The "Daily Mail" got my attention with the headline "Shocking Study Reveals Ten Rivers the Source of 95% of all the Plastic Dumped Into the Oceans."
But, reading on the National Geographic site, it turns out, yes, 10 rivers constitute 95% of all the plastic dumped into by the oceans by rivers, but that is not 95% of all plastic dumped into the oceans.
"Most" of the plastic comes from coastal communities, whatever "most" means. It may be 51% of all the plastic in the oceans comes from coast communities and 49% from rivers.
At any rate, we cannot blame all that plastic continent floating around the Pacific entirely or maybe not even mostly on those 10 Asian and African river communities. But likely those rivers play a big role.
Surprisingly, Vietnam seems to be a major culprit, which given Vietnam's agrarian profile might surprise us.
But as National Geographic notes, the Mekong River starts way upstream, passing Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China on the way and by the time it gets to Vietnam plastic from places Vietnam cannot control is already floating in the currents.
All this does make one wonder about all our local efforts in the US of A to reduce plastic in the ocean. Makes you feel a little sheepish about all the outrage, alarm and self flagellation about how America is responsible for befouling our oceans, when, in fact, it's the developing nations in Africa and Asia which, as developing nations bent on gearing up industry will do, are dumping their trash willy nilly into a handy river.
All this does remind the Phantom we live on Planet Earth and we cannot save this planet without convincing other people to change their behavior in directions we think best.
Do you think folks in Asia and Africa are disposed to listen to our leader (s) now?
But, reading on the National Geographic site, it turns out, yes, 10 rivers constitute 95% of all the plastic dumped into by the oceans by rivers, but that is not 95% of all plastic dumped into the oceans.
"Most" of the plastic comes from coastal communities, whatever "most" means. It may be 51% of all the plastic in the oceans comes from coast communities and 49% from rivers.
At any rate, we cannot blame all that plastic continent floating around the Pacific entirely or maybe not even mostly on those 10 Asian and African river communities. But likely those rivers play a big role.
Surprisingly, Vietnam seems to be a major culprit, which given Vietnam's agrarian profile might surprise us.
But as National Geographic notes, the Mekong River starts way upstream, passing Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China on the way and by the time it gets to Vietnam plastic from places Vietnam cannot control is already floating in the currents.
All this does make one wonder about all our local efforts in the US of A to reduce plastic in the ocean. Makes you feel a little sheepish about all the outrage, alarm and self flagellation about how America is responsible for befouling our oceans, when, in fact, it's the developing nations in Africa and Asia which, as developing nations bent on gearing up industry will do, are dumping their trash willy nilly into a handy river.
All this does remind the Phantom we live on Planet Earth and we cannot save this planet without convincing other people to change their behavior in directions we think best.
Do you think folks in Asia and Africa are disposed to listen to our leader (s) now?
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