Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Think Green Thursday


Thank you, Michelle, for hosting this meme for us. Think Green Thursday has become one of my favorites.

I am returning once again to the Monterey Bay Aquarium blog, Sea Notes for information for my post. I really think it should be titled: Plastics Are Forever.

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean is an area twice the size of Texas, commonly known now as "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch". It's correct name is the North Pacific Gyre. This huge area of the Pacific is where the motion of the water manages to collect all of the trash we discard on the beaches and from boats into the water. This continues to move the trash, especially plastics, around and around, endlessly.

Our sea birds and animals often eat this trash, either accidentally or mistaking it for an edible morsel. Sadly, more and more are being discovered after they die, with stomachs full of such trash.

There is now a project called Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastics Expedition (SEAPLEX), attempting to address this problem. But wouldn't it be a great idea for anyone living on or near any of our shorelines to volunteer to pick up trash on our beaches? If there is no organized group to do this in your area - how about just walking a beach every so often with a trash bag. Or maybe we could talk to someone in our local government, or with some service group, and suggest an organized effort.

Logo and photo courtest of MBA Sea Notes

7 comments:

Christine Gram said...

I agree. Being on the beach everyday, I am sickened by the amount of trash I come across. Every day we leave our place clean and every day other people do not. Then they complain when the afternoon tides bring a current of all their crap into their swimming area. Cigarettes in the drains is another maddening habit here. Yuck yuck yuck. The sea is vast and wide, but a world full of polluters will kill it in the end.

Think Green Thursday said...

Thank you Bobbie..I enjoy it too even though I think it is the smallest meme ever..LOL... I heard about this garbage patch and I am trying to remember where and I was horrified. People don't realize that wildlife is dying from all this stuff.....or maybe they don't care...

Mimi Lenox said...

Bobbie,

Thank you on two counts.
For posting the BlogBlast countdown and displaying your globes. Wonderful.

For directing Karin at Wise Old Woman about peace globes. She is so sweet! I found this out because I saw a comment she made on Facebook (I literally stumbled across it) and some recruiting she had done for the Facebook peace group. I was blown away by her dedication. What she said inspired me to write a post about it.

It is here.
We will help her with her peace globe!

You are great.
Thank you.

Daryl said...

You are a true activist ... brava!

Deborah Godin said...

It's just heartbreaking to think of animals staving with bellies full of plastic. It's important to encourage people to clean up the shores, and hopefully to encourage the tossers to stop throwing it away!

maryt/theteach said...

I hate it when people throw stuff out their car window and leave things behind at the beach. They think the world in their garbage pail! :(

Kay said...

Great idea, Bobbie.