Garbage (At Sea) : Another environmental claim proven to be hyped

Watts Up With That? ^ | January 6, 2011 | Anthony Watts

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From Oregon State University:

Oceanic “garbage patch” not nearly as big as portrayed in media

CORVALLIS, Ore. – There is a lot of plastic trash floating in the Pacific Ocean, but claims that the “Great Garbage Patch” between California and Japan is twice the size of Texas are grossly exaggerated, according to an analysis by an Oregon State University scientist.

Further claims that the oceans are filled with more plastic than plankton, and that the patch has been growing tenfold each decade since the 1950s are equally misleading, pointed out Angelicque “Angel” White, an assistant professor of oceanography at Oregon State.

[ctdonath2]

Seems the plastic in question has been rendered unto microscopic particles diffused thru vast amounts of water. Yes there is trash out there, and it has an effect, but nowhere near the “collect it and build an island” stuff most people are thinking of.

[Sherman Logan]

I understand mass can be converted to energy, but you generally don’t want to be in the vicinity when it happens.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>>Calculations show that the amount of energy it would take to remove plastics from the ocean is roughly 250 times the mass of the plastic itself;

>>>Anybody have a clue what this means?

It means the author has no idea WTF they’re talking about so they’re pulling some ‘calculations’ out of their wazoo aperture.

[lormand]

I’m honored...thanks.