What is the connection between these pictures?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

• Discovered in 1997 by Captain Charles Moore.

• Formed gradually as a result of marine pollution gathered by ocean currents, particularly the North Pacific Gyre.

How does a plastic cup in California get there?• Takes the California Current, toward Central America.

• Off of Mexico it takes the North Equatorial Current, toward Asia.

• Off of Japan, the Kuroshio Current might take it eastward again.

• North Pacific Current takes it past Hawaii to the garbage patch. • These are the currents that make up the North Pacific Gyre. .

How long does it take?

• A year from Asia.• Several years from the United States.

• Estimated to be 2X the size of Texas.

OPRAH: Pacific Garbage Patch Video Clip

1. In some places, how deep is the debris?

2. How much more plastic is there than plankton in some parts of the ocean?

3. Where does the garbage come from?

4. What was found inside the dead Albatross?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVESX5HCq-s&feature=related

OPRAH: Pacific Garbage Patch Video Clip1. In some places, how deep

is the debris? 90 feet

2. How much more plastic is there than plankton in some parts of the ocean? 6 times

3. Where does the garbage come from? 80% litter from land; 20%

litter from ships

4. What was found inside the dead Albatross? lots of plastic including a

lighter

OPRAH: Pacific Garbage Patch Video Clip

What kinds of garbage?

• Mostly Plastic

• Besides plastics:– Twenty-mile castaway

fishnets – General household garbage– Hazardous waste– Tires– Bottles– Shoes– Etc.

What kinds of garbage?

Curtis Ebbesmeyer• Two decades spent tracking the journeys of floating

debris.

• Most famously fleets of Nike sneakers and plastic bath toys that had spilled off cargo ships into the North Pacific.

• Also included glass bottles, glass fishing floats, clay jars, sandals, surfboards, and even corpses.

Who cares?

Written in golf balls.

Beach in Hawaii

Garbage clean-up in Cow Bay, NS

Is this what you want for yourself?

North Atlantic Gyre Garbage Patch

Video Clip: • http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/39564-earth-whats-an-

ocean-garbage-patch-video.htm#mkcpgn=snag1

Great Garbage Patch ~Reflective Questions~

1. How do you feel about the plastic garbage patches? Had you heard of this before?

2. What picture, video image or fact stood out to you the most? Why? Explain.

3. What do you think can realistically be done to reduce the amount of waste in the garbage patches? Explain.

4. Do you think the great garbage patches will ever be completely clean? Why or why not?

5. What do you think is an appropriate penalty for people/ corporations who create this garbage?

6. What is the most shocking example of ocean pollution you’ve seen firsthand?

7. If you were at the beach and you saw someone litter, would you say something to them? Why or why not?

8. If you were at the beach and you had a plastic bottle to dispose of, but there were no garbage cans, what would you do?