I had done this "Coastal Clean-Up" once, -the year before- so I knew exactly what I was getting into. The trip was pretty much the same as the year before, but it was much more fun going with my friends. I feel lucky having this as a MAD project option, because I had lots of fun while helping the Earth.
When we started cleaning, the first thing that struck me was how strange and diverse the garbage was. There were gloves, bottles, buckets, plastic bags, socks, cigarettes, cups, chopsticks, and even part of a chair. Where did all of this come from? Did the people who tossed it give it a second thought? I know I don't when I toss things in the bin, but what about people on boats? Do they think about it? Do they even know?
It was quite crazy how much garbage there was on the beach. I don't remember the exact amount of garbage we picked up, but I know it was several pounds. Now that I think about it, it really baffles me how much trash is in our oceans. We collected several pounds of junk just on the surface of one beach. I cannot imagine how much rubbish is under the ocean, floating around!
After doing some research, I found this mass of garbage in the ocean called the "Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch", which is just what it sounds like. Located in the Pacific, this is the world's largest landfill: it's the size of Texas. After reading the article on Wikipedia, the Pacific Ocean Patch really broke my heart. It has had some terrible effects on wildlife too. Some of the plastics end up being eaten, which is obviously toxic to the animal. Research says that the debris affects at least 267 species worldwide, including humans, since we eat some sea-creatures.
I don't think I can fully wrap my head around this. God has put us in charge of His magnificent creation and we have taken complete advantage of and taken for granted this wonderful gift. To know I was part of a team that made a difference for wildlife, the earth, and human life makes me very proud and happy that I can give back. It was only for a couple of hours, but I know we made a big difference.
When we started cleaning, the first thing that struck me was how strange and diverse the garbage was. There were gloves, bottles, buckets, plastic bags, socks, cigarettes, cups, chopsticks, and even part of a chair. Where did all of this come from? Did the people who tossed it give it a second thought? I know I don't when I toss things in the bin, but what about people on boats? Do they think about it? Do they even know?
It was quite crazy how much garbage there was on the beach. I don't remember the exact amount of garbage we picked up, but I know it was several pounds. Now that I think about it, it really baffles me how much trash is in our oceans. We collected several pounds of junk just on the surface of one beach. I cannot imagine how much rubbish is under the ocean, floating around!
After doing some research, I found this mass of garbage in the ocean called the "Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch", which is just what it sounds like. Located in the Pacific, this is the world's largest landfill: it's the size of Texas. After reading the article on Wikipedia, the Pacific Ocean Patch really broke my heart. It has had some terrible effects on wildlife too. Some of the plastics end up being eaten, which is obviously toxic to the animal. Research says that the debris affects at least 267 species worldwide, including humans, since we eat some sea-creatures.
I don't think I can fully wrap my head around this. God has put us in charge of His magnificent creation and we have taken complete advantage of and taken for granted this wonderful gift. To know I was part of a team that made a difference for wildlife, the earth, and human life makes me very proud and happy that I can give back. It was only for a couple of hours, but I know we made a big difference.
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