I think so!

"Roughtly the size of Texas…"

Bloody hell 🙁

But it actually has a very low density so it's not the end of the world. And it'll bio-degrade eventually. I mean, my Co Op carrier bags seem capable of bio-degrading on the walk home.

Surely 'bags for life' will redress all of the points raised above. 😕

This is a very sobering photo collection – http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11

Very very sobering, brant.
Those pictures have made me very sad indeed 😥

It's scary, really.
[STW mode]Another reason to buy a non-CF bike.[/STW mode]

My local beach had a problem with washed up rubbish, so locals gathered it and built an protesting art piece…

It's now a party shack with many summer evenings of fun and laughter….

http://lilstockbeachhut.blogspot.com/

Scroll to the bottom of the page for how this place came about…

"Roughly the size of Texas…"

Isn't the accepted international standard to relate any area to Belgium?

Isn't the accepted international standard to relate any area to Belgium?

No that's mullet sizing!

Back on subject – and thanks brant, that's my point precisely – its all about toxins and non-biodegradable materials entering the food chain. As a child I was appalled at the dirt and filth (plastics) washed up on the shores of the U.K.'s largest freshwater lake. Years later I realised we had the same burgeoning problem along the Irish coast line. It really is a major issue, and does anyone think that the people who created the problem will be there for the clean up?

But what can be done?

so will recycling prevent this, or do other steps need to be taken?
can we just blame the Americans? or maybe the Chinese?

Cheers Brant, now I know where my missing lighters have gone. Pesky bloody gulls.

it equates to 0.2% of the total ocean surface area. given how careless and filthy humans are its not as bad as i would have thought. could we scoop the bits up with fire fighting planes, then drop the contents into old trafford?

Poly bags are bloody awful in the food chain too. We visited a sea turtle conservation project and one of the biggest problems they face, apart from egg poachers, was turtles choking on poly bags – which look a lot like jellyfish when they are floating in the sea. 😐

it equates to 0.2% of the total ocean surface area. given how careless and filthy humans are its not as bad as i would have thought. could we scoop the bits up with fire fighting planes, then drop the contents into old trafford?

Excellent suggestion tribal, but would anyone be able to differentiate between the team and the rubbish?

After the derby the rubbish would go to the blue part of the town.

the problem is that not enough people on a global level, give a tinkers cuss. preventing further accumulation is the only serious route to take, but some western middle class twee campaign by tree or even four huggers, will have zero impact.

Playing in the dunes at 'ironman' beach, I'm always amazed at the quantity of plastic "cotton bud" straws that are washed up there. Surely it would be as cheap to make those in wood, or paper? And so much more environmentally friendly.

yep, why not make them like lolly sticks, rolled paper?

Playing in the dunes at 'ironman' beach, I'm always amazed at the quantity of plastic "cotton bud" straws that are washed up there. Surely it would be as cheap to make those in wood, or paper? And so much more environmentally friendly.

And WHY do people flush those? What possible reason is there? WHY? WHY? Most folk have a bin in the bathroom, it surely can't be any more effort!

Me & the missus were up at Holy Island last week which is a conservation area, which means I as a sea angler (as well as MTB'er) am not allowed to dig for lugworm, or anything else, to use as bait. I found this quite amusing after seeing the amount of crap washed up there! Plastic bottles, tyres, shoes, nylon rope, buckets. You name something that belongs on a tip (no bulldozers) & it was there. Honestly if I lived up there I'd try & organise a clean up gang!

LOL environmental concerns on (basically) a shoppers forum 🙄

hora – Member

LOL environmental concerns on (basically) a shoppers forum

I thought it was a forum for sports people concerned about the great outdoors 😉

And besides who let you out of Hebden Bridge!!! 😆