Why we should be recycling every tiny scrap of plastic...



All photos by Chris Jordan







Photographer Chris Jordan specializes in large-scale works that depict the magnitude of our consumerism and its impact on our environment. In one of his most emotional presentations, Jordan shares heart-wrenching images of birds killed by ingesting plastics that increasingly pollute our oceans. Everyone on the planet should watch this!





www.chrisjordan.com






www.chrisjordan.com






www.chrisjordan.com






www.chrisjordan.com






www.chrisjordan.com






www.chrisjordan.com






www.chrisjordan.com


 
On Midway Atoll more than 2400 miles from a large landmass (Alaska) and more than 1000 miles from a city (Honolulu)...plastic debris is ubiquitous. That's because so much of our plastic ends up at sea and finds itself forever looping in the waters of the Pacific. Caught up in the currents of the Pacific Gyre our plastic waste might be eternal, for the coolness and darkness of the waters prevent plastic from disintegrating. The thinner pieces do eventually break down into ever smaller pieces and become deadly to plankton eating fish. Unfortunately the thicker, harder, colorful plastics seem to be a favorite of Albatross parents to feed their young. Albatross spend much time at sea in search of food, one of their staples being flying fish eggs. Flying fish attach their long strings of eggs to objects floating at sea, which are subsequently consumed by the albatross parents and then regurgitated to their chicks.**

Ninety eight percent of Albatross on Midway have plastic in them, and forty percent of all Albatross chicks birthed on Midway Atoll die each year due to ingestion of plastics. The actual causes are usually choking, dehydration or starvation as the plastic leaves little room for water or food. Or death from toxicity, such as when a chick is fed a cigarette lighter, which is often. John Klavitter, a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, calculates that albatross feed their chicks about 5 tons of plastic a year at Midway.*







Plastic swallowed by albatrosses in the Pacific ocean -
Hawaii: Message in the Waves - BBC
A student looks at the plastic items found in the stomaches of albatrosses. All the items were collected in but one hour!!!



* "Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas" LA Times
    www.latimes.com

** Fish and Wildlife Service "The Plastic Problem on Midway Atoll"
    www.fws.gov/midway/Midway_Atoll_NWR_Cigarette_Lighters.pdf



See lots more videos: 

www.midwayjourney.com

www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/video-gallery


 

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Daisy
Posts: 10

Re: Midway Island Albatross
Reply #10 on : Fri May 03, 2013, 01:04:23

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I think there needs to be a more profitable way to recycle plastics if you want to see less of it become a pollutant. Currently, it is actually CHEAPER to just make new plastics instead of recycling them. There also needs to be more innovative ideas circulating on creative ways to reuse our wastes. We should encourage people to take their own initiative to solve this problem.

larry neustaeter
Posts: 10

plastic recycling
Reply #9 on : Mon March 11, 2013, 22:31:30

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most places don`t recycle plastics witch stay in the enviroment for 1,000 years plus so talk to your cities councelors to start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adam
Posts: 10

leonard
Reply #8 on : Wed February 20, 2013, 17:47:53

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Id jus like to say to the arrogant moron leonard it cant be natural selection that these birds are dieing as theres nothing natural about plastic in the ocean. Its stupid people like you that make this world a place where humanity's time is limited because they have no respect for anything but themselves

John Harris
Posts: 10

Plastic consumption albatrosses Midway islands
Reply #7 on : Sat December 15, 2012, 14:37:37

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Albatrosses have been on earth from 35-30 Million years ago and still survive today. They pair for life.
Man produces a plastic bottle to get foods, liquids from a supermarket to home which lasts 100 years but then throws it away although resources are limited, how stupids that.

Mic
Posts: 10

http://www.hyundaisuv.org/
Reply #6 on : Sat August 11, 2012, 11:26:32

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I see something truly interesting about your web blog so I saved to fav.

peta
Posts: 10

Plastic
Reply #5 on : Sat August 04, 2012, 09:10:14

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Please note the advertisment at the top of the page!

Leonard Hatred
Posts: 10

stupid birds
Reply #4 on : Thu August 02, 2012, 04:00:33

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If there dumb enough to eat all that then it's just natural selection.

damn hippies.

Justice
Posts: 10

Ocean Plastic
Reply #3 on : Fri April 29, 2011, 19:43:02

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It's sad to see the destruction of Mother Earth at so many levels. I think most people have blinders on and just don't see this because it says a great deal about who we are as humans and what we do without even thinking.

Brojo
Posts: 10

Oh my
Reply #2 on : Thu April 21, 2011, 22:28:30

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Thanks.

David G. Donigan
Posts: 10

Plastic waste in the Pacific gyre.
Reply #1 on : Sat March 05, 2011, 13:57:17

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This is a very disturbing presentation. While some in our government are concerned about "leaving our grandchildren a large national debt," they seem totally unconcerned that we will leave instead, an unlivable world. Unless we wake up, our species is doomed to self induced extinction