Photojournalism

Catch of the Day: Plastic

What's in the Great Pacific Trash Gyre.

by Sam Baldwin
Wed September 23, 2009 3:06 PM PST

The 151' Brigantine Kaisei spent one month navigating the plastic-infested waters of the North Pacific Gyre—an oceanic region twice the size of Texas. While most of the plastic in the gyre is very small (there is a 36-to-1 plastic to plankton ratio), the researchers aboard the Kaisei brought back some of the big flotsam and jetsam that stood out. A sampling of the everyday items—from Head & Shoulders to water bottles to lawn chairs—that they picked out of the ocean 1000 miles off the California coast.

Video Bonus: Be sure to check out the MoJo interview of the scientists aboard the Kaisei.

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Not a Nihilist- BUT

As I gather and chew on the various media sources which inform me of the dire need for the immediate retreat and repolarization of our production goals (increase is the word) and 'progress' regarding GNP, need for increased 'gain' and 'positive forecasts' in industry and business models, it strikes me that very few of the heads of these endeavors are hearing the bell ringing. In fact, it appears that most are figuring out how to continue the charade that cloaks unmitigated greed-and are doing so in a manner that repeats what was once a 'bon mot' : "my God and my right"-to destroy the planet and the inhabitants therein.....It is not only on these aforementioned fronts that this motto is alive and well; genetics. pharmaceuticals, arms manufacturers, and other means by which life is extinguished or robbed of health; food with no real and sufficient biovalue. so low it is in real life sustaining nutrients that eating the box or bag it comes in would benefit one more...
I'm saddened, but hopeful; the ( now ) liturgical 'We Don't Need another Hero' is in question. In contemplation, I feel that perhaps we need an army of them....

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