Friday, June 8, 2012

The Great Floating Garbage Patch of the Pacific:Coming to a Beach Near You!

Parts of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are heading for the vulnerable shores on the west coast and there's nothing that can be done to stop it. Experts predict that the coastline of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii will see some pretty nasty debris wash ashore; California will have some, but less, as most of it will be caught in a current that will carry it to the pacific islands.
The amount of plastic trash in the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" has increased 100-fold during the past 40 years, causing "profound" changes to the marine environment, according to a new study.
The "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" -- which is roughly the size of Texas -- was created by plastic waste that finds its way into the sea and is then swept into one area, the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, by circulating ocean currents known as a gyre.
Can you believe the size of this thing? You don't need to be a tree hugger to see that this is ridiculous!
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