01/16/2015
What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Simply put, it's a swirling mass of largely plastic waste in the middle of the Pacific ocean that is big enough to qualify as the planet's largest landfill. Roughly located in an area between 135° to 155°W and 35° to 42°N, much of the world's trash has accumulated into this part of the Pacific Ocean based on the movement of ocean currents.
A rose of any other name applies to the Pacific Garbage Patch - you'll also hear it called the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," the "Pacific Trash Gyre," the "Pacific Trash Vortex," and the "Oh My...What Have We Done!?" among other names.
The name "Pacific Garbage Patch" has led many to believe that this area is a large and continuous patch of easily visible marine debris items such as bottles and other litter, akin to a literal island of trash that should be visible with satellite or aerial photographs. While higher concentrations of litter items can be found in this area, along with other debris such as derelict fishing nets, much of the debris is actually small pieces of floating plastic that are not immediately evident to the naked eye.
The debris is continuously mixed by wind and wave action and widely dispersed both over huge surface areas and throughout the top portion of the water column. It is possible to sail through the "garbage patch" area and see very little or no debris on the water's surface. It is also difficult to estimate the size of these "patches," because the borders and content constantly change with ocean currents and winds. Regardless of the exact size, mass, and location of the “garbage patch,†manmade debris does not belong in our oceans and waterways and must be addressed.
What?
What exactly is the Pacific Trash Vortex? Well, it's a huge floating mass of trash twice the size of Texas that has the dubious honor of being the largest landfill on the planet. 90% of this trash is plastic, 80% which originates on land with the other 20% coming from seafaring vessels and oil platforms.
Where?
The name might give you a hint that Pacific Trash Vortex is located in the Pacific, but did you know that it's actually two separate vortex's of trash?
Image Courtesy of NOAA
The Eastern Garbage Patch floats between Hawaii and California while The Western Garbage Patch forms east of Japan and west of Hawaii. The two are connected by a super long current called the Subtropical Convergence Zone.
Who?
Who's responsible for this mess? Humans, especially those in the developed world who are consuming, discarding and replacing mostly Chinese-made plastic crap at an ever-accelerating rate. The U.S. has 5% of the world's population but consumes 30% of the world's resources and creates 30% of the world's waste.
When?
No-one knows exactly when Great Pacific Garbage Patch began to form but we do know plastic has been around for the past 144 years and except for the small amount that's been incinerated every bit of plastic ever made still exists. Given we're churning out about 60 billion tons of it, much of it disposable, it's no wonder monsters the like the Great Pacific Vortex have been created.
Why?
Why do we care about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Because its killing more than a million birds and marine animals every year who consume or get caught in plastic debris. Worse, the Pacific Trash Vortex is only one of five massive trash vortices, which together covers 40 percent of the world's oceans.
How?
So how do we stop it? Each of us tosses about 185 pounds of plastic per year, much of it—like PVC rubber duckies—toxic. We need to start by stopping. Do we need all those plastic toys and plastic bottles? Can we say no to plastic bags and bring our own canvas grocery bags? Can we commit to recycling? By reducing, reusing and recycling we could reduce our waste stream by 50% or more, a major step in fighting the growing Plastic Trash Vortex.
When was the first garbage patch discovered?
In 1972 the North Atlantic Garbage Patch was documented by E.J. Carpenter, and K.L. Smith Jr.
In 1988 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the U.S. department of commerce. Based on research and measurements between 1985 and 1988.
Garbage patch and garbage islands are terms invented in the media. Although it size is huge it is not a landfill or anything very visible as you might think the first time. The correct word would be marine debris. I would simply say plastic pollution because the real problem is the long lasting property of plastic. This is key for the solution because once plastic becomes a biodegradable product, which can be done today, there will be no place in the world where ever lasting waste can be collected.
Where Can I Learn More About It?
Visit WIH Resource Group's You Tube Channel by CLICKING HERE for informational videos.
Sources:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Science Foundation
Treehugger.com
National Geographic
Earthsky
Garbagepatch.net
