what happens to our garbage

You think that's bad, you should read up on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Due to the natural movements of the North Pacific Gyre, most plastics that enter the water around the area get trapped in this area, which, at the moment, is estimated to be about twice the size of Texas and constantly growing.

plastic1.jpg

Picture courtesy of GreatPacificGarbagePatch.info
 
Those pics of the birds are strange, almost like some kind of artwork. Who knew that birds would eat every little piece of trash that could fit in there mouth?

It also seems like since that island of garbage is collecting in one spot that we (people) could do something about it.
 
C_Kyle said:
Those pics of the birds are strange, almost like some kind of artwork. Who knew that birds would eat every little piece of trash that could fit in there mouth?

It also seems like since that island of garbage is collecting in one spot that we (people) could do something about it.
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I have allways thought luanching it into space is a good idea, or better yet the sun.

and no im not joking.
 
theamazingdrew said:
I have allways thought luanching it into space is a good idea, or better yet the sun.

and no im not joking.
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I agree.

I've seen those pics of the birds before. The mother bird feeds them to the youngun's cause the color attracts their eye.
Then the bird effectively starves to death from lack of space for real food.

Shame on us.
 
C_Kyle said:
Those pics of the birds are strange, almost like some kind of artwork.
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Chis Jordan is an art photographer. There's more photography on the site. His work qualifies as journalism, but ultimately it's considered "art." See the rest of his site.
 
TwitchyBlade said:
Im all for sending our crap into the sun! Strap some rockets to something and wave bye bye!
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Obama's trying to cancel our next heavy lift rocket and turn the space program over to commercial interests. Watch for littorial litter collection fees and a solar waste distribution tax on your next garbage bill.... ;)





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TwitchyBlade said:
Im all for sending our crap into the sun! Strap some rockets to something and wave bye bye!
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Ask the Israelis :D

Can't blame Botswana, firstly the recyclers get the best out then our Zimbabwean trash pickers go through most of the garbage and lastly we don't have a sea.
 
The UK govt has just donated £1 million to South Africa for the procurement of condoms for use during the Soccer World Cup ( http://e-edition.metro.co.uk/2010/03/11/?p=62 article top left). That money will surely go into the back pocket of some politician.
It could certainly be better spent on cleaning up the mess we've made with our garbage.
I'd be very happy to see my taxes directed at clean up efforts to fix our planet.

Now if only we could guarantee that our rockets would not fail on blast-off we could send nuclear waste into the sun too.
 
Some many years back in Zimbabwe, every bottle had a value or deposit. Plastic packets were luxuries. Travelling down to University one could soon see the difference travelling through South Africa, plastic bags on barbwire fences. I hate the sight of plastic bags and wrappers decorating Acacia trees. There is a poor local mentality towards the problem of littering.
 
It's really a shame. I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. I don't purposely litter; but I also don't recycle or pick up the trash of others. There are obviously a lot of us who don't really think about the garbage issue because where too busy, or whatever stupid excuse we tell ourselves, or because we don't purposely litter, we don't think we're part of the problem. We are part of the problem, just a little more passive than active.

I do admit that we (all of us) are the only ones to blame for the littering and polluting of our only planet. With that said, I do feel like it should be the responsibility of our individual governments to thoroughly remove the garbage and pollution from out individual countries, not just leaving it in central collection points.

I'd gladly pay way more taxes to have a clean country.
 
Well we can wring our hands and blame "the people" all we want, but that isn't who is responsible. Are the people making daily trips to the coast to cast their trash into the ocean? Or rather, do they pay a company and or government entity to take the garbage away? So which city or state is allowing these companies or government entities to toss all their trash in the ocean? The answer to that question will tell us who to blame.
 
I recycle but seeing pics like this is a let down, makes me wonder if my efforts have any effect or is the hassle just that. Theres no recycling centers around here but the county dump and even if all your waste is separated you still have to pay and then they turn around and make cash off of what youve separated for them. there is really no solution untill its globally accepted and mandated.
 
Dig a hole and put the garbage in it. Take the sand and gravel from the hole and build a road or building with it. We are not running out of room for our garbage. The reason alot of it ended up in the ocean like that is because it is cheaper to toss it in the water than it is to properly bury it. Reason number 2 don't put a dump in my back yard.
 
Some areas are at least trying... Our local county just instituted curbside recycling; one container takes paper, cardboard, glass, plastic containers, etc.
Easy to do, no separating.
Reduces the amount of "garbage" trash by about half.

Years ago, I saw plans for a method to not only get rid of garbage but to produce fuel. Essentially, you dig a big hole and put in a plastic liner. Garbage goes in, methane gas comes out to be burned as fuel. When the pit finally fills with solid waste that won't break down further, it's essentially stable and can just be covered over.
 
I recycle just about everything since there is no such thing as garbage pick-up out here. They offer free drop off for recyclables. Paper, carboard are the easyiest to store and handle, then all the glass and cans, plastic is more of a problem as it doesn't pack or store well.

We compost kitchen wastes, and burn non recyclable packaging in the wood furnace. In the end anything else goes into a small shopping bag and into the nearest garbage can at the mall in town or the Mac Donalds.
 
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