Ocean garbage attracts adventurers

The Eastern Pacific garbage zone, located in remote waters between California and Hawaii, is created by ocean currents that collect millions of tons of waste plastics in the world.

Every year, up to 10% of the 260 million tons of plastic produced floats in the oceans after being used, most of which are concentrated in garbage areas such as the Eastern Pacific garbage.

This summer, two separate expeditions will sail to the above garbage zone to record the severity of the problem and call attention to this ocean pollution disaster from the international community.

'Every person who comes to the beach can see the plastic spilling, even in the most remote areas,' said Doug Woodring, project leader Kaisei, a non-profit project to protect the ocean, giving know.

The 53-meter New Horizon ship owned by Scripps Oceanographic Institute at the University of California at San Diego will leave San Diego with Kaisei team members on August 2. Next, the 46m long Kaisei will also sail from San Francisco on August 4.

Dose poison for marine ecosystems

Although looking at this vast area of ​​garbage can make us startled about how people treat the environment, but remember that not all junk has floated on the surface layer.

Up to 70% of plastics here have sunk to the depths of the ocean - out of sight, but not outside the Earth's ecosystem.

Most plastics have crumbled into small pieces flooded in seawater and became a poison for marine ecosystems.

Countless birds and fish have died because they mistakenly believe these debris are food and swallow them.

Ocean garbage attracts adventurers (Photo: .nationalgeographic.com)

Jim Dufour, a Scripps institute, is proposing project Kaisei to specifically calculate the volume and nature of garbage in this area.

'We need chemical analyzes and statistics on how much plastic has settled in the water and the ocean floor, how much plastic has broken into debris and into the belly of marine life,' said Dufour. .

The project will also consider these landfill cleanup options, which are much more difficult than clearing land-based garbage.

'This is a challenge. There were countless sea creatures living underneath and mixed in the trash. If you simply put up a large net to remove this pile of garbage, you will end the life of many creatures that humans have previously tried to protect. '

Right from the starting place

Woodring, a member of the Kaisei project, stressed that in an effort to prevent plastics from continuing to attack the ocean, littering laws seem to be ineffective compared to actively collecting and treating Waste management right from their place of origin.

80% of ocean waste streams come from the mainland, Woodring explained.

'They come from rivers, streams, ditches, ditches and beaches.'

"In many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, there is still no way to deal with plastic bottles and plastic bags, omissions everywhere in everyday life."

Project Kaisei hopes to somehow bring value to these waste plastics, especially plastics that have never been recycled by humans.

Technologies that convert plastics into fuels, fabrics, or plastics can make people collect plastic and turn it into an economic resource.

'This is possible,' says Woodring . 'We need to speak up - not just a sad story about poison and shipwrecks in the ocean. There are many opportunities for improvement and breakthrough. '

Plastiki

And improvement is a hallmark of David de Rothschild on this journey.

Adventure Ecology, an environmentalist and founder, will drive a recycled plastic sailboat - mostly used water bottles - from San Francisco to the garbage and to Sydney forever in the coming months.

De Rothschild's journey is expected to remind people what we get when we review the current use of plastics.

'Plastics are not enemies,' De Rothschild said.

'Our own way of disposal and recycling is worth condemning.'

De Rothschild explained that Plastiki 'boat building' this time is most likely the first step in the 'smart plastics' industry.

'Journey with Plastiki' this time will certainly be interesting, but the most exciting thing is the ability to bring about smart plastic dialogues. '