question: Why can't we just scoop up the trash floating on the top of the ocean?
comment: We can. It's just costly, and not enough big organizations are putting enough money into it. There are a lot of small organizations, but they can't do it all. But, for example, the money donated to the notre dame cathedral would be way more than enough to do it.
passages: BULLET::::- The approach by itself cannot solve the whole problem. Plastic in the oceans is spread far beyond the gyres; experts estimate that less than 5% of all the plastic pollution which enters the oceans makes its way into any of the garbage patches. Much of the plastic that does is not floating at the surface.
  
  BULLET::::- The 5 Gyres Institute criticized the Environmental Impact Report and did not examine alternatives, such as having fishermen recover plastic pollution. Slat responded that conventional methods like vessels and nets would be inefficient in terms of time and costs.
   On the sea, the removal of artificial debris (i.e. plastics) is still in its infancy. However some projects have been started which used ships with nets (Kaisei and New Horizon) to catch some plastics, primarily for research purposes. Another method to gather artificial litter has been proposed by Boyan Slat. He suggested using platforms with arms to gather the debris, situated inside the current of gyres.
   BULLET::::- The 5 Gyres Institute claimed that reducing plastic influx would keep the debris out of the ocean, and likely cost less than the Array. Slat agreed that stopping the influx is necessary, but argued that it is complementary to clean-up, because of the large volume of plastic that is already present.
  
  BULLET::::- Mark Noak claimed that discouraging plastics consumption would be more effective, and that the project would enable harmful consumption patterns. Slat countered that a cleanup project has the potential to increase public awareness. It might also lead to spin-off technologies.
   BULLET::::- Gulf of California; an interview with Charles J. Moore about the Great Pacific garbage patch of plastic, chemical sludge (chemicals like flame retardants, pesticides, herbicides, dioxins among other are often hydrophobic and thus are attracted by the plastic) and other waste which are affecting the sea life, and by the food chain the humans.
  
  BULLET::::- Plymouth in England; the microparticles of plastic are affecting shellfish.
  
  BULLET::::- Great Cumbrae in Scotland; the microparticles of plastic are affecting crabs, and shrimp (up to 83%).
   Another issue is that removing marine debris from our oceans can potentially cause more harm than good. Cleaning up micro-plastics could also accidentally take out plankton, which are the main lower level food group for the marine food chain and over half of the photosynthesis on earth. One of the most efficient and cost effective ways to help reduce the amount of plastic entering our oceans is to not participate in using single use plastics, avoid plastic bottled drinks such as water bottles, use reusable shopping bags, and to buy products with reusable packaging.
   Elsewhere, "trash traps" are installed on small rivers to capture waterborne debris before it reaches the sea. For example, South Australia's Adelaide operates a number of such traps, known as "trash racks" or "gross pollutant traps" on the Torrens River, which flows (during the wet season) into Gulf St Vincent.
  
  In lakes or near the coast, manual removal can also be used. Project AWARE for example promotes the idea of letting dive clubs clean up litter, for example as a diving exercise.
   Marine debris is a problem created by all of us, not only those in coastal regions. Ocean debris can come from as far away as Nebraska. The places that see the most damage are often not the places that produce the pollution. For ocean pollution, much of the trash may come from inland states, where people may never see the ocean and thus may never put any thought into protecting it. The problem continues to grow in tandem with plastics usage and disposal. Steps can be taken to prevent the movement of inland plastics into the oceans.
   Plastic debris from inland states come from two main sources: ordinary litter and materials from open dumps and landfills that blow or wash away to inland waterways and wastewater outflows. The refuse finds its way from inland waterways, rivers, streams and lakes to the ocean. Though ocean and coastal area cleanups are important, it is crucial to address plastic waste that originates from inland and landlocked states.
  
  At the systems level, there are various ways to reduce the amount of debris entering our waterways:
  
  BULLET::::- Improve waste transportation to and from sites by utilizing closed container storage and shipping
   Section::::Laws and treaties.:United States law.
  
  In the waters of the United States, there have been many observed consequences of pollution including: hypoxic zones, harmful agal blooms, and threatened species. In 1972, the United States Congress passed the Ocean Dumping Act, giving the Environmental Protection Agency power to monitor and regulate the dumping of sewage sludge, industrial waste, radioactive waste and biohazardous materials into the nation's territorial waters. The Act was amended sixteen years later to include medical wastes. It is illegal to dispose of any plastic in US waters.
  
  Section::::Laws and treaties.:Ownership.
   Plastic bags dumped in the Pacific Ocean can end up in the Great Pacific garbage patch. 80% of the plastic waste comes from land; the rest comes from oil platforms and ships. This can be eaten by marine animals, and block their breathing passages and digestive systems. Plastic bags not only add to the Great Pacific garbage patch, they can be washed ashore around the world.
  
  Section::::Methods.
   Scientists are currently studying the floating mass of plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean. This affected area is twice the size of Texas. The scientists study the effect of the trash on the marine life, and how to solve the rising problem. Another current study is the process of changing waste into energy. As both become a rising problem the methane in landfills has the potential to be used to generate small amounts of electricity.
   Almost 20% of plastic debris that pollutes ocean water, which translates to 5.6 million tons, comes from ocean-based sources. MARPOL, an international treaty, "imposes a complete ban on the at-sea disposal of plastics". Merchant ships expel cargo, sewage, used medical equipment, and other types of waste that contain plastic into the ocean. In the United States, the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987 prohibits discharge of plastics in the sea, including from naval vessels. Naval and research vessels eject waste and military equipment that are deemed unnecessary. Pleasure crafts release fishing gear and other types of waste, either accidentally or through negligent handling. The largest ocean-based source of plastic pollution is discarded fishing gear (including traps and nets), estimated to be up to 90% of plastic debris in some areas.
   In Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, 52% of items were generated by recreational use of an urban park, 14% from sewage disposal and only 7% from shipping and fishing activities. Around four fifths of oceanic debris is from rubbish blown onto the water from landfills, and urban runoff.
   One study shows estimates of 5.25 trillion individual pieces of microplastcs, weighing nearly 267,000 tons are currently floating in our oceans. It has been estimated that since being invented, 8.3 billion tons of plastics has been produced, with 80% (6.64 billion tons) being dumped in landfills, on land, and in the oceans. Plastic particles don't biodegrade or break down and instead just fragment into smaller pieces. If current trends in the amount of plastics flowing into our oceans continues, combined with overfishing, will result in plastics outweighing fish in the oceans by 2050.
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- Great Pacific garbage patch
   Plastic pollution on land poses a threat to the plants and animals - including humans who are based on the land. Estimates of the amount of plastic concentration on land are between four and twenty three times that of the ocean. The amount of plastic poised on the land is greater and more concentrated than that in the water. Mismanaged plastic waste ranges from 60 percent in East Asia and Pacific to one percent in North America. The percentage of mismanaged plastic waste reaching the ocean annually and thus becoming plastic marine debris is between one third and one half the total mismanaged waste for that year.
   BULLET::::- Restrict open waste facilities near waterways
  
  BULLET::::- Promote the use of Refuse-derived fuels. Used plastic with low residual value often do not get recycled and are more likely to leak into the ocean. However, turning these unwanted plastics that would otherwise stay in landfills into refuse-derived fuels allows for further use; they can be used as supplement fuels at power plants
  
  BULLET::::- Improve recovery rates for plastic (in 2012, the United States generated 11.46 million tons of plastic waste, of which only 6.7% was recovered
   A large number of groups and individuals are active in preventing or educating about marine debris. For example, 5 Gyres is an organization aimed at reducing plastics pollution in the oceans, and was one of two organizations that recently researched the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Heal the Bay is another organization, focusing on protecting California's Santa Monica Bay, by sponsoring beach cleanup programs along with other activities. Marina DeBris is an artist focusing most of her recent work on educating people about beach trash.
   The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) listed plastic pollution in the ocean as the first of three main focal points in their 2011 UNEP Yearbook, indicating the necessity of addressing how we use and dispose of plastics. One of the causes of plastic pollution is that so many of our disposable, single-use products, are made with a permanent material - plastic. With the growth of our "disposable" lifestyles has come a growing burden on communities and governments whose waste management and recycling infrastructures have not been able to keep pace with our consumption patterns and waste generation. Ocean Recovery Alliance is working on ways to combat this issue through the following projects:
   BULLET::::- Density of plastic particles found in zooplankton trawls from coastal waters of California to the North Pacific Central Gyre – Charles J Moore, Gwen L Lattin and Ann F Zellers (2005)
  
  Section::::External links.
  
  BULLET::::- Pacific Garbage Patch – Smithsonian Ocean Portal
  
  BULLET::::- "Plastic Surf" The Unhealthful Afterlife of Toys and Packaging: Small remnants of toys, bottles and packaging persist in the ocean, harming marine life and possibly even us by Jennifer Ackerman Scientific American August 2010
   BULLET::::- San Francisco; it reached 75% diversion or zero waste in 2012, compared to New York City which creates 1.5% of total global waste, while recycling only 11-18% of it in 2012, as well that waste reduction and recycling is "ideally suited to the creation of a new and forward-thinking industry that could be profitable and create new jobs".
  
  Section::::Production.
   In 2009, two project vessels from Project Kaisei, the "New Horizon" and the "Kaisei", embarked on a voyage to research the patch and determine the feasibility of commercial scale collection and recycling. The 2009 SEAPLEX expedition also researched the patch. Researchers were also looking at the impact of plastic on mesopelagic fish, such as lanternfish.
   Community groups and academic researchers have argued the unequal distribution of pollution on the poor and communities of color is an “environmental justice”.
   A source that has caused concern is landfills. Most waste in the form of plastic in landfills are single-use items such as packaging. Discarding plastics this way leads to accumulation. Although disposing of plastic waste in landfills has less of a gas emission risk than disposal through incineration, the former has space limitations. Another concern is that the liners acting as protective layers between the landfill and environment can break, thus leaking toxins and contaminating the nearby soil and water. Landfills located near oceans often contribute to ocean debris because content is easily swept up and transported to the sea by wind or small waterways like rivers and streams. Marine debris can also result from sewage water that has not been efficiently treated, which is eventually transported to the ocean through rivers. Plastic items that have been improperly discarded can also be carried to oceans through storm waters.
   BULLET::::- London Zoo in England; interview with Paul D. Jepson about the biomagnification of the toxins among the sea mammals, for example the Beluga whales at the Saint Lawrence Seaway between Canada and United States.
  
  BULLET::::- Ross-on-Wye and London in England; organic stores which raise the issue of food packaging, as well British prison which successfully treats food waste.
   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched its "Trash-Free Waters" initiative in 2013 to prevent single-use plastic wastes from ending up in waterways and ultimately the ocean. EPA collaborates with the United Nations Environment Programme–Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP) and the Peace Corps to reduce and also remove trash in the Caribbean Sea. EPA has also funded various projects in the San Francisco Bay Area including one that is aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastics such as disposable cups, spoons and straws, from three University of California campuses.
  
presuppositions: We are unable to scoop the trash floating on top of the ocean. We can't scoop up the trash floating on the top of the ocean.
corrections: We are able to scoop trash from the top of the ocean, it is just very expensive in order to do so. We can scoop up the trash floating on the top of the ocean, but there are not enough organizations putting money into it.
raw_presuppositions: We are unable to scoop the trash floating on top of the ocean. We can't scoop up the trash floating on the top of the ocean.
raw_corrections: We are able to scoop trash from the top of the ocean, it is just very expensive in order to do so. We can scoop up the trash floating on the top of the ocean, but there are not enough organizations putting money into it.