The end of an assignment, but not the end of the problem

I felt compelled to comment on my journey of creating, writing, researching, and completing this blogging assignment since my intention was once it was graded  - I probably wouldn't write again. Once that thought came in to fruition in my mind, I got extremely sad and disappointed in myself. Haven't I continually said in the assignments that we have had each week that knowledge and awareness are some of the most powerful tools we have when it comes to changing and possibly reversing some of the damage that has been fraught on our environment? How hypocritical of me to start something and once the due date passes drop it! In reality,  other classes will come up. Working will get crazy. Life will go on. Like it always does.....
Once of the reasons I chose a topic such as the Pacific Trash Vortex is because I am a true lover of water. Not only do I live in Florida and visit the beaches often but I am also an Aquatic Coordinator, one of my main jobs is to train people how to be around water safely. The irony that eventually the contamination of the water might be more dangerous than those not knowing how to swim has not surpassed me. But what about looking further than the "human" race? What about those that call the ocean home? Why is it that my thoughts always go to people and how it affects them when in reality it isn't "our" ocean.... the creatures that live in it, it's THEIR ocean.
I've definitely noticed a change in my behavior as my awareness has grown. I am going out of my way to recycle pieces that aren't even mine. I am consuming smarter. Trying to purchase goods that aren't thoroughly processed or with plastic packaging. That's powerful. Remember, one person's actions ARE important. That includes all of you.

Signing off from Florida,
Maggie Cattell

What happens to plastic that HAS been recycled?

Who is responsible for cleanup?

                     If only it were that simple.......


I think that after looking at all the information that has been discussed so far, the one that interests me the most is that no country takes responsibility for contributing to the Pacific Trash Vortex and therefor no one has made efforts to change their waste disposal practices OR begin cleaning the area. As you can see by the location, any number of countries can be contributing to the huge mass of plastic that is floating around in the waters. The United States, Canada, Russia, China, and Japan are the closest but that is just land mass. What about the ships that sail in those waters and probably use them as their own personal garbage pit? Couldn't they be just as likely of a culprit? It seems amazing to me that not one has stepped up to try to pick up their mess. The amount of time it takes some of this plastic to break down is long, not all of it has been recently disposed. Some of this trash is from the non-environmentally friendly disposal practices countries had before we began realizing that eventually we will bury ourself in trash. Don't you think they should be held responsible even if this is their "trash from the past"?

What you can do

I have posted plenty of information about the Pacific Trash Vortex and some of the upcoming struggles that our society will face as our numbers continue to grow and we continue to be a wasteful society. It's starting to get a bit depressing. But... there is hope. There are things that we all can do to help keep our oceans safe, clean, and sacred:

1. RECYCLE: for me, it's easy, the city I live in offers free recycling. I have a bin that is outside that I utilize for any cans, plastic, boxes, papers, etc. However, for some of you it isn't so easy. But here are some suggestions:

• If you live in an apartment complex, suggest them creating a recycling program. Many complexes might take to this idea because it offers a service to their residents and can cut down on how much/often they have to pay for trash removal
• Find a recycling center or drop off boxes in your city. You may be surprised that they are closer than you think
• Try and get your job or school to have more recycling units available for everyone to use
• Pay attention to the products you buy and if you will have access to recycle them or potentially reuse them. For example buying juice in glass containers that can be refilled or reused around the house

2. SHOP WISELY: be educated about the products that you are buying at the grocery store. Is that plastic bag your leaving with able to be broken down by decomposition? Do you have access to recycle that plastic water bottle? Instead of buying those products, use these hints while at the grocery store:

• Buy cloth, reusable bags to carry out your groceries. I have 10 or 11 that I rotate through and keep at least 5 in my car at all times
• Buy food that is fresh and not packaged. This cuts down on the amount of waste (not to mention the chemicals you might be consuming due to preservatives)
• Purchase from companies that are eco-friendly or taking steps to raise awareness about environmental issues
• Stop buying plastic water bottles and purchase a reusable water bottle

3. DON'T LITTER: this seems like a simple request, but that single cigarette butt or piece of paper really adds up... Next time you are at the beach and leave your cup in the sand, think about the animal that might potentially be ingesting that plastic one day. Take the extra 2 minutes to find a recycling unit and dispose of it appropriately. While you're at it, do it for other pieces that you find along the way.

4. DON'T JUST BE AWARE - BE ACTIVE : the more you know, the smarter you can be and the more awareness you can raise. This isn't a problem that will be quickly solved and it takes more than one person. However, awareness only gets us so far, we need as a society to be active. To see the problems and try to become part of the solution, even if it is only in a small way.

The Earth's Toilet Bowl

My recent vacation...

I went to the beach last week in Fort Lauderdale. For those of you who haven't been: it's beautiful. The beach that I was on was clean and the water beautiful. I then traveled 10 minutes down the road to a less used beach. I was amazed at the difference in water quality and upkeep of the beach. There was litter everywhere. I now understand how some people can remain so uninformed about how polluted our ocean water is; it's because we always visit the nice and clean beaches. We rarely venture to the ones that aren't constantly used and kept up. Most of the trash I saw was simple litter: cigaret butts, plastic cups, one deflated soccer ball.... but it was still a powerful reminder that the Pacific Trash Vortex isn't a far away entity. Our wasteful lifestyles affect the very beaches we go to on vacation. We just don't always see it.

A personal observation of change

I have people who come over to my house all the time: to watch movies or sports, or to meet up and go for a run. Many of them bring in with them their keys and phones. Some bring their dogs. But one person in particular always brings in.... his plastic water bottle ( DUN DUN DUNNNN ). At first it drove me crazy that a different plastic water bottle would always be left sitting on my coffee table when I woke up the next morning (I don't use or purchase plastic water bottles unless I have no other choice. I carry around a reusable water bottle).

I finally asked him to please start taking his water bottles with him.

He said ok.

I said to make sure that he recycled them.

He said he didn't have recycling.

I have now agreed he can leave all his water bottles here and I will recycle them for him.

To do the math: he comes over 2-3 times a week with a water bottle each time. That's approximately 12 plastic water bottles a month. 144 bottles a year.... all that were going in to the trash but I now recycle for him. Needless to say he is getting a filtered water bottle for his birthday.

Now that ladies and gentleman is a step towards change. If you don't think one person's water bottle makes a difference; you're wrong.

THE END