5 Things That You Should Know About The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
We, as human beings, should take care of our planet. We only have one place to call home, and that’s the planet Earth. If we don’t take care of the environment, various environmental disasters may take place. Even if you’re not immediately affected by these disasters, it’s harmful effects can eventually reach you, no matter where you are on this planet.
Disasters such as oil spills can affect the population of marine and aquatic life, thus reducing the availability of edible seafood in the market. Another example of a disaster that can affect you, in the long run, is global warming. Although disasters happen violently and quickly, global warming is a slow and evident disaster. Once it reaches the boiling point, global warming can wipe the majority of living things on Earth, including us human beings.
A worrying reality nowadays is that most people don’t believe in global warming and other environmental threats. Some claim it as a hoax and carry on with their wasteful ways. One evidence of people’s waste is becoming a horrible reality. Far out in the pacific ocean, lies a man-made catastrophe waiting to blow out.
Believe it or not, the GPGP or the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is accumulating in size. As of this writing, the patch covers an estimated 1.6 million square kilometers in the Pacific ocean. France’s total area is roughly around 547,030 sq km. Imagine a garbage patch that’s thrice as vast as France! Sadly, this is a reality that most people fail to acknowledge.
In light of this terrible news, here are some facts about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that you should know about.
It Was First Discovered in 1997
One of the most depressing Great Pacific garbage patch facts you’ll read about is that it was discovered in 1997. This fact means that the garbage patch is continually growing as of now. It’s a worrying thing wherein too much garbage would become impossible to clean up.
It was a racing boat captain by the name of Charles Moore, who discovered the patch. While Moore and his crew completed the biennial Transpacific Race, they noticed that millions of plastic debris were floating around their boat. Expecting to see the island of garbage dissipate, Moore was surprised to find out that it had grown much bigger a year later.
Where Does the Trash Come From?
According to studies, 54% of the trash in the garbage patch comes from North America and Asia. Around 20% of the debris from that patch, comes from offshore oil rigs, passing cargo ships, and other large boats that dump garbage. Aside from plastic bottles and trash, there have been packages containing legos, computer monitors, cosmetics, and other valuable cargo floating in the patch.
Devastating Effect
If no one cleans up this mess, the GPGP will be the reason the entire food chain collapses. Animals such as fish, turtles, and birds can mistake the trash as food. If they eat garbage, their health deteriorates, and they die.
If this unhealthy habit develops, a massive population decline of these organisms can affect other life forms such as tuna, sharks, and other bigger animals. Eventually, all marine life will become scarce, and human beings will see a rarity in seafood if this disaster is allowed to grow further.
Plastic Shellfish
The seemingly infinite number of microplastics in the GPGP is also affecting the biology of certain marine creatures. Believe it or not, oysters, clams, and other shellfish found living in nearby waters have microplastic in their DNA. Yes, it’s true, some animals have plastic in their DNA. It’s not hard to imagine that in the future, people will also have plastic in their DNA due to the consumption of such animals.
It’s Not the Only One
Sadly, the GPGP isn’t unique. Other garbage patches are swirling and forming in different parts of the ocean all over the world. Because of the tide and currents, certain garbage gets swept up and accumulates in a specific area. These currents are also why it’s extremely difficult to clean up garbage patches in the ocean.
You can clean up a patch today, only to find out that it’s littered with garbage the next day. The exact location of the GPGP was hard to determine in the past as it is constantly moving and growing. However, due to its mass, scientists now have a fixed location of the patch. The patch has coordinates of 32°N and 145°W. It’s also located near the West Coast of North America to Japan.
Other patches or “trash vortexes” growing in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. Northern shipping routes are also seeing an increase in debris, which may signal another patch beginning to develop. If garbage is left unchecked, then it’s safe to say that we’ll be swimming in trash sooner than later.
Takeaway
The GPGP or the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the terrifying result of unsustainable environmental practices. If this patch continues to grow, we’ll soon be facing the consequences of our actions. The stuff mentioned above should serve as a reminder that we have only one planet and that we should take care of it.