Solar Impulse Pilot: ‘I Flew Over Plastic Waste As Big As a Continent’

[Ripster42]

No. Plastic can choke and kill animals of course when they are in larger fragements. But it also releases chemicals into the water systems as it degrades in microplastics. They are both PTBs. Both have the same effects. Both cause bio-accumulation and magnification in the marine food web.

http://www.nature.com/articles/srep03263

Yes, and I mention that.

While the concentration of pollutants in the food chain can occur from plastics, that's not the real worry and to use an analogy would be like kasich running opposite trump. Ya, it's not good, but it's also not the worst result of the election/pollution.

I'm saying that as far as overall food chain viability is concerned, that things flat out dying because they can't eat is worse than bioaccumulation.

[Hellravager]

Those dead zones are nowhere near the gyres. That argument is invalid.

Show me new, reputable information from a scientific journal citing anything other than "small particles spread across the gyres." Large visible trash is uncommon, and it is incredibly misleading to make such claims.

I'm not claiming the plastics aren't a problem; but the way they are being portrayed here is a blatant lie.

Everyone here knows its a fucking lie but if you dont over-exaggerate something most people wont understand that we must do something about it.

[Ahovv]

Everyone here knows its a fucking lie but if you dont over-exaggerate something most people wont understand that we must do something about it.

Sorry; that's propaganda.

[Sierra85]

we need to collect all the plastic that is in the seas and burn it. i dont care throw it into the sun or into a volcano, but it needs to be removed from the environment.

[Hellravager]

Sorry; that's propaganda.

Yea and you know what? Who the hell cares if its propaganda? It gets the fucking point across

[Manhands]

Are the naysayers about the facts of this story implying that we should continue dumping into the ocean? Or do we all actually agree that dumping is bad and it's good that we continue to clamp down on it?

Because if we agree overall and are arguing needlessly over the story itself, then that's a waste of time.

[Deleted]

Are the naysayers about the facts of this story implying that we should continue dumping into the ocean? Or do we all actually agree that dumping is bad and it's good that we continue to clamp down on it?

Because if we agree overall and are arguing needlessly over the story itself, then that's a waste of time.

Most of the naysayers like Ahovv describe to the fallacy of 'no perfect solution'.

If they find a small discrepancy in a story, or proposed solution, the entire problem doesn't exist to them and they can wash their hands clean off it. It is really fascinating how a developed mind can still operate in such a narrowminded capacity and still manage to do tasks like post here and not shit wherever on the floor.

[Hellravager]

Most of the naysayers like Ahovv describe to the fallacy of 'no perfect solution'.

If they find a small discrepancy in a story, or proposed solution, the entire problem doesn't exist to them and they can wash their hands clean off it. It is really fascinating how a developed mind can still operate in such a narrowminded capacity and still manage to do tasks like post here and not shit wherever on the floor.

Its like some people are still with the mind size of a monkey >.>

[grandpab]

We just need to do what they did in Futurama. Send the trash into space.

[Halicia]

We just need to do what they did in Futurama. Send the trash into space.

Starting with Trump and the cast of Jersey Shore.

Honestly though, this makes sense, but its the first I heard of massive plastic convergence in the oceans. Kinda scary.

Personally, I've always grown up with the sensibility that even one piece of plastic in the wild is too much... so the scale of the litter is irrelevant to me. Except that it helps justify cleanup costs involved. (and possibly enable a profit to be made)

[Ahovv]

Its like some people are still with the mind size of a monkey >.>

Now you're just behaving like a child.

So let's get this straight: I point out that your original story was highly exaggerated, you admit it is indeed exaggerated and could be considered propaganda, and finally you insist because I pointed out the flaws in your story I now have the "mind size of a monkey."

Yeah, I'm done with this thread. There is nothing to be gained from debating delusional individuals.

[Hellravager]

Now you're just behaving like a child.

So let's get this straight: I point out that your original story was highly exaggerated, you admit it is indeed exaggerated and could be considered propaganda, and finally you insist because I pointed out the flaws in your story I now have the "mind size of a monkey."

Yeah, I'm done with this thread. There is nothing to be gained from debating delusional individuals.

And good bye, I said that you had the mind size of a monkey because you were almost denying the fact that we have to do something about the trash in the ocean. It's like you wanted to pretend it didnt exist at all

[Ahovv]

Most of the naysayers like Ahovv describe to the fallacy of 'no perfect solution'.

If they find a small discrepancy in a story, or proposed solution, the entire problem doesn't exist to them and they can wash their hands clean off it. It is really fascinating how a developed mind can still operate in such a narrowminded capacity and still manage to do tasks like post here and not shit wherever on the floor.

100% false. I made no such claim that the problem didn't exist; I am only asserting that the claim of the extent which it exists (somehow being large and noticeable enough that there is some massive visible continent of garbage in the ocean) is bullshit.

Of course, I can see how appealing it is to falsely accuse someone of a fallacy when you disagree with them. It may be the only argument you have.

[IIamaKing]

Lash all that trash together, dump some dirt on in and build a floating island. I saw some guy do it small scale on youtube, had like a 200 square foot hut on probably a 500 square foot island all made from bottle and other floating trash. He had some trees and plants, was quite cool really.


All this trash is going nowhere, need to find cost effective uses for it.

[Deleted]

100% false. I made no such claim that the problem didn't exist; I am only asserting that the claim of the extent which it exists (somehow being large and noticeable enough that there is some massive visible continent of garbage in the ocean) is bullshit.

Irrelevant. The visible scope of the problem is completely irrelevant to the scale of the problem itself.

Of course, I can see how appealing it is to falsely accuse someone of a fallacy when you disagree with them. It may be the only argument you have.

I think this problem cannot go unattended any longer. By your own admission here you disagree with me, proving me right in my original assertion that you don't think this problem requires any effort on your part because you found a tiny hole in the story of the messenger. Job done! Back to bed, you can sleep easy! Well done Ahovv....

[Forogil]

Are the naysayers about the facts of this story implying that we should continue dumping into the ocean? Or do we all actually agree that dumping is bad and it's good that we continue to clamp down on it?

Naysayers?

The people who run "Ocean Cleanup" argue (http://www.theoceancleanup.com/blog/...e-patches.html ) that it is not only as important to clean up these patches - but even try to argue that it is better to clean up the patches than avoiding pollution in the first place (since most pollution from rivers just wash ashore - whereas the plastic in the patch stay longer in the ocean)!

The second problem is that we don't know where all the plastics go - there are a number of possibilities: it degrades more than expected ("Ocean Cleanup" is entirely silent about this; and in that case ocean cleanup is less needed - but avoiding pollution in the first place remains good), it sinks to the bottom more quickly than expected (in that case we should focus on not getting pollutants in the sea and then on cleaning the deep sea - not the surface), or ?

- - - Updated - - -

Lash all that trash together, dump some dirt on in and build a floating island. I saw some guy do it small scale on youtube, had like a 200 square foot hut on probably a 500 square foot island all made from bottle and other floating trash. He had some trees and plants, was quite cool really.

Cool, but likely not collected from this patch in the ocean.

[IIamaKing]

Naysayers?

The people who run "Ocean Cleanup" argue (http://www.theoceancleanup.com/blog/...e-patches.html ) that it is not only as important to clean up these patches - but even try to argue that it is better to clean up the patches than avoiding pollution in the first place (since most pollution from rivers just wash ashore - whereas the plastic in the patch stay longer in the ocean)!

The second problem is that we don't know where all the plastics go - there are a number of possibilities: it degrades more than expected ("Ocean Cleanup" is entirely silent about this; and in that case ocean cleanup is less needed - but avoiding pollution in the first place remains good), it sinks to the bottom more quickly than expected (in that case we should focus on not getting pollutants in the sea and then on cleaning the deep sea - not the surface), or ?

- - - Updated - - -


Cool, but likely not collected from this patch in the ocean.

I think he was a beach dweller and collected it from there. Where he collected it from is moot, what he did with it was the point.


Found the video, guy is a bit off (shocker) still pretty neat.

[Damajin]

Yea and you know what? Who the hell cares if its propaganda? It gets the fucking point across

If you can't get the point across with the straight facts and have to resort to propaganda then it underlines the weak nature of your argument or claim. We don't need propaganda in any of this, and seriously advocating for it is crazy talk.

[Elim Garak]

Have ocean asked to be cleaned up? The arrogance of men...

[Techno-Druid]

What about engineering bacteria to feed on plastic?