5 Myths of the Pacific Garbage Patch Debunked
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also known as the North Pacific Gyre) is a pile of rubbish in the ocean between Hawaii and California. There’s another section between Japan and Hawaii. The rubbish was spread out over the sea but winds and sea currents have ‘herded’ it together.
Myth 1: It looks like this
It’s pretty horrible, isn’t it? (Definitely not green and eco friendly!). But this photo was taken in Manilla Harbour. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch doesn’t look anything like this!
To see what it does look like, watch this video.
Myth 2: It’s as big as the continental United States
It’s quite difficult to measure the Great Pacific Garbage Patch because it doesn’t have a distinct beginning and end, but most scientists estimate it to be approximately the size of Texas – and worsening.
Myth 3: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is visible from space
Even though it’s huge, you can’t see it via satellite. Much of the debris is made up of plastic, which breaks down into small “nurdles”. They float near the surface but because they’re all separate pieces, it’s difficult to see them.
Myth 4: The big problem is that it’s killing the birds
The huge amount of plastic that floats in our oceans is certainly killing large numbers of birds and fish. They mistake the bright colours for food and not only eat it but the birds feed it to their chicks too. Some seem to survive (especially if the pieces of plastic are small) but for others it tears their stomach and/or blocks normal digestion. They often die a slow death.
However, this isn’t the only problem with the plastic in the sea.
The plastic provides a solid surface for small animals and insects which used to only rely on flotsam. Once-rare creatures are thriving, and this combined with the loss of birds and fish, will ultimately lead to an imbalance in the ocean ecosystem.
Myth 5: Only people who litter are responsible for the mess
If you don’t litter, you might think it’s other people’s fault that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is there. And to an extent, you’re right.
But if you use normal household cleaners, their micro-pellets can end up in the sea. (Green cleaners avoid some of these problems). If we buy things wrapped in plastic (and it’s hard not to), we’re creating demand for more plastic to be produced. If we buy the latest electronic gadgets (while our current one is just fine) we are demanding more plastic. When we buy goods and food from overseas, they’re often transported to you via ships which need to dispose of rubbish.
We can’t stop it overnight, but we can certainly be more aware of our plastic use and try to use and buy less.
Related: You and I don’t litter, so who’s putting the plastic in the sea?
Find out more about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – what it looks like, and the effect it’s having, in this interesting short video
Just how widespread is plastic in our daily lives?
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