Pollution from plastic bottles
By zenith2007
@zenith2007 (241)
Italy
August 29, 2008 5:09pm CST
Joel Paschal and Marcus Eriksen, two researchers working in the U.S., for years fighting for a clean sea, an ocean clean, free from pollution especially of plastic bottles.
To advertise that their battle the two have improvised surfers and ecologists have come a journey of 88 dayes across the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California up in Hawaii, on a boat built with 15 thousand plastic bottles and called "Junk".
In addition, the cabin and its' been realized with the fuselage of an old Cessna.
Of this particular initiative you can find all the smallest details recounted by Joel Paschal in his blog http://junkraft.blogspot.com.
You friends of Mylot what think about this problem highlinghted by two researchers?
4 people like this
14 responses
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
29 Aug 08
I am more interested in the junk we ingest from the gasses from these plastic bottles or the chemicals put off from them. If we paid more attention to what we drink from in regard to the damage it causes, then we would be more careful. I have seen a house built from plastic soda bottles and that was before the danger from plastics was known. So if one can reduce the plastics it will be good for everybody. When I want to take a water bottle, I use an old glass juice bottle. It works just as good.
2 people like this
@LadyStrawberry (173)
• Slovenia
1 Sep 08
I really like your attitude!!
I try to take a glass juice bottle & refill it with water too..
Sometimes I take an old plastic water bottle, because they aren't so heavy..
I try not to buy them at all, unless absolutely necessary, & no other alternative.. & always reuse!!
@zenith2007 (241)
• Italy
12 Dec 08
The problem is that not all think like you and omprano water at the supermarket, which now sells almost exclusively in plastic bottles.
When I was a child, here in Italy the water and all other drinks were sold in glass bottles and even if bought when brought the empty bottle you did the discount on the new purchase.
@fordham08 (131)
• Philippines
30 Aug 08
These problems have been with us for a long time now. It's time something drastic be done to undo the bad effects of these pollutants, hazardous creations and punish those mindless,selfish hijos. A more aggressive campaign in all mediums,in every country, in every part of the world should be done.Ban all imaginable hazardous materials, activities or projects. Priority should be the protection, well-being and bringing to life to its most pristine origin our one and only home, the earth.
2 people like this
@LadyStrawberry (173)
• Slovenia
1 Sep 08
Yes, I wish for a bigger & more 'drastic' campaign too!! :)
& for governments to 'wake up' & DO SOMETHING!! eg tax higher or ban things that pollute more!!
@paid2write (5201)
•
30 Aug 08
I think what they are doing is very important. Fifteen thousand plastic bottles is a tiny part of what is afloat in the oceans of the world. The creatures of the sea must be affected by them. Plastic contains chemicals and take a long time to disintegrate, then those chemicals will be passing into the bodies of everything that lives under the water.
It is a worldwide poblem. Once a ship loaded with yellow plastic ducks accidently sank, and those little ducks are still appearing on shores around the globe. A bottle left on a local beach can end up anywhere in the world.
2 people like this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
30 Aug 08
I believe the problem is worth the attention of every one in this world. We are unaware that this pollution is giving us tremendous health hazard. I admire these two people for having this kind of concern with nature particularly the sea. Why can't we make our sea clean? We can do that if only all the people will have concern. Too bad majority are carefree. They don't mind, they don't care! They keep on contributing to pollution and this is the reason this world is going to the doom.
2 people like this
@Jenaisle (14078)
• Philippines
30 Aug 08
This has been a global problem that every person should be able to contribute his fair share. We must do away in using plastics in all turns. Plastics are difficult to dispose of because they're non degradable. We can only burn them and burning them would harm more our ozone layer which has already a big hole. Eventually this hole will increase in size and the earth gets hotter and hotter. Perhaps that would be then our hell here on earth. Each of us should guard against this by using non-plastic containers instead. This should be directed to large manufacturing companies who largely use plastic .
@LadyStrawberry (173)
• Slovenia
1 Sep 08
Hm. some plastics are recyclable, some aren't.
You can look up at numbers on the plastic objects & there are lists which numbers can be recycled, which not..
I agree too many plastics are used that cannot be recycled!!
& even recycling itself can cause toxic gasses and other byproducts!
I try to use as little plastics as possible...
It's great you are trying to use as little plastics as possible too!! :))
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
30 Aug 08
I think this is a serious problem. Not only do we discard our trash alongside of the highways but also in the ocean. People have no respect for what God has given us to safe guard. The creatures of the sea deserve to have a clean environment to live in. And when you think about it plastic does not desolve it stays forever. When people finally realize that we are destroying our invironment both in the seas and on land it will be too late.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
29 Aug 08
I think there are a lot of useful things people could make out of what others regard as debris. The problem may not be the plastic, though. In my view, it is the mindset that people have of things being "disposable" which they seem to find synonymous with litter. -- Maybe it is time these researchers do less fun sailing and look more into methods that could be used to safely filter the ocean's water and/or transform the plastic into something useful before it gets in the ocean.
The plastic didn't get into the ocean all by itself.
1 person likes this
@zenith2007 (241)
• Italy
12 Dec 08
On one thing I am sicuramnte agree with you: the plasica not be alone at sea.
We men (in the sense of two-legged animals) that even in this case We take this planet to give us houses.
I think that this is one of the reasons that prompted researchers to do this act demonstration.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
31 Aug 08
Hi zenith2007.
It is so frustrating to know that people throw their garbage and litter into the sea. I just cannot imagine why people engage in such behavior. It seems like a good idea by Joel Pashchal and Marcus Eriksen to construct a boat of plastic bottles and travel the ocean telling people about it. Thanks for sharing this information.
1 person likes this
@zebra2222 (5269)
• United States
6 Sep 08
Plastic bottles are a serious problem when it comes to polluting our environment and landfills. In Michigan, we do a lot of recycling of plastic bottles. More states should also recycle.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
29 Aug 08
Rest easy. A man named Frank Pringle has found a way to turn all those things back into oil!
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2007/innovator_2.html
His invention uses microwaves to break down the oil and recover it. 
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
29 Aug 08
By the way, feel free to take this and run with it, I'm so busy right now I don't have time to post and maintain a fresh discussion.
1 person likes this
@LadyStrawberry (173)
• Slovenia
1 Sep 08
Hm, I think I've heard of this.
I'm highly sceptical of it though..
Mainly of the filtration methods used & possible poisonous gasses as by-products... (?)
Like when plastics etc are burnt in incinerators, toxic gasses can form.. People say that all those gasses are filtered, but one can never really filter 100%... at least with existing technology..
So I would be interested in knowing more about filtration methods & results in this case...
@sodraja (58)
•
8 Sep 08
Of late people around the world have become very concerned about the adverse effects of plastic on the environment . Plastics have become part and parcel of our everyday life and we can't even think of a day when we haven't used any plastic product at all . Plastics are non-destructible and the real problem lies here . Unless and until we get a proper substitute (unlike jute or paper)for plastic the situation will never change .
@LadyStrawberry (173)
• Slovenia
1 Sep 08
Interesting!! :))
Thanks for posting about it!! :))
They surely are brave & I'm glad someone is drumming publicity for this!! I wish them luck!! :) /& good winds!/
I try to use as little plastic as possible, & minimize plastic bottle usage too.. & when they are used, to put them in the recycling bins.. I see LOTS of plastic bottles brought to recycling bins here, in our street.. Often, the bins are too full..
I am shocked some places (even in big cities like Chicago) do not even have recycling bins!! or they are too small, or not emptied enough..
Most drinks that can be bought in plastic bottles are unhealthy anyway, so we try to avoid them altogether!
@muneyuki04 (343)
• Philippines
29 Aug 08
who made plastics?.they are the promotor of that,that's why we are polluted of that kind of waste..
1 person likes this
