World Ocean’s Day!

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I’d been saving this post since January when I attended the Go Green Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I thought that I lost the video for it when I did a defrag on the computer but I found it this morning. Now, I can’t figure out how to upload because it’s saved as a zip file (I think). I don’t know. Serves me for being so savvy with the lappy.

Anyway, I wanted to highlight the Algalita Marine Research Foundation since it’s World Ocean’s Day. I had the opportunity to speak with Anna Cummins back in January at the Expo. She was very passionate when she spoke about what plastics are doing to our marine life. She stated that plastic is not only destroying our marine environment but also pointed out that it eventually makes it back into our systems. Her booth was displayed with the plastic debris samples and pictures of plastic trash from the North Pacific Gyre.

Anna explored The Garbage Patch in a month long expedition with Captain Charles Moore and crew from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation collecting surface samples for research and education.  In my video she mentions her fiance, Dr. Marcus Eriksen, traveled to the Central North Pacific Gyre, on what’s know as the JUNKraft.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Central North Pacific Gyre known as “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” it is roughly twice the size of the U.S. and is completely covered in plastic pollution aka “plastic soup”. I learned about the CNPG crisis two years ago and have been trying to reduce my plastic consumption since.

Some quick facts:

- Estimates of plastic in the world’s oceans exceed 100 million tons. 20% of it is derelict fishing gear, 80% comes from land from our watersheds.

A large segment of what ends up as marine debris is single use disposable consumer items!!!!

- Pieces of plastic outweigh surface zooplankton by a factor of 6 to 1.

- 90 % of Laysan Albatross chick carcasses and regurgitated stomach contents contain plastics.  (Fish and seabirds mistake plastic for food)

- Plastic debris releases chemical additives and plasticizers into the ocean.

- Plastic adsorbs hydrophobic pollutants, like PCBs, and pesticides like DDT.

These pollutants bioaccumulate in tissues of marine organisms, biomagnify up the food chain, and find their way into the food we eat.

After learning some quick facts, Anna told us her husband caught a fish while exploring the Gyre and opened it up to exam it and found 16 pieces of plastic in it. She further noted and ended our conversation with “there is no such thing as plastic throw away”.

Anna also gave me a Bring Your Own produce bag that she sewed up herself and was selling at the Expo! I could tell Anna had so much conviction about the issue of plastic and how it’s destroying our oceans. She exuded so much passion about the plastic problem that it reminded me of Beth Terry over at Fake Plastic Fish. Both of these woman are pioneers in helping to spread the word about plastic pollution.

Currently, Anna and Dr. Marcus Eriksen are riding their bikes to raise awareness about the issue of plastic marine debris. They began their “Junkride” journey on April 4th, 2009 in Vancouver, B.C. and plan to ride 2000 miles to Tijuana Mexico.  They’ll be giving away samples of polluted ocean surface to educators, organizations, and legislators to educate others about the problems and call for an end to The Age of Disposable Plastic.

Two things we can do to protect our marine life:

HOUSEHOLD CHALLENGE: (from Algalita Marine Research Foundation’s pamphlet)

* Create a 100% recyclable and compostable grocery list. Imagine all of your household waste going into the compost pile or recycle bin!

* If you must buy consumable products, choose paper, glass or bio-plastic.

This household challenge reminds of the challenge Beth at Fake Plastic Fish is hosting…

We should all take the time ti examine our plastic waste…are you up for the challenge?

Ultimately, can you limit your plastic intake?

What is the issue?

Plastic marine debris is a vector for organic pollutants that impact human health and our environment.

UPDATE: Beth, from Fake Plastic Fish tipped me off about this video- Thanks Beth!!

** I can’t get my video to work- I’m super bummed about this. A few months back I did a defrag on my computer and thought I lost the footage. I found it today and apparently it’s been converted to a zip file that I don’t know how to convert back to video if that’s even possible. I wish you could hear Anna for yourself and listen in on what she told me about plastic and their research. For now, it’s just a picture (featured above).