Plastic in the Ocean

Plastic in the Ocean

A gyre is a large system of rotating currents within the ocean. There are five major currents/gyres that often associated with the movement of the wind. The author of this article, Stiv J. Wilson, is responding to a recent proposal known as the "Ocean Cleanup Array." The idea of this proposal is to have barges line the radius of the five gyres and let the currents bring the massive amounts of plastic in the ocean to them, collect it (clean up the ocean), and recycle it. The person proposing this solution, Boyan Slat, pretty much outlines a relatively simple solution of harvesting plastic and also states that such a harvest would be safe and not harm life in the sea. Slat estimates that it would take at least five years per gyre to effectively cleanup the plastic. At least part of the cost can be recouped by recycling the estimated 7,250,000,000 kg of plastic in the ocean.

Wilson views the proposal as a way to simplistic. He basically states that the problem is much more complex and that the proposal simply proposes that we just go collect the garbage like garbage collectors. Wilson says this will not work for several reasons and he offers the following problems with this proposal:

1. No serious scientist or policy action believes that these "gyre cleanup programs" (the Ocean Cleanup Array is not the first such program) are realistic because they give the impression we can continue to consume and litter and just clean it up.

2. The ocean is too big, the currents to unpredictable, and to try and sit at the ends of the gyre is far too dangerous for this solution to be practical. When efforts similar to the Ocean Cleanup Array been tried they did not work as the crews had to abandon their efforts.

3. Despite the notion that life would be spared in such a cleanup, this is not true. Plankton move with the current, other animals that feed on plankton follow the plankton, and animals that feed on them follow the current. More realistic looks at these proposals indicate that this would be dangerous to animals.

4. The idea that recycling the plastic is a feasible method of recouping some of the cost is totally unrealistic based on how much actual money could be recouped, the difficulties collecting plastic, transporting it to recycling centers, etc.

Many aspects of Wilson's critique to the proposal are realistic and his acclamation of how plastic breaks down in the ocean, examples of where similar efforts have not been able to work out, and so forth are convincing. Wilson does not dispute the fact that the pollution of the oceans with plastic is a major issue that has serious ramifications in the future. Wilson clearly points out that the so-called "garbage patches" of plastic collected as the currents move are not simply there for the taking. This would be an expensive and dangerous undertaking and it is doubtful that it could be effectively organized.

So what does Wilson propose? He discusses the notion of Gyre Memory. Upon each orbit of a gyre the gyre will spit out half of its contents. Those contents either end up in the other gyres or wash up on land. Thus, Wilson believes that you really do not need to go out and get the plastic but it will simply "come to you." So eventually gyres will spit out and it will end up being washed up on beaches. He advocates organizing massive beach cleanup programs. Wilson also believes that the key solution to the problem of plastic in the oceans is to stop producing plastic products in such massive quantities and for consumers to stop using plastic products. The next step according to Wilson is to get involved in cleanups such as beach cleanups and so forth, get involved in campaigns to eliminate products that produce the problem, and demand that companies take responsibility for the issue.

While the notion of actually going out and cleaning up the plastic out of the ocean may be a lot more complicated than the Ocean Cleanup Array proposal suggests, Wilson's solution to the issue is rather simplistic as well. For years environmentalists have been trying to get companies to be responsible for their actions and to get consumers to use biodegradable containers and yet there does not seem to be any end to the increasing number of plastic products that are produced all over the world. Moreover, Wilson cites issues with the Ocean Cleanup Array as not being feasible to the vast size of the oceans; however, one could also state that his idea to organize massive beach cleanups us unrealistic as well. Where are will all these crews come from? Are people to be paid for this? Do you use volunteers? Where do these start? Who organizes them? Wilson's notion of the development of massive beach cleanup programs can be criticized in the same way as he criticizes the Ocean Cleanup Array proposal in terms of his aspirations and faith in the ability organize such massive scale programs being much bigger than the practicality of such endeavors.

Moreover, this reader found Wilson's skepticism a bit too overarching; Wilson would most likely be skeptical of any program that would attempt to clean up the massive amounts of plastic garbage already in the oceans as opposed to just letting it all wash on the beaches and then picking it up and yet Wilson discusses how ultraviolet light acting on plastic in the ocean causes it to break down and all the issues and dangerous associated with the plastic already out there. He does not really give a time frame as to how long the Gyre Memory effect will take to rid the oceans of a significant amount of plastic; however, the Ocean Cleanup Array proposal claims that a good deal of the plastic could be cleaned out of the ocean within five years. At least that is a target estimate.