The Great Pacific What?

I know this is going to sound more like an Earth Day post but to me some things should be remembered more than one day out of the year.

Did you know  out in the Pacific Ocean there is a huge area, by some accounts twice the size of Texas, of floating garbage? It consists of plastic bottles, bags, toys, fishing lines and nets, and more. There is also a smaller one in the Atlantic Ocean. The plastic from these items break down into tiny pieces; some of which make their way to shore mixing with that same sand you like to wiggle your toes in.
Check out Charles Moore,  first to discover The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, talking about how wide spread this pollution is and what it consists of.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg

Sea turtles think plastic bags are jellyfish and ingest them. This can cause a blockage in their digestive system, resulting in death. Sea birds, such as the albatross,also eat the floating garbage. This junk cannot pass through their system and makes the bird think its belly is full and won’t eat. Eventually the bird will 
die of starvation.

If you’re not concerned about what we dump into our oceans consider this: there has been enough mercury leaked into the ocean that the FDA advises children, pregnant women or women who might become pregnant not to eat shark, king mackerel, swordfish and tilefish. They should limit their intake of albacore tuna or tuna steaks to six ounces a week, smaller amounts for children.

And if you're not concerned about that, consider the financial burdens.  California spends approximately $52.2 million per year trying to keep it's beaches clean.  That's  just one state.  Think of how many states have a coastline.  Hell it's not just the oceans but the waterways that are polluted with this same garbage and how many streams, lakes, and rivers does America have?   Got the picture?

So what can you do?  Well besides becoming informed and passing the word, reduce the amount of plastic bottles and bags you use by bringing reusable bags with you and by using metal water bottles.  Recycle, though it doesn't take of everything every little bit helps.  Don't litter.  Join groups that clean up beaches and streams.

Remember it's our only home.

Some other sites:
The New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/science/10patch.html?_r=1&-

Mother Nature Network - http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-is-the-great-pacific-ocean-garbage-patch

The Natural Resources Defense Council -  http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/plastic-ocean/

Or just google it. : )