Press enter after choosing selection

A Plastic Ocean

by ballybeg

No water, no life. No blue, no green. Sylvia Earle

Scientists used to think that the oceans are so large that we could never entirely pollute them. How could we possibly fill two thirds of the entire planet’s surface with garbage and toxic waste?

Well, it is happening. You might say it has happened. The documentary, A Plastic Ocean, brings together an international team of scientists, researchers and filmmakers, to reveal a situation that is urgent and heart-breaking, but is not too late to change. The film is beautiful and horrifying at the same time.

Plastic never breaks down; you probably realize this. The ultraviolet rays of the sun, however, break it up. The oceans are filling with small pieces of plastic which are everywhere, even in the cleanest waters left on the planet, which are around the island of Tasmania. Scientists estimate there are 5 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the oceans. These tiny pieces of plastic are confusing seabirds and sea mammals alike, and they are eating them. You can imagine what happens next. If you can’t imagine it, the documentary makes it clear.

Not every community puts out their plastic on the curb every week to be picked up and recycled. Only a small amount of waste plastic is recycled at all. Island communities in the south Pacific, and poor communities in the Philippines and other Asian countries, are awash with discarded plastic garbage, which fills the beaches and rivers and is carried out into the oceans. Five countries create more plastic waste in the ocean than the rest of the world together. Something can be done about this.

A Plastic Ocean reveals the problem, but also suggests solutions. Ultimately, solutions depend upon the cooperation, support, and sacrifice of everyone. The first thing is to inform ourselves, and understand the nature and extent of the problem, and this film is a good place to start. Then, we have to make different choices.

Comments

Many of us realize that there is too much plastic in the ocean, but this documentary reveals the immense magnitude of the problem. We all need to find ways to stop putting more plastic in the ocean and ways to clean up the enormous amount of plastic that is already in the ocean. The survival of our ocean's wildlife and ultimately our own survival depends on how quickly and how well we can solve this urgent problem. "A Plastic Ocean" offer some solutions.

Graphic for blog posts

Blog Post