[Newsbot]

Title: Plastics clogging world's oceans, researchers say
Category: Environmental
Posted By: DrCaleb
Date: 2014-12-12 07:48:44

[N_Fiddledog]

Gotta admire the eco-loons of the CBC. They really do love to recycle.

They recycle this story about the "groundbreaking new" information there's plastics in the ocean every year.

[BartSimpson]

Weirdly enough, I read another story that some of the plastic debris that floats in mid-ocean has become important habitat for sea creatures and sea birds that need a place to land. It's not an excuse to dump crap in the water but it is an example of nature finding a way.

[stratos]

If we unclog the ocean will all the water then drain away?

[N_Fiddledog]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Weirdly enough, I read another story that some of the plastic debris that floats in mid-ocean has become important habitat for sea creatures and sea birds that need a place to land. It's not an excuse to dump crap in the water but it is an example of nature finding a way.

Like this one from the article, you mean?



Yup, they're there, all right. Although I was reading that the Plastic Island, as big as Nova Scotia, or whatever it was, isn't? I forget where I read that. It wasn't the CBC.

Oh, but here's a "groundbreaking new" bit of info the watermelon corps at the CBC always finds a way to miss. (Disclaimer: I think this one comes from Plastics People.)

$1:

Plastic is degrading in the oceans: “There’s no reason why plastic couldn’t break down to a molecular level and exist as finer and undetectable particles in the water,” says Greg Boyd, an SEA employee and researcher onboard the Robert C. Seamans (RCS). Greg’s hypothesis is a work in progress, but it could explain why plastic—at least when harvested through net tows—doesn’t appear to be increasing in our oceans. Microbes also create biofilms over plastic and this might cause the plastic to sink. At the same time, there is evidence (seen through electron microscopes as “pitting” marks on plastic) to suggest that microbes could potentially be physically degrading or even “eating” the plastic.

http://www.biosphereplastic.com/microbe ... g-cleaner/

[andyt]

$1:

A groundbreaking new survey of the world's oceans has turned up a disturbing amount of plastics – more than five trillion pieces.
Researchers from Chile, France, Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand teamed up to gather information during a six-year period ending in 2013. The 24 expeditions uncovered about 269,000 tonnes of plastic waste.

[N_Fiddledog]

Come to think of it, it will be springtime soon, won't it?

I look forward to CBC's annual recycling of the "groundbreaking new" story that the glacier in Southern Alberta is melting (like it has been for 10,000 years of the current inter-glacial period. )

Then it will be autumn, and we'll get the annual "groundbreaking new" information about the ice shelf that dropped off Antarctica in 2006, but they'll forget to mention the year, because it's tradition at the CBC to do so...and they need traditions at the CBC watermelon division, because Gaia doesn't want them celebrating Christmas.

[DrCaleb]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Weirdly enough, I read another story that some of the plastic debris that floats in mid-ocean has become important habitat for sea creatures and sea birds that need a place to land. It's not an excuse to dump crap in the water but it is an example of nature finding a way.

A few may use it to their benefit, but far more die because they think the colourful bits are food and feed them to their young.

[andyt]

And more.

[DrCaleb]

I heard it said that if the insects disappeared from the Earth, all life on Earth would end within 50 years. Plant, animal, everything.

If Humans disappeared from Earth, then the Earth would begin healing itself.

[andyt]

Don't believe the plant thing. Most plants don't rely on insects for pollination. Plants as a whole could survive very well without animals. Must have done so for some time till those nasty eaters came along.

[BartSimpson]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

If Humans disappeared from Earth, then the Earth would begin healing itself.

Humanity is of the earth, we are not a disease.

[DrCaleb]

andyt andyt:

Don't believe the plant thing. Most plants don't rely on insects for pollination. Plants as a whole could survive very well without animals. Must have done so for some time till those nasty eaters came along.

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Humanity is of the earth, we are not a disease.

The Earth also went very well for Billions of years without us.

It may not be true, that life needs insects to continue. But it's still a reminder that we need the Earth far more than it needs us.

Perhaps it's time we stop fucking it up.

[N_Fiddledog]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

I heard it said that if the insects disappeared from the Earth, all life on Earth would end within 50 years. Plant, animal, everything.

Ah yes, I remember that one...from the famous ortho-micro-bio-futurologist, George Carlin.

I heard it said from a "groundbreaking new" study from the CGI makers of Shrek, pardon me the computer modelers at University of Alberta (I get those 2 mixed up sometime) that these guys are going extinct.



It must be true because it was on the front page here from the eco-warriors at the CBC just a couple weeks ago.

If only the polar bear population would stop growing so it could happen. Stupid Polar Bear spoilsports. Die already. CBC said you have to.

[andyt]

No argument there. Not gonna happen tho, since we are programmed to fuck things up. Literally. The biggest problem being the old jigga jigga. There is no way that our current consumption is sustainable, with the number of people we already have, never mind all those coming down the pike.

Of course who knows, with automation and people arguing for the inequality it brings, the 20% may just decide to get rid of the unneeded 80%. In fact I think there are paranoia stories circulating about this as we speak.