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[acjuve]

https://www.facebook.com/Vocativ/videos/1152134631465437/

[dobrolub]

What should we do?

[Floater]

I love how every doomsday prediction for the oceans is 2050.

[Noahs Arc]

We know exactly how much plastic and fish are in the ocean but we were off on the pink return numbers by what about 10 million? That's only one species.

[Sandman]

I love how people laugh off dire predictions.  Like they just don't want to accept that things may be that bad.  Even if this prediction was off, the garbage doesn't outweigh the fish in the ocean by 2050, maybe it isn't until 2150.  Does that really mak a difference?  The plastic in the ocean isn't going anywhere soon (takes 1000-1000000 years to breakdown depending on the type) while we continue to use plastic for packaging and other disposable uses, so the amount in the ocean is only going to increase (unless we figure out how to stem the tide entering the oceans and then figure out how to remove what is already there).  The amount of fish, on the other hand, is only going down (as human consumption and environmental pollution increase), so the prediction is not far fetched.  I don't think the date matters at all.  The garbage needs to be brought under control.

[wizard]

Clearly this is a major issue and is going to be getting a lot worse before it gets better, that can't be debated.  It is inevitably going to be picked up by animals and fish throughout the food chain from smallest fish to largest whales and everything in between.  We are already seeing it in fish and especially sea bearing birds. 
This has to be taken very seriously however like most human induced problems there is no easy solutions and requires widespread attention and solutions are hard to implement. Very easy for plastic and pollution to enter waters, very hard to get them back out...If anything an awareness of the seriousness of this is at least a start...? 

[Noahs Arc]

http://www.ibtimes.com/china-india-us-among-worlds-worst-marine-polluters-country-country-breakdown-plastics-1813476

Not sure how you plan to make a difference when Canada isn't even on the radar, according to this study.

[Damien]

What shoud we do?

This kid has a pretty feasible appearing idea;

http://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/

[mesmer25]

too bad we can't turn all that plastic back into oil

[milo]

 

too bad we can't turn all that plastic back into oil

Actually, it can be done. It's called thermal depolymerization and there are a few companies that are already doing it. It is still an expensive technology and far less profitable than making plastic out of oil. But the day will come when it will be the other way around.

[dobrolub]

When an optimization criterion is money there is always going to be something cheaper then raking the oceans for crap. Crap in the ocean is a consequence of human behaviour in a society oriented at extracting profit. And if time is money, nobody is going to care to take an extra step to the dumpster.

[mesmer25]

http://bigthink.com/design-for-good/japanese-machine-converts-plastic-to-oil

found this link online, interesting article