What a sad state of affairs. I'm normally positive but it's hard to see this ending well given our global reliance on OIL and that 'wonderful' byproduct of oil production that we can't seem to do without these days - 'plastic'. It's little wonder our seabird populations are suffering globally - habitat loss, overfishing, pollution, climate change and now an epidemic of plastic ingestion blocking their digestive tracts so that they die slowly of starvation. Awful...!!
Even if we don't throw our plastic things away, we are all GUILTY of poluting the sea with those nano plastic particles. Anything with the word POLY..... infront of it , or in the ingredience list, has those in it. Anything that bleaches your teath or cleans your bathroom has those in it.
For the moment none of our filter systhems are fine enough, they all end up in the sea. There are large clouds of those particles foating on the water, they block out the sun from performing photosynthesis (if that's the word?) And are contributing to climat change.Just go to the cleaning isle of any supermarket and check. Those nano plastic beads are in everything.
Thanks for that Araminta. I've just sent the following to Jay Weatherill, SA's premier:
Ingested plastics are killing our marine birds (ABC report 10/9/015), & microbeads are not only harming our wildlife but also contributing to climate change (www.plasticfreeseas.org). SA could be a leader in developing products which stop the slaughter of marine birds & in growing & processing alternatives to microbeads. Industries & jobs could be created for the benefit of the environment, something not to be taken lightly.
Woko, did you hapen to suggest humans digesting plastic to block their digestive track could also be a new cure for Diabeties, and a whole rage of lifestyle diseases. Just think of the money to be saved in health care.
Just had a thought, I wonderd if the worlds transport ships were to have net structre be placed on them. Something shallow in depth, but something that nets the ships width and perhps the same width either side as they criss cross the worlds oceans. Weather that would work, or kill more marine animals than save. It would be difficult filtring the light small stuff and letting the heavier alive stuff pass. But like a tractor on the beach that sieves the sand for druggies litter, ships could do the same for plastic. But I guess it would only be doing animals a favour, not saving human lives so I guess the answer to my idea is no.
We could be forgiven for thinking that Homo sapiens is on a slow suicide mission. Maybe scientists need to investigate whether it's written in our genes.
I think you are on to something here Woko. As a rule , over population makes us more agressive, that does lead to self destruction, like drug taking, and all sorts of self harming. A shortage of anything leads us to attack each other. Well documented in the animal world. The one we are part of.
Research on over-crowded rat cages shows that the rats became very aggressive towards each other with biting a common feature. With increasing human numbers making increasing demands on decreasing natural resources can we expect more aggressive human behaviour?
How sick is that???!!!
Makes your heart sink
What a sad state of affairs. I'm normally positive but it's hard to see this ending well given our global reliance on OIL and that 'wonderful' byproduct of oil production that we can't seem to do without these days - 'plastic'. It's little wonder our seabird populations are suffering globally - habitat loss, overfishing, pollution, climate change and now an epidemic of plastic ingestion blocking their digestive tracts so that they die slowly of starvation. Awful...!!
Even if we don't throw our plastic things away, we are all GUILTY of poluting the sea with those nano plastic particles. Anything with the word POLY..... infront of it , or in the ingredience list, has those in it. Anything that bleaches your teath or cleans your bathroom has those in it.
For the moment none of our filter systhems are fine enough, they all end up in the sea. There are large clouds of those particles foating on the water, they block out the sun from performing photosynthesis (if that's the word?) And are contributing to climat change.Just go to the cleaning isle of any supermarket and check. Those nano plastic beads are in everything.
M-L
Here they are, MICROBEADS
http://www.plasticfreeseas.org/microbeads.html
M-L
Thanks for that Araminta. I've just sent the following to Jay Weatherill, SA's premier:
Ingested plastics are killing our marine birds (ABC report 10/9/015), & microbeads are not only harming our wildlife but also contributing to climate change (www.plasticfreeseas.org).
SA could be a leader in developing products which stop the slaughter of marine birds & in growing & processing alternatives to microbeads. Industries & jobs could be created for the benefit of the environment, something not to be taken lightly.
Woko, did you hapen to suggest humans digesting plastic to block their digestive track could also be a new cure for Diabeties, and a whole rage of lifestyle diseases. Just think of the money to be saved in health care.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
A bit too dark for me, Jason, but we're certainly an overpopulated planet.
Just had a thought, I wonderd if the worlds transport ships were to have net structre be placed on them. Something shallow in depth, but something that nets the ships width and perhps the same width either side as they criss cross the worlds oceans. Weather that would work, or kill more marine animals than save. It would be difficult filtring the light small stuff and letting the heavier alive stuff pass. But like a tractor on the beach that sieves the sand for druggies litter, ships could do the same for plastic. But I guess it would only be doing animals a favour, not saving human lives so I guess the answer to my idea is no.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-19/volunteers-collect-rubbish-from-as-far-away-as-madagascar/6333508
We could be forgiven for thinking that Homo sapiens is on a slow suicide mission. Maybe scientists need to investigate whether it's written in our genes.
I think you are on to something here Woko. As a rule , over population makes us more agressive, that does lead to self destruction, like drug taking, and all sorts of self harming. A shortage of anything leads us to attack each other. Well documented in the animal world. The one we are part of.
M-L
Research on over-crowded rat cages shows that the rats became very aggressive towards each other with biting a common feature. With increasing human numbers making increasing demands on decreasing natural resources can we expect more aggressive human behaviour?