MadPict
26-May-07, 20:23
I caught then end of this Natural World programme at the beginning of the month and saw slightly more of it this evening.
While the beaches of Caithness are hardly comparable to those of Hawaii (for weather at least) they do seem to attract a fair amount of plastic flotsam and jetsam (plastsam?).
When I used to take our old dog for walks along the beach at Reiss she was forever bringing me plastic bottles. If I ever found the plastic loops which held multipacks of cans together I would always pick them up. Larger objects like plastic crates I would have to leave behind but I would endeavour to bring back to the car as much rubbish as I could.
Having seen this episode I fear if I lived in any of the islands that make up the Hawaiian chain I think I might need a large truck.
Due to their unique location these islands act like a magnet for all the plastic from the Pacific Rim. Thousands of Albatross young die every year due to them being fed plastic by their parents. For millions of years they have scoured the oceans plucking food from the waves, but now that food is rapidly being replaced by plastic. It blocks the guts of the young birds making them weak and invariably ending up in them dying when they try to take to the wing.
Turtles try to catch plastic bags because the resemble jellyfish when floating below the surface which become stuck in their throats. Circular plastic, such as can loops, get wrapped around he noses/mouths of animals.
All result in slow deaths.
It was also the force behind the decision of one town in England to outlaw plastic bags completely driven by the camerawoman who filmed the programme for the BBC Natural World series.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/6686543.stm
So, if you happen to go for a walk along any of the local beaches ( or any beach for that matter) take a bag with you - an old rucksack is ideal. Pick up any plastic you find and stick it in a bin or recycle it.
While we may not be responsible for what gets thrown into the sea if you think along the lines of "I wouldn't discard that, so I'll pick it up" perhaps a very small dent can be made in the effect plastic has on marine life.
While the beaches of Caithness are hardly comparable to those of Hawaii (for weather at least) they do seem to attract a fair amount of plastic flotsam and jetsam (plastsam?).
When I used to take our old dog for walks along the beach at Reiss she was forever bringing me plastic bottles. If I ever found the plastic loops which held multipacks of cans together I would always pick them up. Larger objects like plastic crates I would have to leave behind but I would endeavour to bring back to the car as much rubbish as I could.
Having seen this episode I fear if I lived in any of the islands that make up the Hawaiian chain I think I might need a large truck.
Due to their unique location these islands act like a magnet for all the plastic from the Pacific Rim. Thousands of Albatross young die every year due to them being fed plastic by their parents. For millions of years they have scoured the oceans plucking food from the waves, but now that food is rapidly being replaced by plastic. It blocks the guts of the young birds making them weak and invariably ending up in them dying when they try to take to the wing.
Turtles try to catch plastic bags because the resemble jellyfish when floating below the surface which become stuck in their throats. Circular plastic, such as can loops, get wrapped around he noses/mouths of animals.
All result in slow deaths.
It was also the force behind the decision of one town in England to outlaw plastic bags completely driven by the camerawoman who filmed the programme for the BBC Natural World series.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/6686543.stm
So, if you happen to go for a walk along any of the local beaches ( or any beach for that matter) take a bag with you - an old rucksack is ideal. Pick up any plastic you find and stick it in a bin or recycle it.
While we may not be responsible for what gets thrown into the sea if you think along the lines of "I wouldn't discard that, so I'll pick it up" perhaps a very small dent can be made in the effect plastic has on marine life.