The plastic continent (cost, how many, legal, articles) - Other Topics - City-Data Forum

mkfarnam · 08-31-2009, 08:48 PM

How many of you are aware of this?

(From DivineCaroline.com) - When I heard about the "Plastic Continent" in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I have to admit that I thought it was just an urban myth or an overreaction by some extreme activists.

Much to my dismay, what I found by searching the Internet was that it was more of an understatement than an exaggeration. There it was "3.5 million tons of trash, 80 percent of it plastic" a mass twice the size of Texas. Yes, TEXAS!

At a cost of billions of dollars to clean up the mess, no country wants to take responsibility for it, and so it has continued to grow at a rate of tenfold per decade since 1950.
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The other continent

country pride · 08-31-2009, 10:04 PM

Yeah, well, I hate plastic too. AND.... not only does it never disintegrate into the earth, but when it burns, the fumes are far more toxic. Now lets discuss all these 'green earth' people who like plastic.....

Sudcaro · 09-01-2009, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livewire

not only does it never disintegrate into the earth, but when it burns, the fumes are far more toxic. Now lets discuss all these 'green earth' people who like plastic.....

There's nothing like cardboard (recycled of course!)

tet tea · 09-01-2009, 08:12 AM

It's sickening, and to think, some people still don't get it. They continue to add to the problem with their laziness, and lack of respect for OUR enviroment!

GloryB · 09-01-2009, 07:39 PM

Well....maybe one day it will surface as a nastified land mass.

mkfarnam · 09-01-2009, 08:19 PM

We could put it use by moving all of the illegal immigrants out there.

cruxan · 09-01-2009, 10:22 PM

yep it's a throw away world!!>> when the last fish dies in the ocean, then they will try to do something about it.crisis management at work.

YouTube - Charles Moore - the Great Pacific plastic trash island

DontH8Me · 09-02-2009, 02:44 PM

Here's a photo of a brave soul canoeing through it - ugh.

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00015/plastc050208_15074a.jpg (broken link)

Tek_Freek · 09-02-2009, 03:21 PM

I wonder what the dollar value is to a recycler? Maybe we could encourage one to haul it in and recycle it. That would be pretty cool.

mkfarnam · 09-02-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DontH8Me

Here's a photo of a brave soul canoeing through it - ugh.

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00015/plastc050208_15074a.jpg (broken link)

Now we know what they mean by "walkin' on water"