Canada and the World
Current Events with a Canadian Perspective
Last update
31 December 2010
Oceans Are Choking on Garbage
A tidal wave of trash is destroying marine habitats
and accumulating in vast islands of waste
Each year, in September, the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is organized by the Ocean Conservancy, which is based in Washington, D.C.
In September 2009, the group attracted nearly 498,000 volunteers (left).
Cleanup crews worked in 108 countries and together they picked up 10.2 million pieces of garbage weighing 3.4 million kilos.
Scooped up and hauled away were everything from cigarette butts to household appliances. Old oil and chemical drums and disposable diapers, were part of the ICC catalogue, which included “18,000 derelict fishing nets in the United Kingdom alone, and 70,000 plastic bottles in Nicaragua. In 2009, 60 percent of all debris items found on just one day were ‘disposable.’ ”
Multiple Sources for Ocean Garbage
It ought to be possible to keep trash out of the ocean, but that requires all people everywhere to be more careful about what they throw away.
According to The Huffington Post, (April 16, 2010) “It’s estimated that 80 percent
of marine debris comes from the land, while 20 percent comes from sea-
Not picking up after the Sunday picnic on the beach is one source. Bad stuff going down storm drains is another. Pop cans chucked out of a car window can find their way into the oceans. Waste pitched into lakes and rivers washes down to the sea. And, some municipal sewage systems dump straight into the ocean without treatment.
Creating the Marine Debris Index
The cleanup has been going on since 1986 and the data from the collections is used to create a Marine Debris Index. Volunteers log what it is they are picking up; they are interested in 42 specific items of crud.
Once tabulated, says Ocean Conservancy: “The result is a unique global, online database of debris information collected from cleanup sites around the world.”
By comparing year-
With statistics from the Index environmentalists are able to lobby more effectively for laws to protect the oceans.
In 2006, the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act was signed into law in the United States. The Index has also resulted in improvements in packaging and the development of technologies to expand recycling and therefore reduce the amount of rubbish reaching the sea.
Garbage Problem Getting Worse
The United Nations Environment Program says, “Marine litter is one of the most pervasive and solvable pollution problems plaguing the world’s ocean and waterways.”
The Ocean Conservancy agrees. In its 2009 report the non-
“In recent years, organic materials that were once the most prevalent component of marine debris have been supplanted by synthetics. Not only do items like packing straps, tarps, nets, and containers last for years, but also they are often highly buoyant, travelling thousands of miles on ocean currents.”
“Toxic materials enter the food chain, sharp items injure beachgoers, and accident-
Image credit: Mike Baird
“Taking the Trash out of Our Oceans.” Michelle Harris, The Huffington Post, April 12, 2010.
© Canada and the World, April 2010
All rights reserved
Sea Turtles often mistake plastic bags for their favourite food -
INSIDE A WHALE
In April 2010, a grey whale washed up on a beach near Seattle. Biologists opened up the dead animal and they found a lot of bad stuff inside.
According to The Huffington Post (April 19, 2010), the whale’s stomach contained a pair of sweat pants and a golf ball as well as “20 plastic bags, small towels, duct tape, and surgical gloves.”
In the United Kingdom, Beach Litter works to clean up the country’s coastlines, while an equivalent group in the U.S. is The Blue Ocean Society
In 2009, people taking part in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup removed litter from 2,457 km of shoreline. They picked up
over 160,900 kg of trash -