Anna and her husband Dr. Marcus Eriksen have been champions in informing and educating the public about the dangers of plastic pollution in our oceans.
Anna and Marcus at the conclusion of a six-week journey from Vancouver to TJ to raise awareness about marine debris. Photo: sdnn.com
In 2008 the couple sailed across the Pacific Gyre with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. On this voyage, they saw that the amount of plastic pollution on the ocean's surface between Hawaii and LA had doubled since Algalita's first published paper in 1999. Twice as much in less than a decade. They also saw new evidence of plastic in the food chain through ingestion by fish. Here is how these alarming facts impact YOU:
Pollutants such as PCBs, DDT, flame retardants, and pesticides stick to plastic particles in the marine environment. Small fish mistake plastic for food. Plastic particles were found in the stomachs of roughly 35% of the 661 lantern fish collected at sea. Big fish (Tuna, Mahi Mahi, squid) eat smaller fish, we eat bigger fish.
What impact is this having on our health?
In order to bring awareness to this growing dilemma, Algalita and the couple launched Message in a Bottle which comprised of another voyage through the Pacific Gyre, this time on a "Junk Raft" made of 15,000 discarded plastic bottles and a cockpit from a Cesna. To follow up and publicize their findings at sea they rode their bicycles on a 2000 mile journey from Vancouver to Tijuana which gave Eriksen and Cummins the opportunity to speak at 40 events and deliver bottles of plastic-laden water samples to public officials along the way.
Junk Raft sails into Ala Wai Harbor in Honolulu
One of the goals of their efforts is to push the idea that society needs to abandon the throw-away culture that has spawned so many one-time-use plastic products. Plastic grocery bags, bottles, utensils, straws, chopsticks and to-go containers linger in the environment for decades after being discarded. Cummins suggested an extended producer-responsibility for the manufacturers who make plastic products that would force them to be responsible for recycling them at the end of their useful lifespan. Similar programs already exist in Europe.
Eriksen said the problem with recycling plastic is that it’s “down-cycled,” meaning the recycled product is less valuable than the product it came from. “They are not making a new plastic bottle from an old one like they do with glass or aluminum,” he said. “Recycling plastic is not as easy as recycling other materials like glass and aluminum,” Eriksen said. In fact, recycling plastics is so expensive that much of the plastic collected in the U.S. is mostly shipped overseas for recycling. “We think that it’s really important for people to know this because if you think that you’re recycling your plastics, there’s no incentive to cut back on your consumption.”
The couple and Algalita are now launching 5 Gyres, to expand research to the 4 other major oceanic gyres. 5 Gyres launches early 2010. the 5 gyres project will collect global data on plastic marine debris, and will establish a clearinghouse for information on plastic pollution worldwide, through the 5 Gyres website. The goal is to bring the issue of plastic pollution to a wider audience, and engage the public in solutions.
Anna also runs www.bringyourown.org, a blog dedicated to educating the public about the consequences of living in a throw-away culture.
Highlights from the Junk Raft "cruise."
Anna and the author enjoying a gorgeous Monterey day during our ride with the Tour de OG
