Ocean Plastic? The Solution Starts on Land

The goods news about the possibility of collecting the tons of plastic polluting the world's waters with the Ocean Cleanup Array was welcomed by many.

Not so fast, says Stiv Wilson of 5 Gyres.

"There are no great estimates (at least scientific) on how much plastic is in the ocean, but I can say from firsthand knowledge (after sailing to four of the world’s five gyres) that it’s so pervasive it confounds the senses. Gyre cleanup has often been floated as a solution in the past, and recentlyBoyan Slat’s proposed Ocean Cleanup Array went viral in a big way. The nineteen-year-old claims that the system can clean a gyre in five years with “unprecedented efficiency” and then recycle the trash collected. The problem is that the barriers to gyre cleanup are so massive that the vast majority of the scientific and advocacy community believe it’s a fool’s errand—the ocean is big, the plastic harvested is near worthless and sea life would be harmed. The solutions starts on land."

Photo: Stiv Wilson 5 Gyres

Read more at EcoWatch: http://ecowatch.com/2013/fallacy-cleaning-gyres-of-plastic-with-ocean-cleanup-array/

Connect with 5 Gyres: http://5gyres.org/

If a Monkey Can, Why Can't We?

Click the video to see what the monkey does. Amazing!

The Ghost Below - Art Exhibit

Dive deep into the issues of ocean trash with a tale 

from the belly of a whale!

Artists Richard and Judith Lang have created an art experience from one unsuspecting whale’s deathly meals! This hulking and thought-provoking sculpture, made from a portion of the 450lbs of "ghost nets" and trash found in the belly of a dead sperm whale necropsied by The Marine Mammal Center, is just one heartbreaking tale of what can happen to marine life when humans set their garbage adrift. You’ll see, touch, learn and be inspired to make the ocean a healthier place for all.

The Ghost Below

Art Installation by Judith & Richard Lang

At The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, CA

Netting collected from the Pacific Gyre by members of Project Kaisei 

© The Marine Mammal Center

The word “ghost” in the exhibit title was inspired by the ghost nets which are lost or discarded at sea by the fishing industry and left to float aimlessly in the oceans for a lifetime. Birds, fish, crabs and marine mammals get caught in this silent floating debris and are lost in what is called “ghost fishing.” It is estimated that ghost nets account for approximately 10% of all marine debris.

Read more: http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/Get-Involved/events/ghost-below.html

A Message From Greenpeace

Look what's happening in India...

Source: Greenpeace International

China Finds Dead Ducks in Sichuan River

In more bad news out of China today we have learned through a Bloomberg report that more than 1000 dead ducks have been discovered in the Nanhe River in Sichuan.  

This news, along with the recent discovery of over 16,000 dead pigs in a Shanghai river, have drawn attention to China's food supply industry and brought about concerns for the country's drinking water supply system.

At last count there were more than 16,000 dead pigs found in a river near Shanghai, China. According to Business Insider, we may finally know the story behind the dead pigs:

While pig breeders in China are legally barred from sending pigs that die from disease or natural causes to butchers, estimates suggest that dead pigs being sold on the black market might make up to 10 percent of China's pork supply, the South China Morning Post reports.

In an interview with China's CCTV this week, Pan Huimin, a resident of the region where the pigs were first found, told the crew there was a “100 per cent” correlation between the pigs in the river and his own arrest for dealing in dead pigs.

Pan explained that his business was well-known in the region. “I managed [to get rid of the dead pigs] for them while they benefited financially too," he explained.

What appears to have happened is that farmers, perhaps accustomed to keeping pigs that died naturally to sell later, may have panicked upon hearing of Pan's arrest and dumped the pigs. At least one farmer has come forward to admit to dumping the pigs so far.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-dead-pig-trade-2013-3#ixzz2OgBWhpSZ


Source: Business Insider - Dead Pigs in China

Source: Latest Environmental Scare in China

The Last Ocean

Via EcoWatch: 

Have you ever heard of the Ross Sea? No? Well, not many people have and that’s a good thing. The Ross Sea is located about 2,500 miles south of New Zealand on the shores of Antarctica and is considered to be the most pristine marine ecosystem on the planet, teeming with life and untouched by humankind. One of the coldest spots in the world, the mesmerizing Ross Sea provides a unique opportunity for marine biologists and scientists to study an intact thriving ecosystem. However, the secret is getting out and THE LAST OCEAN is a documentary chronicling a team of dedicated scientists as they fight to protect the sea from international fishing fleets searching for the elusive and tasty toothfish. The stakes are high as we’re losing the toothfish rapidly, and that could have a lasting effect on not just the Ross Sea ecosystem, but also the entire planet. Educational and exquisite, THE LAST OCEAN puts the audience right next to the men and women who have dedicated their lives to fighting governments, industry, and public awareness, all to save the living laboratory that is Earth’s last ocean.

This film is showing at the CIFF at Tower City Cinemas, 230 W Huron Rd., Cleveland, Ohio 44113 on: 

Saturday, April 6 at 8:50 p.m.
Sunday, April 7 at 1:55 p.m.

Movie trailer: The Last Ocean

Source: EcoWatch

A Message From Greenpeace

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GreenpeaceInternational/posts