of plasticized stew the size of the continental United States.

Stop whatever you are doing right now and go watch them.

Link [VBS.TV- TOXIC- Garbage Island Part 1]

Garbage is the Enemy of the Earth

Great Flying Spaghetti Monster! If this doesn’t shock the hell out of you, I don’t know what will.

This is a photo of a dead albatross found in the Hawaiian Islands next to the hundreds of pieces of plastic and metal pieces of junk that was found in its stomach.

We’ve written about the Pacific Gyre before, a psty of the Pacifiic Ocean twice as big as the Continential U.S. that is is filled with the detrius of humanity- mostly plastic bags and swag. Plastic doesn’t decompose, it just breaks down into smaller pieces. There is now significantly more microscopic pieces of plastic than plankton in those parts of the ocean. It’s really bad and getting worse every year.

We need to eliminate the whole concept of trash and garbage. The answer is Cradle to Cradle, everywhere.

Link [Tao of Change]

The Pacific Ocean Gyre: A Huge Swirling Mass of Sadness (and Plastic)

When you’re fighting to save the world somedays are good days, some are bad. Whenever I read about the Pacific Ocean Gyre it usually turns into a bad one.

In case you haven’t read about this man made environmental disaster before let me fill you in. There is an area that is TWICE THE SIZE of the Continental U.S. in the Pacific Ocean between California and Japan that is full of garbage. The ocean currents push trash, mostly plastic, into a relatively stable area of the Pacific Sea where it just sits.

Some of it floats on the surface while the rest settles on to the sea floor. Plastic doesn’t decompose, so even when it “breaks down” it remains plastic. Scientists have measured the water there and found microscopic pieces of plastic that outnumber plankton 6 to 1. It’s downright depressing.

Marine animals and birds eat the plastic and die terrible deaths as they starve and choke to death on plastic soda rings and shopping bags.

The lesson here- people suck, recycle your plastic, and stop being such all-consuming whores.

Link [Pacific Ocean Gyre on Wikipedia] & [Green Up and Go]