The Pacific Garbage Patch

 The Pacific Garbage Patch

What is the Problem going on right now?

Right now there is a massive problem going on, the problem is that there is this thing in the ocean named the pacific garbage patch, this patch is made up of tiny little bits of plastic which is called microplastics, these microplastics make up all of the garbage patch and is the same size of the state of texas two times over. The type of plastic that is in the patch is a type of plastic named polyethylene and this doesn't break down. 

What is the cause of the garbage patch?

There is actually two gabage patches located in the north pacific ocean, The Western Patch in south japan and and the easteran patch located near san fransisco. Almost all of the plastic that is in the patch is from the land, 80% to be exact and 20% of plastic is from the sea like cruise ships and shipping ships.  All of the plastic in there is not biodegradable meaning that in won't break down, it is also estimated that there is around 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic just in the patch. 

What are the effects of the garabge patch?

Humans, humans are the answer. All the plastic that we make ends up in the ocean. Like i said before majority of the plastic in the ocean comes from land based stuff and only some come from fishing industrys. The effects of this are marine life dying out, 1million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammels that are effected every sing year.