[Ron Fontaine]

Our survival is not just dependent upon our personal actions to certain local events. The survival of our families and future generations depend upon the actions of everyone else on the planet too.

Case in point:

The search for debris from the downed aircraft Air France fight 477 over the Atlantic ocean brings home a sad fact of the state of our oceans.

There is so much trash floating in the ocean it is hindering the search!

The amount of plastic trash floating in the worlds oceans is astonishing. Just one more way the ignorance of mankind is threatening our very survival.

The oceans are a vast fishery that feeds the world. A fishery that is being polluted an increasing rate. The plastics and other materials are often ingested by the creatures of the oceans, leading to injury and death on a massive scale.

More about the vast areas of floating trash in the worlds oceans here:

Search for downed plane highlights ocean trash problem - CNN.com

[weirdbeard]

Out of site, out of mind. Makes me effing sick.

[Mac]

Having been around the world a few times... it is sad to see the state of things

Although larger more advanced countries can be blamed for the pollution, other countries could care less about the local wildlife/forests, etc.

Attached is a pic from India on a trip from a few years back...this is one of the cleaner street corners I saw...

its a shame...

[oly]

Mac that sounds just like Haiti, no where to dump your trash other than the neighbors yard.

[dukman]

And yet, less and less things are being made of easier to recycle metals and easy to compost paperboard..... When you look at all the things that come wrapped in plastic nowadays, where do you think most of it will end up?

The governments need to offer a FREE trash program with FREE recycling buckets. Why free?? Because any cost is too much for some people. (I use people loosely... other terms could be used) States with bottle and can deposits have a higher chance of recycling of these items, but there is still usually no where to easily recycle the tons of other plastics.

There used to be recycling stations all over town, but they are now gone. Why?? Because people were dumping trash in them. Why?? Because they had nowhere else to dump it for free. Now those people are dumping all of it in the woods instead....

[stairman]

Our county made trash pickup mandatory. Its added to your property taxes. Now you dont see trash dumped in the woods or smell diapers smoldering in someones burn barrel at night anymore.

[Ron Fontaine]

We need biodegradable plastics or other similar material and outlaw plastic bags, bottles, etc. The true cost of these items are just not worth the damage being caused.

When I buy something at a local store I now either bring my own canvas bags or ask that the items not be bagged. When there are just a few things it is an easy matter to carry them in hand rather that waste a plastic bag that may end up in the landfill.

[Celticwarrior]

Originally Posted by Ron Fontaine

We need biodegradable plastics or other similar material and outlaw plastic bags, bottles, etc. The true cost of these items are just not worth the damage being caused.

When I buy something at a local store I now either bring my own canvas bags or ask that the items not be bagged. When there are just a few things it is an easy matter to carry them in hand rather that waste a plastic bag that may end up in the landfill.

On LIFE AFTER PEOPLE they showed one of the plastic graveyards in the Pacific (there are at least 2 huge ones caught in the currents), and described how the plastic gets out there from storm drains, ship dumping, and winds and how even though they degrade in sunlight within a year or so, the pieces (which are a square inch or larger in many cases) just sink to the bottom where they don't break down any further, being so far from UV light. There they stay, slowly poisoning or becoming choking hazards for sea life for decades or even centuries. We definitely need to figure out a better way, that's for sure.

[stairman]

Modern conveinences are surely helping the planet to destroy itself. Look what the repeating rifle did to the buffalo.

[LaRemnant]

Check this video out concerning pollution for our worlds oceans. It is sad...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf5iHqT1Rzc

Someone at work laughed at me the other day because I always have my camelbak on me, especially at the gym. I explained the simple yet brilliant rational behind the logic (in all kinds of ways), and how it is each of our responsibility to take care of our environment, and even though they now think I am a tree hugger (with those occasional poking fun jokes), I know I got my message through to two people that day. One of them has since bought a reusable water/soda bottle.

PS

The embedding feature doesn't seem to work these past few weeks... Or I am just retarded!