“The open plains of the asphalt jungle, home to many creatures, great and small, and the pupping ground for one of the most clever and illustrious creatures: the plastic bag.”
I watch as Jeremy Irons narrates the video, in a presumably humorous manner, “The Majestic Plastic Bag.”
With a British accent similar to those of narrators from the BBC’s “Planet Earth,” Irons describes one plastic bag’s journey from the grocery store, all the way to its new home at the center of the Pacific Ocean: a zone called the Great Garbage Patch of the Pacific Ocean.
It’s a mockumentary the environmental group Heal the Bay released in August of last year to generate awareness about marine debris, particularly the GGP, through its witty and sarcastic context. The ugly truth is that this patch, located somewhere between the coasts of Hawaii and California, is estimated to be twice as vast in size as the state of Texas.
Scientists are calling it the “world’s largest landfill," and for obvious reasons. Because of the convergence zones created by ocean currents, clumps of debris that were once scattered randomly throughout the water accumulate into swirling masses. While an aerial view of the patch shows garbage on the surface, the majority of the GGP is submerged beneath the surface.
The high levels of floating trash far offshore first alarmed Charles Moore, the oceanographer that discovered the patch during a yacht race in 1997. In a videotaped speech for Technology, Entertainment, Design in 2009, Moore said that because of high-rate productions in post-World War II America, a generation of “Throwaway Living” was born. Describing the monster that was created, Moore says, “Throwaway plastics take up a lot of space, and don’t biodegrade ... Only we humans make waste that nature can’t digest.”
One might conceive, “Well easy, let’s just organize more cleanup efforts.” Contrary to what environmentalists initially proposed, however, the garbage vortex contains microscopic particles that are the by-products of litter originating from the streets of the mainland. The problem: These particles, too small to be swept up by nets, are mistaken by marine life as plankton and other natural food sources. I’m sure you can see where these circumstances turn morbid.
As young people revolutionizing the world, we need to extend our moral obligations beyond school, work and our social life. When Mother Nature’s great balance nature is disturbed, her vengeful side will undoubtedly come forth. The outcome will be devastating, impacting the world for generations, until the problem is delegated into sustainable solutions. Where do you come in? Make a conscious effort to recycle plastic bags. Better yet, buy reusable bags to carry groceries in. If walking to class, and you see a McDonald’s cup lying in Hayden Lawn, contribute by picking it up: It takes 20 seconds.
Let’s take pride in nature, with all the beauty it provides, by protecting it. After all, wasn’t the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico detrimental enough?
Reach the columnist at britni.adams@asu.edu.
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