Today is Earth Day. Though I am a good recycler, I realize that I could do so much more. One improvement would be to reduce the amount of plastic I bring into our home. The article below is really thought provoking. Please read.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Currently, scientists believe the world's largest garbage dump isn't on land…it's in the Pacific Ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches from the coast of California to Japan, and it's estimated to be twice the size of Texas.
In some places, the floating debris—estimated to be about 90 percent plastic—goes 90 feet deep. Elsewhere, there are six times more pieces of plastic than plankton, the main food source for many sea animals.
Where did this trash come from? Marine biologists estimate that about 80 percent of the litter is from land, either dumped directly into waterways or blown into rivers and streams from states as far away as Iowa.
2 comments:
Wow!...that is a lot of trash! The Rhine River, which is considered a relatively clean river, rises after we get rain. When the river goes back down, it is amazing the amount of trash that is left behind. I've noticed that most of the trash is alcohol related...my conclusion is that people consuming alcohol are often irresponsible in keeping the earth clean.
I hope they aren't dropping their booze paraphernalia when they, themselves fall into the river.
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