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Pollution of the sea by plastic garbage (January 2022)
In the post about invasive sea species discussed last month, I said that this significant problem had been shadowed by the latest Climate Change Conference (COP 26), which focused only on greenhouse gas emissions. Another problem insufficiently highlighted that is more urgent than the greenhouse effect is the pollution of the sea by plastic garbages. It is evident that merely observing rivers, lakes, and seasides of many countries allow us to be aware of the magnitude of the disaster, particularly if we take into consideration that what we can see is only the emerging side of the iceberg: As an example, during seabed surveys for the installation of new jackets in areas far from the shore and active oilfields, I realized that the presence of debris, which the majority were composed of plastic, was elevated, and that there should not have been any of them in such a place. For this reason, I consider that we have reached the ultimate limit and that the measures applied by some states for more than 20 years are unfortunately insufficient to contain this nuisance. To have a panoramic view of this pollution and better understand its progression and the efforts made to stop it, I suggest reading the articles offered below:
In conclusion of these articles, we can say that, despite tremendous efforts made by goodwill people and some organizations, the recovery and treatment of plastics residues sent to the sea remain insufficient due to the reduced means of collecting and treatment provided. Also, even though ingenious systems for collecting floating debris have been developed, it seems that no industrial tool exists for the recovery of those already on the bottom of the sea, which obliges to recover them one by one until more efficient methods are invented. The main reasons for the disinterest in this problem by the mainstream press and finance community is, like for invasive species, the fact that this market is less profitable than the one arising from greenhouse gas emissions, and the fact that these people do not realize that if the sea becomes a garbage bin as it is the case of some rivers and lakes where fish have disappeared, entire populations will not survive. We can also consider that many official institutions fail to establish relevant priorities. Nevertheless, these websites also show us that some high-diffusion newspapers and scientific publications such as "the Guardian", "the national geographic", "Phys.org", and others started to publish papers regarding this phenomenon and its consequences. Besides, although the means for fighting are still insufficient, we can see some initiatives to involve new or existing companies in the recovery and treatment of floating and sunk debris. A lot of operations have started in harbors and tourist areas, and also in the ocean's currents convergence areas, where organizing them is more complicated and expensive. However, it is sad to see that most marine and underwater work professional organizations seem not interested in encouraging and developing this market and prefer focusing only on their dream of imposing their standards worldwide.
• Publisher: China Dialogue Ocean Title: Indonesia is facing a plastic waste emergency • Publisher: German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). Title: WasteShark project • Publisher: EPE corporation Title: Polystyrene foam and ocean pollution. • Publisher: Hoola One Title: Innovative beach cleaning solution. • Publisher: MauiNow Title: Love The Sea’s Cleanup Recovers 4,700 lbs of Plastic Debris from Kahakuloa, Maui. • Publisher: Mongabay Title: The Ocean Cleanup successfully collects ocean plastic, aims to scale design. • Publisher: National Geographic Title: Plastic proliferates at the bottom of world's deepest ocean trench. • Publisher: NOAA Title: A guide to plastic in the ocean. • Publisher: Ocean cleanup Title: Fighting for Trash Free Seas. • Website: Ocean plastic recovery project. • Publisher: Phys.org Title #1: Research reveals how much plastic debris is currently floating in the Mediterranean Sea. Title #2: Ocean plastic is creating new communities of life on the high seas. • Publisher: Plastic Sea Title: Plastic garbage project. • Publisher: Sci Dev Net Title: Plastic debris linked to coral disease, death. • Website: Ten Rivers 1 Ocean • Publisher: The Guardian Title #1: Collecting plastic waste near coasts 'is most effective clean-up method'. Title #2: Ocean cleanup device successfully collects plastic for the first time. • Publisher: UNESCO Title: Facts and figures on marine pollution. • Publisher: United Nations - News Title: Plastic pollution on course to double by 2030. • Publisher: VHR Title: How Autonomous cleaning drones could Save the ocean. • Publisher: Visualeyed Title: Plastic garbage islands. • Publisher: Huayin Group Title: Waste plastic recycle to fuel oil project.
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