Each year the United States throws out millions of tons of waste. Much of it is plastic. For every ten tons of plastic waste, we only recycle about one ton. So where do the other nine tons go? It goes to the dump where much of it floats away on the wind and rain. Most of that ends up in our oceans. Water bottles, gas cans, plastic bags, and even kayaks break up into tiny particles to be deposited on our beaches. The larger pieces float on the currents out to gyres. Gyres are swirling dead zones in the ocean. Once the debris is in the gyres, it is trapped there forever. These floating trash piles are estimated to be twice the size of Texas, and weigh approximately three million tons.
Charles Moore is a marine researcher at Algalita Marine Research Foundation in Long Beach. He has been studying the North Pacific Gyre for 10 years. Moore says, "The ocean is downhill from everywhere. Its like a toilet that never flushes."
There are five gyres in the world. All have this same problem in varying degrees. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has know about this problem for years, they have yet to enact any corrective regulations.
Charles Moore is a marine researcher at Algalita Marine Research Foundation in Long Beach. He has been studying the North Pacific Gyre for 10 years. Moore says, "The ocean is downhill from everywhere. Its like a toilet that never flushes."
A new technology called plasma gasification is on the horizon. Plasma gasification is a process that uses a plasma torch to burn trash, leaving no hazardous waste. This process produces hydrogen, which could be used for energy in the future. Testing, permits, and financing have to be completed, first.
The greening of America starts at home. Recycling instead of trashing is a good first step. Recycled plastic is used to make carpet, lumber, and other products, without manufacturing new plastic. This lessens the amount of plastic floating around our world. - 15437
Charles Moore is a marine researcher at Algalita Marine Research Foundation in Long Beach. He has been studying the North Pacific Gyre for 10 years. Moore says, "The ocean is downhill from everywhere. Its like a toilet that never flushes."
There are five gyres in the world. All have this same problem in varying degrees. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has know about this problem for years, they have yet to enact any corrective regulations.
Charles Moore is a marine researcher at Algalita Marine Research Foundation in Long Beach. He has been studying the North Pacific Gyre for 10 years. Moore says, "The ocean is downhill from everywhere. Its like a toilet that never flushes."
A new technology called plasma gasification is on the horizon. Plasma gasification is a process that uses a plasma torch to burn trash, leaving no hazardous waste. This process produces hydrogen, which could be used for energy in the future. Testing, permits, and financing have to be completed, first.
The greening of America starts at home. Recycling instead of trashing is a good first step. Recycled plastic is used to make carpet, lumber, and other products, without manufacturing new plastic. This lessens the amount of plastic floating around our world. - 15437
About the Author:
Rebecca Odenkirk is the webmaster for reducereuserecycle.biz and participates in several ecological organizations. To read other articles go to reducereuserecycle.biz
