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Pacific Rubbish Tip Because of a clockwise trade wind that circulates around the Pacific rim, a vast collection of rubbish, which covers an area larger than Australia, is gathering in the Pacific Ocean and research shows that it is growing larger.
In his Tasmanian-built research vessel, Captain Charles Moore has just returned from a trip through a plastic stew floating between Hawaii and San Francisco. Toothbrushes, plastic bags, plastic hard hats and soap bottles are quite common.Captain Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, says the eastern part of what is labelled the "Pacific Garbage Patch" is joined by a rubbish superhighway to a western collection of debris off Japan. The identifiable plastic comes mostly from Asia, whereas the North American debris takes over five years in some cases to arrive. "In that period of time it's broken into bits, and we can't see any writing on it, so we can't trace it back to the United States.However "It's certainly true that all the countries bordering the Pacific contribute to this garbage patch. "Dr. Holly Bamford, the director of the marine debris program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), says the NOAA is considering flying unmanned aircraft over the oceanic rubbish dump to collect more data. Because the floating rubbish lies in international waters, there is not a lot of political will to attempt what would be a massive clean-up. Taiwan Tourism Threatens Green Island Pollution caused by an increase in tourism threatens Green Island as a good diving spot in East Asia due to rubbish and excrement dumped into its azure waters and shrinking reefs plundered of coral by tourists.Coral reefs, colourful fish, a warm ocean current, mild off-season weather and good ferry links make Green Island a popular place to dive or snorkel. However the island's infrastructure has not kept up with the influx of tourists and the family run hotels that dot the island throw raw sewage and rubbish in the sea because there is no central treatment or disposal system.Once infamous for its prison for political dissidents during Taiwan's pre-democracy era, Green Island began looking to its underwater scenery and a rare saltwater hot spring in 1991 to draw tourists from the crowded cities of Taiwan.Visitors reached 382,908 last year, up 40% from five years earlier, according to government statistics. The government is now considering constructing a water treatment plant but it may take several years for it to be built. Those in the local tourist trade say things are not as bad as they seem and note that some hotels and restaurants do treat their waste on site. |
