- Apr 1, 2011
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I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that the hysteria about plastic in the ocean is all a huge con. that problem isn't 1 millionth as bad as the scare mongers claim, and the US and Europe are responsible for only 2% of it.
Greenpeace's Ocean Plastic Pollution Scare - Biggest Lie of 2018
1. For most of the oceans, the concentrations of “microplastics” are basically negligible. But, in some regions (particularly the “North Pacific Gyre”), you can find a few hundred tiny fragments per square mile. Despite Greenpeace’s claims, large “macroplastics” from land, e.g., plastic bottles, plastic bags, etc., are exceedingly rare.
2. So far, nobody has found any evidence that these microplastics are having negative impacts on ocean wildlife. But, “absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence”. So, research into answering this is still ongoing.
3. Much of the plastic seems to come from marine debris such as lost or abandoned fishing nets, tackle, etc. However, the rest seems to come from mismanaged land waste. Current estimates suggest that about 85% is coming from developing nations in Asia (China, Indonesia, etc.), but about 7-8% seems to be coming from developing nations in Africa, and most of the rest seems to be coming from regions in South America and Central America.
4. The concentrations of ocean plastics are far too small – even in the so-called “oceanic garbage patches” – to make it feasible to collect it with current methods, although the Ocean Cleanup Project are investigating possible technological solutions which they believe could make it possible in the future. However, the most straightforward solution to stop or slow down the increase in ocean plastic pollution would be to improve the waste management systems of the coastal developing nations. Despite Greenpeace’s insistence that the developed nations are somehow to blame, the combined contribution of all the countries in Europe and North America is estimated to be less than 1-2%. So, if the developing nations along the coasts of Asia (and to a lesser extent, Africa and South America) were to reduce their mismanaged waste to the levels of European and North American countries, then this would probably resolve most of the issue.
Rank Country Region % of world’s mismanaged waste
1 China Asia 27.7%
2 Indonesia Asia 10.1%
3 Philippines Asia 5.9%
4 Vietnam Asia 5.8%
5 Sri Lanka Asia 5.0%
6 Thailand Asia 3.2%
7 Egypt Africa 3.0%
8 Malaysia Asia 2.9%
9 Nigeria Africa 2.7%
10 Bangladesh Asia 2.5%
1. For most of the oceans, the concentrations of “microplastics” are basically negligible. But, in some regions (particularly the “North Pacific Gyre”), you can find a few hundred tiny fragments per square mile. Despite Greenpeace’s claims, large “macroplastics” from land, e.g., plastic bottles, plastic bags, etc., are exceedingly rare.
2. So far, nobody has found any evidence that these microplastics are having negative impacts on ocean wildlife. But, “absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence”. So, research into answering this is still ongoing.
3. Much of the plastic seems to come from marine debris such as lost or abandoned fishing nets, tackle, etc. However, the rest seems to come from mismanaged land waste. Current estimates suggest that about 85% is coming from developing nations in Asia (China, Indonesia, etc.), but about 7-8% seems to be coming from developing nations in Africa, and most of the rest seems to be coming from regions in South America and Central America.
4. The concentrations of ocean plastics are far too small – even in the so-called “oceanic garbage patches” – to make it feasible to collect it with current methods, although the Ocean Cleanup Project are investigating possible technological solutions which they believe could make it possible in the future. However, the most straightforward solution to stop or slow down the increase in ocean plastic pollution would be to improve the waste management systems of the coastal developing nations. Despite Greenpeace’s insistence that the developed nations are somehow to blame, the combined contribution of all the countries in Europe and North America is estimated to be less than 1-2%. So, if the developing nations along the coasts of Asia (and to a lesser extent, Africa and South America) were to reduce their mismanaged waste to the levels of European and North American countries, then this would probably resolve most of the issue.
Rank Country Region % of world’s mismanaged waste
1 China Asia 27.7%
2 Indonesia Asia 10.1%
3 Philippines Asia 5.9%
4 Vietnam Asia 5.8%
5 Sri Lanka Asia 5.0%
6 Thailand Asia 3.2%
7 Egypt Africa 3.0%
8 Malaysia Asia 2.9%
9 Nigeria Africa 2.7%
10 Bangladesh Asia 2.5%
