AKA trash vortexes, these accumulation zones for human material waste obviously affects marine life in many frightening ways.... If you think it's easy to 'look the other way' while marine life suffers deformity and death....consider the way plastics break down into toxin absorbing 'nurdles'. These highly toxic man-made krill like particles are ingested by feeders from top to bottom -infecting the entire food chain from sand worms to sharks and YOU.

We must consciously begin to reduce our output and impact. How much food do you buy comes with plastic packaging? Do you use plastic bags? Shipping containers fall off ships regularly all around the world...do you buy local or imported goods? How can we get companies to change the packaging materials they use? Seek alternatives and tell your friends....

"In Australia around 1 million tonnes of plastic materials are produced each year and a further 587,000 tonnes are imported. Packaging is the largest market for plastics, accounting for over a third of the consumption of raw plastic materials – Australians use 6 billion plastic bags every year!

Plastic packaging provides excellent protection for the product, it is cheap to manufacture and seems to last forever. Lasting forever, however, is proving to be a major environmental problem. Another problem is that traditional plastics are manufactured from non-renewable resources – oil, coal and natural gas." (Source: NOVA Science in the News. Making Packaging Greener: Biodegradable Plastics. Published by the Australian Academy of Science)

- S. Innes

Monday, June 20, 2011

Whose Getting Hurt?

MARINE LIFE - "The very thing that makes plastic items useful to consumers, their durability and stability, also makes them a problem in marine environments. Around 100 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year of which about 10 percent ends up in the sea. About 20 percent of this is from ships and platforms, the rest from land." 
(Source: Greenpeace International @ http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/pollution/trash-vortex)

HUMANS - "Many fishermen believe that the toxic chemicals in the ocean are killing much of the fish population. One of the most harmful chemicals in the ocean is lead. Lead can cause many health problems. It can damage the brain, kidneys, and reproductive system. Lead can also cause birth defects for people. It has been shown to cause low IQ scores, slow growth, and hearing problems for small children. House and car paint and manufacturing lead batteries, fishing lures, certain parts of bullets, some ceramic ware, water pipes, and fixtures all give off lead.'

Many things found in the ocean may cause seafood to be dangerous to human health. The effect on humans from contaminated seafood may include birth defects and nervous system damage. Medical waste found in the ocean is being tested to see if swimmers have a chance of developing Hepatitis or AIDS. Other waste has been known to cause viral and bacterial diseases. This type of pollution can be stopped by watching what pollution we are letting into the ocean. People are trying to decrease the amount of waste in the oceans by recycling as much garbage as they can so there is a smaller amount of very harmful materials in the ocean." 
(Source: Ocean Pollution at http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/ocean_pollution.htm) 



PRIMARY CHILDREN - For an educational resource for primary children about plants and animals, changing habitats and protecting biodiversity  checkout:
EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED by The State of Queensland (Department of Education and Training) 2009. (There's another game for kids further down this site...)


SECONDARY SCHOOL - Check out this website by Carly B. a psych student with an obsession for the animal kingdom. Psychedelic grasshoppers, hairless guinea pigs and foxes on stilts...the animal kingdom rocks!



AUSTRALIANS - "Australia's oceans hold 4,000 fish types of 22,000 known worldwide. They are home to the largest area of coral reefs and 30 of the world's 58 seagrass species. With so much at stake, Australia's oceans need to be managed." Check out Marinebio's list of: 
AUSTRALIAN MARINE SOCIETIES


WILDLIFE - "Nature Stuff" by Mark David is about the Australian Wildlife you've probably met on land. What you should know about living with your locals, from noisy miners to huntsman spiders!

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