Proving once again that every man-made problem on Earth can be solved through appropriate resource allocation, which is only hindered by those hoarding the wealth, and those in our governments whom they pay to protect their wealth from practical use.
Wait, but it’s on track to being completed. I think this doesn’t support your argument people think it supports.
I mean, in this individual instance, people with money gathered together and started solving a global problem. The poor people didn’t do shit. The hoarders of wealth gave freely to fix the problem. Capitalism saved the day here, comrade. Now, quit littering, so they don’t have to do it again.
The garbage patch isn’t even primarily from people littering. The majority is from agricultural and fishing industry.
And puts it where?
The Atlantic
Dammit now I have this picture in my head of two cleanup teams sneaking trash back into the other’s ocean.
I think their idea is to put it into new plastic products.
So it can go back into the ocean.
So our planet will have a plastic cycle then? Sounds good enough for now.
“The Ocean Cleanup” is a great effort and I support their mission wholeheartedly. BUT looking at the bigger picture; it seems completely asinine to fish garbage put of the ocean and call that the solution to pollution, instead of preventing it from getting there in the first place. This is not meant as a criticism of “The Ocean Cleanup”, but of global society in general. One minute you see them removing the Pacific garbage patch and the next you see whole rivers covered in plastic waste flowing out into the ocean from certain countries.
Edit: Fishing it out of the rivers before it enters the ocean is also a good effort. But it doesn’t address the underlying problem any better than cleaning ot out of the ocean. Also; some people seem to think I’m bashing “The Ocean Cleanup” and similar organisations. I’m very much not. They do great, necessary work. I’m just frustrated that said work is needed, and more importantly; that it doesn’t seem to be on track to stop being needed anytime in the near-ish future.
Climate is a thing where no matter how big your solution is, it’s only part of a larger solution-cluster.
We need it all, and then the rest of it, too.
[…] the next you see whole rivers covered in plastic waste flowing out into the ocean from certain countries.
Which is why they’re working on exactly that
They are doing similar tryouts in Big Rivers now too. But that’s a lot harder than cleaning what’s already stagnant.
The sheer force of the water and waste is difficult to hold in place with nets. But they’re definitely working on it.
I trust programs like this and admire the work. It’s a good thing for life in general to get rid of that shit. It’s just abysmal that companies still use so much plastic for everything.
Who said it was a solution?
No one specifically, but in a lot of cases it feels like certain interest groups, tout projects like this as the be all and end all of solving the issue. I just fear for a sentiment where people go: “Look at what “The Ocean Cleanup” is doing! We don’t need to abolish single use plastics. Any that end up in the environment is simply picked up!” That is of course a bit of a caricature, but at this point my trust in humanity as a whole, is not very high…
The kind of people who care about plastic at all don’t seem the type to say “oh well we can clean it up go wild boys”
No of course not. It’s the people who have an interest in keeping plastic around, who I fear might use an excuse like that.
Even if all pollution stopped today we still have to clean up the patch.
The majority of the great Pacific garbage patch material - over 75% of it - comes from fishing and aquaculture activities. I’m sure some of it is accidents or storm related, but I also have a strong suspicion that a good percentage of it is from China’s ghost fishing fleets - the ones they deny exist, that over-fish and poach other countries’ waters, and that cut loose their nets and pretend innocence if approached.
your reply is classic
miss the forest for the trees
How in the heck do you mean? I’m happy for the accomplishment. It’s excellent work. I’m just angry that said work is necessary in the first place.
I would not have had the opinion that you are happy about the solution. Your reply is basically “not appreciate a larger situation, problem, etc., because one is considering only a few parts of it” (the origin). We cannot fix the reason the problem is there. IT IS. Fixing the problem is the only reality and now that is within reach. Complaining about the origin is missing the point.
