Plastic pollution Wikipedia. Plastic pollution involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, or humans. Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into micro, meso, or macro debris, based on size. The prominence of plastic pollution is correlated with plastics being inexpensive and durable, which lends to high levels of plastics used by humans. However, it is slow to degrade. Plastic pollution can unfavourably affect lands, waterways and oceans. Living organisms, particularly marine animals, can also be affected through entanglement, direct ingestion of plastic waste, or through exposure to chemicals within plastics that cause interruptions in biological functions. Drowning In Plastic The Great Pacific Garbage Patch' title='Drowning In Plastic The Great Pacific Garbage Patch' />RebelMouse is the best CMS 2017 and 1 Wordpress VIP alternative. See what makes us so fast, and why you should replatform with us today. The Champions Basketball League, an independent pro league that has repeatedly failed to start its inaugural season after taking hundreds of thousands of dollars of. Latest environmental news, features and updates. Pictures, video and more. Charlie Pierce on all this ESPN nonsense and newspapering and what not is so fantastic and Im bitter we didnt run it. Go check it out. SI. May, 2017. Thunder in the distance Feel without resistance. My pride, my grief, my strife All ephemeral in life. Elation and pain collide This is my storm inside. Humans are also affected by plastic pollution, such as through the disruption of the thyroid hormone axis or hormone levels. In the UK alone, more than 5 million tonnes of plastic are consumed each year, of which an estimated mere 2. That leaves a remaining 3. Plastic reduction efforts have occurred in some areas in attempts to reduce plastic consumption and pollution and promote plastic recycling. Types of plastic debriseditThere are three major forms of plastic that contribute to plastic pollution microplastics as well as mega and macro plastics. Mega and micro plastics have accumulated in highest densities in the Northern Hemisphere, concentrated around urban centers and water fronts. Plastic can be found off the coast of some islands because of currents carrying the debris. Kz 450 Panasonic Manuals on this page. The Great Global Warming Swindle caused controversy in the UK when it premiered on Channel 4. According to Martin Durkins documentary, the chief cause. Between the fixed sound, the great looking replica chassis, and the systems introduction of a rewind ability and save states, the Sega Flashback could be a great. The oceans are awash with garbage, but one ambitious plan will attempt to clean up plastic trash in the North Pacific starting in 2018. Drowning In Plastic The Great Pacific Garbage Patch' title='Drowning In Plastic The Great Pacific Garbage Patch' />I bet you, like me, took a gander at the cloaks of the Nights Watch on Game of Thrones and thought Damn, if they werent so fleainfested and covered in the. Both mega and macro plastics are found in packaging, footwear, and other domestic items that have been washed off of ships or discarded in landfills. Fishing related items are more likely to be found around remote islands. These may also be referred to as micro, meso, and macro debris. Plastic debris is categorized as either primary or secondary. Primary plastics are in their original form when collected. Examples of these would be bottle caps, cigarette butts, and microbeads. Secondary plastics, on the other hand, account for smaller plastics that have resulted from the degradation of primary plastics. MicrodebriseditMicrodebris are plastic pieces between 2 mm and 5 mm in size. Plastic debris that starts off as meso or macrodebris can become microdebris through degradation and collisions that break it down into smaller pieces. Microdebris is more commonly referred to as nurdles. Nurdles are recycled to make new plastic items, but they easily end up released into the environment during production because of their small size. They often end up in ocean waters through rivers and streams. Microdebris that come from cleaning and cosmetic products are also referred to as scrubbers. Because microdebris and scrubbers are so small in size, filter feeding organisms often consume them. Primary Microplastics, a type of microdebris, known as Nurdles enter the ocean by means of spills during transportation or from land based sources. These micro plastics can accumulate in the oceans and allow for the accumulation of Persistent Bio accumulating Toxins such as DDT and PCBs which are hydrophobic in nature and can cause adverse health affects. A 2. Richard Thompson from the University of Plymouth, UK, found a great amount of microdebris on the beaches and waters in Europe, the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica. Thompson and his associates found that plastic pellets from both domestic and industrial sources were being broken down into much smaller plastic pieces, some having a diameter smaller than human hair. If not ingested, this microdebris floats instead of being absorbed into the marine environment. Thompson predicts there may be 3. International pellet watch collected samples of polythene pellets from 3. It was found that pellets found on beaches in America, Vietnam and southern Africa contained compounds from pesticides suggesting a high use of pesticides in the areas. MacrodebriseditPlastic debris is categorized as macrodebris when it is larger than 2. These include items such as plastic grocery bags. Macrodebris are often found in ocean waters, and can have a serious impact on the native organisms. Fishing nets have been prime pollutants. Even after they have been abandoned, they continue to trap marine organisms and other plastic debris. Eventually, these abandoned nets become too difficult to remove from the water because they become too heavy, having grown in weight up to 6 tons. Decomposition of plasticseditPlastics themselves contribute to approximately 1. Many kinds of plastics exist depending on their precursors and the method for their polymerization. Depending on their chemical composition, plastics and resins have varying properties related to contaminant absorption and adsorption. Polymer degradation takes much longer as a result of haline environments and the cooling effect of the sea. These factors contribute to the persistence of plastic debris in certain environments. Hyundai Accent 2003 Shop Manual'>Hyundai Accent 2003 Shop Manual. Recent studies have shown that plastics in the ocean decompose faster than was once thought, due to exposure to sun, rain, and other environmental conditions, resulting in the release of toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A. However, due to the increased volume of plastics in the ocean, decomposition has slowed down. The Marine Conservancy has predicted the decomposition rates of several plastic products. It is estimated that a foam plastic cup will take 5. Persistent organic pollutantseditIt is estimated that global production of plastics is approximately 2. Their abundance has been found to transport persistent organic pollutants, also known as POPs. These pollutants have been linked to an increased distribution of algae associated with red tides. Some researchers suggest that by 2. Effects on the environmenteditThe distribution of plastic debris is highly variable as a result of certain factors such as wind and ocean currents, coastline geography, urban areas, and trade routes. Human population in certain areas also plays a large role in this. Plastics are more likely to be found in enclosed regions such as the Caribbean. It serves as a means of distribution of organisms to remote coasts that are not their native environments. This could potentially increase the variability and dispersal of organisms in specific areas that are less biologically diverse. Plastics can also be used as vectors for chemical contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources and also the ecosystem. This can cause serious harm to the species that drink the water. Landfill areas contain many different types of plastics. In these landfills, there are many microorganisms which speed up the biodegradation of plastics. The microorganisms include bacteria such as Pseudomonas, nylon eating bacteria, and Flavobacteria. These bacteria break down nylon through the activity of the nylonase enzyme. Breakdown of biodegradable plastics releases methane, is a very powerful greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. In 2. 01. 2, it was estimated that there was approximately 1. One type of plastic that is of concern in terms of ocean plastic pollution is nurdles. Become a citizen of the Trash Isles to protect our oceans Tree. Hugger. A sassy campaign wants plastic trash recognized as an actual country, in hopes of getting official attention. If youve ever had the urge to seek citizenship to another country, now is your chance although you might not be able to visit it, exactly. British media group LADbible has launched a campaign to have the Trash Isles recognized by the United Nations as the worlds 1. The Trash Isles is exactly what its name describes a heap of plastic waste the size of France thats expanding rapidly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Plastic waste, as weve written many times on Tree. Hugger, is an environmental catastrophe for the planet. Every year, eight million tons of plastic are dumped in waterways and oceans, entangling marine wildlife and breaking down into tiny pieces that are ingested by animals and often eaten by humans. There are concerns about the impact on the human body One study carried out in the US found that 9. Americans over the age of six tested positive for BPA a hormone disrupting chemical found in plastic. While the Trash Isles campaign sounds silly and gimmicky, it does serve a purpose What better way is there to get world leaders to take notice of a problem than to stick it in front of their faces Literally so our application has to be read by all members of the UN Council. Nation status would also offer protection under the UN Environmental Charters, which state All members shall co operate in a spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earths ecosystem. This means that, by becoming a country, other countries would be obliged to clean up the Trash Isles. There are four criteria for becoming an actual country. These are 1 a defined territory, 2 a government, 3 capability of interacting with other states, and 4 a population. The LADBible campaign says it meets all of these requirements, although how is not exactly clear. The defined territory requirement is tricky, since scientists have been saying theres no such thing as a single Great Pacific Garbage Patch rather, plastic waste is diffused throughout all ocean waters a significantly more terrifying prospect and there are numerous trash vortexes in waterways. A elected government, presumably, would be formed by volunteers, and the capability of interacting with other states would come from the population, which LADbible is currently trying to rally through an online petition. So far, nearly 1. LADbible. The campaign has some high profile supporters, including Al Gore, who has been named the countrys first honorary citizen, and British Olympic distance runner Mo Farah. LADbibles head of marketing, Stephen Mai, says the Trash Isles will have everything a real country needs, from an official flag and currency called debris to passports made of recycled materials, a national anthem, and of course a national football team. Come on, fellow Trash Isles countrymen. Lets put down the plastic, get off our arses and pull together to ensure the worlds first country made of Trash, is its last. Its an amusing idea and it will be intriguing to see how the UN responds although I cant help but wonder how the Environmental Charters could possibly work for the Trash Isles if theyve been unsuccessful at controlling pollution at its source. Sign the petition here asking the UN to recognize the Trash Isles as an actual country.