Current:Home > MarketsIt's time to get realistic about cleaning up piles of trash from the ocean, study argues-InfoLens
It's time to get realistic about cleaning up piles of trash from the ocean, study argues
View Date:2024-12-23 18:52:56
The world's oceans and waterways are littered with millions of tons of plastic pollution – but scientists in a new study released Thursday say that we should think twice before cleaning them up.
In fact, the scientists warn against using any mechanical cleanup devices to address the global plastic pollution crisis.
This includes cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an infamous collection of trash between Hawaii and California that's spurred on the "Ocean Cleanup" project, which uses mechanical means to corral the debris.
Where to focus our attention
Study co-author Richard Thompson of Plymouth University in the U.K. told USA TODAY we should focus 95% of our attention and energy on reducing the flow of plastic trash into the ocean, and only 5% on cleanup.
"At the moment, plastic debris is entering the ocean at a rate far faster than any feasible cleanup," Thompson said. "There is a risk that focusing on clean up will distract attention from the real priorities."
"If we focus on cleanup as a solution to plastic pollution we condemn future generations to continue contaminating the environment and cleaning up as an afterthought," he said.
Study lead author Melanie Bergmann, a marine ecologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, used this analogy: "When the bathtub is overflowing, you first turn off the tap before you mop the floor," she said to USA TODAY.
Global treaty would reduce plastic production
In the study, which appeared in the journal One Earth, the scientists say with plastic production projected to triple by 2060, "the most cost-effective and efficient way to prevent further pollution is to reduce plastic production and consumption," according to a University of Plymouth statement.
The study has been published as world leaders prepare to resume discussions on the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty at the upcoming third meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution.
"A plastics treaty should foremost reduce plastics production," Bergmann told USA TODAY. "The science shows that this is the most effective and economic lever to reduce plastic pollution."
In the study, the scientists also say that the environmental costs of leaving plastic pollution in the ocean should be weighed against the full environmental and economic cost of plastic removal technologies, and call for clear criteria for such judgments to be incorporated into the treaty, the University of Plymouth statement says.
Surprise find:Marine animals are thriving in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Don't rely on mechanical means
Researchers caution that plastic removal technologies used so far have shown mixed success in the amount of waste material they are able to collect, and many have not been tested at all.
"In fact, some have been shown to harm quantities of marine organisms – including fish, crustaceans and seaweeds – that far exceed the amount of plastic captured, meaning their overall impact on the ocean is potentially more harmful than helpful," the University of Plymouth said.
"My team tested one type of clean up device here in Plymouth and showed it removed mainly seaweed and that it captured fish and other marine creatures which were dead when the device was emptied," Thompson said to USA TODAY.
"One type of cleanup I do encourage is hand picking, for example, from beaches," he said. "This can be very effective, and if volunteers take part this helps to raise awareness."
Ocean Cleanup did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Opinion: Chris Wallace leaves CNN to go 'where the action' is. Why it matters
- Texas CEO and his 2 children were among 4 killed in wreck before Thanksgiving
- Wilders ally overseeing first stage of Dutch coalition-building quits over fraud allegation
- Indiana couple, 2 dogs, die when single-engine plane crashes in western Michigan after takeoff
- Paraguay vs. Argentina live updates: Watch Messi play World Cup qualifying match tonight
- Giving back during the holiday season: What you need to know to lend a helping hand
- Second group of Hamas-held hostages released after hours-long delay; temporary cease-fire holds
- Purdue back at No. 1 in AP Top 25, Arizona up to No. 2; ‘Nova, BYU, Colorado State jump into top 20
- Bill on school bathroom use by transgender students clears Ohio Legislature, heads to governor
- French labor minister goes on trial for alleged favoritism when he was a mayor
Ranking
- Black, red or dead: How Omaha became a hub for black squirrel scholarship
- Madagascar’s main opposition candidate files a lawsuit claiming fraud in the presidential election
- Iran adds sophisticated warship to Caspian fleet
- 32 things we learned in NFL Week 12: Playoff chase shaping up to be wild
- Armie Hammer Says His Mom Gifted Him a Vasectomy for His 38th Birthday
- Millions of U.S. apples were almost left to rot. Now, they'll go to hungry families
- Taylor Swift Meets Family of Fan Who Died in Brazil
- EU border agency helping search for missing crew after cargo ship sinks off Greece
Recommendation
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
Teyana Taylor Addresses Quietly Filing for Divorce From Iman Shumpert
-
Merriam-Webster picks 'authentic' as 2023 word of the year
-
What Lou Holtz thinks of Ohio State's loss to Michigan: 'They aren't real happy'
-
Lala Kent Swears by This Virgo-Approved Accessory and Shares Why Stassi Schroeder Inspires Her Fall Style
-
Ecuador’s newly sworn-in president repeals guidelines allowing people to carry limited drug amounts
-
Remains of a WWII heavy bomber gunner identified nearly 80 years after his death
-
Will & Grace Star Eric McCormack's Wife Janet Files for Divorce After 26 Years of Marriage