the world’s rubbish dump

a couple months ago, a major u.k. newspaper reported on a massive amorphous “plastic soup” floating in the north pacific. the story never really gained widespread awareness. in case you didn’t read about it the first time, here’s a brief overview:

the story in the independent describes a “plastic soup” that is “endless for an area that is maybe twice the size of the continental united states.”

according to the story, “About one-fifth of the junk – which includes everything from footballs and kayaks to Lego blocks and carrier bags – is thrown off ships or oil platforms. The rest comes from land.”

why is this something worth caring about?

Marcus Eriksen, research director of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, put is thusly: “What goes into the ocean goes into these animals and onto your dinner plate. It’s that simple.”

remember the good old days when you used to be able to throw stuff away? on our small island, isolated in the middle of a vast universe, we’re discovering that there just isn’t any “away”.