Second garbage patch found in Atlantic

A new plastic patch has been discovered in the Atlantic...

news.bbc.co.uk...

Comparable in size to the pacific patch, this represents another threat to delicate sea life...

Scientists have discovered an area of the North Atlantic Ocean where plastic debris accumulates.

The region is said to compare with the well-documented "great Pacific garbage patch".

The maximum plastic density was 200,000 pieces per sq KM.

This plastic, like the pacific plastic, is now in our food chain!

When will we learn?

I find it strange that it accumulates at the top of the Burmuda triangle !

S&F for bringing to attention, the pollution of our seas is unsustainable and a very silly idea, its like they dont care that they're destroying ecosystems.

Originally posted by GW8UK
I find it strange that it accumulates at the top of the Burmuda triangle !

S&F for bringing to attention, the pollution of our seas is unsustainable and a very silly idea, its like they dont care that they're destroying ecosystems.

Who are the "they" which you are referring to? If you have ever misplaced a candy wrapper then "they" are you (and me). We need to start a boycott on all disposable plastics.

Originally posted by Mumbotron

Originally posted by GW8UK
I find it strange that it accumulates at the top of the Burmuda triangle !

S&F for bringing to attention, the pollution of our seas is unsustainable and a very silly idea, its like they dont care that they're destroying ecosystems.

Who are the "they" which you are referring to? If you have ever misplaced a candy wrapper then "they" are you (and me). We need to start a boycott on all disposable plastics.

Some people will pick up on the smallest things just to pick an argument with other members.


I have never littered in my life. Here greenpeace have outlined some issues and contributors archive.greenpeace.org...

reply to post by Muckster


This makes me sad!

Pathetic humans can't handle our own waste!

One would think that the gov't or even the UN would take the time to spend money trying to clean all this crap up.
And get the Pacific Garbage, too.

But, NO. They are too worried about how to get more money from the people. How to tax for others things like wars, oil, and healthcare.


HA! Goes to show where TPTB have their interests tied up.

The maximum plastic density was 200,000 pieces per sq KM.

This plastic, like the pacific plastic, is now in our food chain!

When will we learn?


ANSWER - NEVER

The human being is the only animal to trip over the same stone twice.
We do not learn from our mistakes or from history

[edit on 22/02/2010 by andy1972]

[edit on 22/02/2010 by andy1972]

Originally posted by Mumbotron

Originally posted by GW8UK
I find it strange that it accumulates at the top of the Burmuda triangle !

S&F for bringing to attention, the pollution of our seas is unsustainable and a very silly idea, its like they dont care that they're destroying ecosystems.

Who are the "they" which you are referring to? If you have ever misplaced a candy wrapper then "they" are you (and me). We need to start a boycott on all disposable plastics.

So every living being on the face of the planet is to blame?

I think not......

This is sad! We are destroying our planet!! I dont litter myself and I try to pick up garbage I see on the ground but everyone should do this too We all have to live on this planet and if we continue to slowly kill it, we ourselves wont be here in future generations. It takes nothing to throw trash away or to keep a bag in your car to throw garbage away.

I remember driving home from work with a friend and we stopped for Dairy Queen. We both got milk shakes and then we left. I was driving on I-95 going about 75mph and my friend decided to THROW her cup OUT the window! I was mortified! She said it was no big deal and I kind of went off on her about littering the planet like that. She said she does it all the time! I cant believe she did that. If I could have turned around I would have but there was no way I could have. Now she has a bag in her car for trash

Is there anyway these big piles of plastic junk can be cleaned out of the ocean??

I'm going to have to call BS on this. No pictures and a story from people with an agenda. Ilive on the great lakes and they are 100 times cleaner than 40 years ago so why wouldn't the oceans be cleaner?

Originally posted by mikellmikell
I'm going to have to call BS on this. No pictures and a story from people with an agenda. Ilive on the great lakes and they are 100 times cleaner than 40 years ago so why wouldn't the oceans be cleaner?

There are plenty of pictures of the Pacific patch, so it's not out of the question.

The reason why the Great Lakes are so clean is because they got to the point that a concerted effort needed to be made to clean them up. Also, only the US & Canada touch the lakes, so it's easier to control what gets into them than the oceans, which touch many nations.

Where do you think all the litter on beaches & from storm run-off goes? For most nations, it goes straight into the oceans. It's only a matter of time before the ocean currents cause this waste to collect in one spot. Plastic floats, so it's easy to spot big patches of it in the ocean.

How much of this do you think is making it's way to the ocean? While the US has been making improvements in the last 40 years to curb pollution, many other nations have done nothing.

[edit on 25-2-2010 by suicydking]

surely before we start to worry about climate change, the most sensible thing would be to tidy up the planet and find ways of beinag able to recycle our waste, this is where the money should be going. We can not control our climate, but we can clean the planet up.

With regards to littering, what ever company the packaging is from, they should be charged , it would make them think twice about how they package their products and promte better standards to their customers

Here is the problem; Plastic is NOT an organic compound. it is man made. what that means is plastic, when improperly disposed of, will break down into speck sized pieces, and remain in that state for INFINITY. Well, the birds and fish see these colored specks and they think its plankton. Sadly, plastic is not very filling, but soon enough we humans will be eating the fish that ate this plastic, so nature is serving up its own brand of justice Id say.

The reason the trash goes to one place is that the currents converge in the pacific gyer. Im sure its a similar mechanic at play in the Atlantic. Its odd though. If your at wrightsville beach NC, the beach is clean and nice, then you go to myrtle beach in SC and it is DISGUSTINGLY dirty. Of course it could be attributed to the sheer number and type of people who go to myrtle. Most people around here call it the redneck riviera...

reply to post by Mumbotron

We need to start a boycott on all disposable plastics.

That won't solve the problem. We need to develop processes to effectively recycle or negate the negative effects of these plastics.

Ever see some of the barges loaded with garbage, heading out of NYC, to be dumped out there? Disgusting.

We need to start using biodegradable plastics in a much larger scale (yes they exist and we use them). Screw climate change, pollution is the number one problem right now.

I'm more worried about what just happened in Italy at the moment than a garbage patch in the Atlantic.

reply to post by DaMod



I agree about biodegradable plastics

What happened in Italy?

Oh ok... i think you mean this?

news.bbc.co.uk...

Very bad indeed... it will take a while for the river to recover from that! Although i personally think that the Garbage patch is a far bigger problem in terms of long term damage!




[edit on 25-2-2010 by Muckster]

Originally posted by GW8UK


Some people will pick up on the smallest things just to pick an argument with other members.


I have never littered in my life. Here greenpeace have outlined some issues and contributors archive.greenpeace.org...

No offense intended. I just don't believe you have never lost a scrap of plastic before. I bet you've put disposable plastic in the garbage before too. That stuff doesn't vanish when they take it away. It just seems like you are under the impression that we are not all responsible. Well maybe the Luddites aren't, and if you're a Luddite (on a computer), I apologize.

Originally posted by dodgygeeza

Originally posted by Mumbotron

Originally posted by GW8UK
I find it strange that it accumulates at the top of the Burmuda triangle !

S&F for bringing to attention, the pollution of our seas is unsustainable and a very silly idea, its like they dont care that they're destroying ecosystems.

Who are the "they" which you are referring to? If you have ever misplaced a candy wrapper then "they" are you (and me). We need to start a boycott on all disposable plastics.

So every living being on the face of the planet is to blame?

I think not......

I'd be interested to know why you think you are immune from blame. Maybe you can show us your model behavior which can prevent further plastic accumulations.

reply to post by mishigas

I agree a boycott wont solve the problem but it is a a step towards curtailing our adding to the problem. So what's the best solution?... Cleanup boat robots, engineered organisms, space based UV lasers... taking all bets..

Originally posted by Mumbotron

Originally posted by dodgygeeza

Originally posted by Mumbotron

Originally posted by GW8UK
I find it strange that it accumulates at the top of the Burmuda triangle !

S&F for bringing to attention, the pollution of our seas is unsustainable and a very silly idea, its like they dont care that they're destroying ecosystems.

Who are the "they" which you are referring to? If you have ever misplaced a candy wrapper then "they" are you (and me). We need to start a boycott on all disposable plastics.

So every living being on the face of the planet is to blame?

I think not......

I'd be interested to know why you think you are immune from blame. Maybe you can show us your model behavior which can prevent further plastic accumulations.

I think you have obviously forgotten that there are bigger fish in the sea than you or I. Is it not the organisations who decide for us where these plastics get dumped in the first place, or what kind of plastic it will be before it is even created? We are simply victims of the era we live in, where money speaks louder than whining about it.

Your argument seems to be that we are all to blame by just being alive, which in my opion, is a very narrow and overly sensationalist way of thinking about it.

50% of the population could take a stand and decide to boycott these plastics and it wouldn't make a tiny bit of difference because when there's demand there is always supply.

Flogging ourselves and proclaiming we are not worthy is not going to work unless the people who actually have the power to make the difference do something. Why should I feel obliged to feel guilty about it?

Sensationalism won't get anyone anywhere.