Plastic pollution problem

[Naina_Marbus]

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Plastic pollution problem

Plastic pollution is a pervasive and devastating problem affecting humans, animals and ecosystems globally. And yet this issue still remains invisible to millions of people around the world.

A film being produced by renowned visual artist Chris Jordan, tells a story documenting mass consumption and the waste that results from it, a story so powerful and transformative that it is poised to stir the conscience of the world..

Watch this disturbing trailer video captured by Chris Jordan in Midway islands. The video reveals both the real magnitude of the plastic pollution problem and the shocking fact that we humans are also consuming plastic junk, not only figuratively, but quite literally as well.

Using spare narration and stunning imagery, Photographer Chris Jordan explores the plight of the albatross birds plagued by the ingestion of the plastic trash generated by humans.

The film is scheduled to be released in late 2013.

Also here MIDWAY : trailer : a film by Chris Jordan on Vimeo

[video]http://www.midwayfilm.com/[/video]

 

[Govinda]

Thanks. But, we knew this from ten years ago

We recently read about china air-pollution now indonesia and singapore: BBC News - New pollution high as haze chokes Singapore

 

[DR.C.NARAYANI]

Hello NM Sir,Its a good eye opener .This OP Reminds me last week 16.06.2013 sunday I happen to be a volunteer in Program on COASTAL CLEANING- 4th annual clean -up. Marina beach was cleansed for 20 kms by 5400 people :grouphug: of many NGO ,Schools,private organisations.,I participated along with PRANIC HEALING HOME ,Anna nagar. Sir it was classified as THICK PLASTIC-,THIN PLASTIC. all bottles???broken ,thermocoal, paper waste,all plastic wrappers,covers as we use it in daily basis,milk cover shampoo cover ,bottles, detergents,etc etc.It was stated 37 tons being removed ,cleansed on that single day ( 6.00 am-9.00am ):faint:

 

[Govinda]

Hello NM Sir,Its a good eye opener .This OP Reminds me last week 16.06.2013 sunday I happen to be a volunteer in Program on COASTAL CLEANING- 4th annual clean -up. Marina beach was cleansed for 20 kms by 5400 people :grouphug: of many NGO ,Schools,private organisations.,I participated along with PRANIC HEALING HOME ,Anna nagar. Sir it was classified as THICK PLASTIC-,THIN PLASTIC. all bottles???broken ,thermocoal, paper waste,all plastic wrappers,covers as we use it in daily basis,milk cover shampoo cover ,bottles, detergents,etc etc.It was stated 37 tons being removed ,cleansed on that single day ( 6.00 am-9.00am ):faint:

Congrats! Any snaps ? Did they post the video on youtube for more awareness?

 

[Brahmanyan]

Every one from common-man to Government is aware of the fact that non-degradable plastic is polluting. But what is the solution? Simple. The Government should effect a strict ban on the Production and use of this material for non scientific use.
Will it be done. I doubt. This is like a warning label on the tobacco products. A cruel Joke.

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[prasad1]

Hello NM Sir,Its a good eye opener .This OP Reminds me last week 16.06.2013 sunday I happen to be a volunteer in Program on COASTAL CLEANING- 4th annual clean -up. Marina beach was cleansed for 20 kms by 5400 people :grouphug: of many NGO ,Schools,private organisations.,I participated along with PRANIC HEALING HOME ,Anna nagar. Sir it was classified as THICK PLASTIC-,THIN PLASTIC. all bottles???broken ,thermocoal, paper waste,all plastic wrappers,covers as we use it in daily basis,milk cover shampoo cover ,bottles, detergents,etc etc.It was stated 37 tons being removed ,cleansed on that single day ( 6.00 am-9.00am ):faint:

Great information, Thanks.

 

[prasad1]

Every one from common-man to Government is aware of the fact that non-degradable plastic is polluting. But what is the solution? Simple. The Government should effect a strict ban on the Production and use of this material for non scientific use.
Will it be done. I doubt. This is like a warning label on the tobacco products. A cruel Joke.

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

I understand your post sir.
Is it only the government has to do it? Why can we not do it for ourselves?
Dr. Narayani's post#3 can be a model.
If citizen's start boycotting a product, the manufacturers will have to change the practice. Look how the FUR industry is struggling with the protest from PETA.

 

[Naina_Marbus]

Thanks. But, we knew this from ten years ago

We recently read about china air-pollution now indonesia and singapore: BBC News - New pollution high as haze chokes Singapore

Not just 10 years, more like 40 years. In Chennai, then, I used to read news-items about how plastic bags used to be found in the stomach of dead cows.

As I mentioned in my post, this issue still remains invisible to millions of people around the world, and we need to constantly remind the public about this ubiquitous but pernicious material. There is nagging suspicion in science circles that the increase in the incidence of autism, and LGBT cases is the result of ingestion of the chemicals leaching out of the plastic containers used to store and heat processed foods. And then, as a by-product of the modern stressed-out late-evening-back-homes, there are all those microwaveable convenience foods like (just to quote one example) MTR’s ready-to-eat upmas, pongals, samosas, etc and canned soups ( all of which need plastic lining to prevent food sticking to the container).

About a week ago, I was at the house of a young PIO celebrating the namakaranam function of her newborn son. Whenever the baby was crying, I saw her put a plastic pacifier in the mouth of the baby. The video posted in the OP came to my attention shortly thereafter, and something flashed in my mind about modern life forcing people to take shortcuts. So, exposure to ingested plastics starts from the cradle.

Just curious. Can’t we make pacifiers out of silver? Afterall, silver is known to have antimicrobial properties (see wikipedia). Medical uses of silver include its incorporation into wound dressings, and its use as an antibiotic coating in medical devices.

 

[Govinda]

Not just 10 years, more like 40 years. In Chennai, then, I used to read news-items about how plastic bags used to be found in the stomach of dead cows.

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Phthalates
The phthalates out-gas from the plastics such as food containers, carpeting, vinyl shower curtains, and the tubing used in hospitals in IVs. They leach in to our food and beverages and are now found in our river lakes oceans, and water supplies. We eat so many plastics the government has established an average daily amount we digest.

Our daily intake of plastic is so high that the government has evaluated it to be 210 mcg per day. Imagine that!!!!

How phthalates affect us

Phthalates disrupt the hormones in our body by sending wrong signals or blocking the receptor sites on our cells so the proper message cannot get through to the cell. They gum up our receptors so the hormones can’t work. Some of the outcomes are decreased energy and sex drive, hyperactivity and learning disabilities. Once they accumulate in our organs they can trigger cancers of breast, lung, prostate, and thyroid.

Styrene from styrofoam cups is a carcinogen but the body lacks a mechanism to get rid of it, and EPA studies of human fat
biopsies show styrene residues in 100% of people. A breast-feeding infant consumes 18X more carcinogen dioxin in one year through breast milk than the maximum “safe” lifetime dose. Childhood cancers are at an all time high and now rank #1 in the cause of death by disease in kids ages 1-15. Before getting pregnant, it is wise to detox.

detoxification program

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Dr. Narayani,

Added to the wastes you have mentioned, I am also worried about the sanitary napkins and diapers

which are made of non perishable material! How many tons per day, if taken all over India?? :dizzy:

 

[Raji Ram]

Tambrams boast that they are the cleanest people!

Have a look at this photo that I shot yesterday, during a function!

Is there any basic civic sense in the so called cleanest people?? hwell:

 

[venkat2206]

Every one from common-man to Government is aware of the fact that non-degradable plastic is polluting. But what is the solution? Simple. The Government should effect a strict ban on the Production and use of this material for non scientific use.
Will it be done. I doubt. This is like a warning label on the tobacco products. A cruel Joke.

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

Bio degradable plastics are coming but it is very costly. May be in the near future the same products will be available with affordable prices so that people can use the same.

Venkat K

 

[auh]

There is a limit to which a common man can participate in social activities.

This is the job of the Government. The people just do not have the muscle to take it to the Govt. and that is a bane, I think.

I think many of our age old practices were/are better suited to our people.

Example : Take the case of teflon which is used in non-stick ware which we quickly switched to. The fumes from such a pan are toxic to birds, when heated at high temperatures. Moreover, it seems, that they release carcinogenic particles at high heat. Heavy pans are recommended instead of lighter ones, to withstand the temperature.

I am not sure if many are in the know about this, but I certainly did not know the facts (and I found it on the net while looking for a different issue). If something was allowed by the GOI and advertised freely, then it is natural that people would use it. And it is in this area that GOI has to step in. It is not only required to ban plastics in resorts or tourist places (like Ooty etc), but rether the whole country.

Apparently a chemical that is used to make teflon is dangerous and there is a plan to use an alternative, but that would take some years, it seems.

 

[vgane]

How about bubble gum that we chew? It is not bio degradable ...The base of gum can be wax or plastic or rubber...It can never be treated....We are yet to see a bio degradable gum being mass produced

 

[prasad1]

There is a limit to which a common man can participate in social activities.

This is the job of the Government. The people just do not have the muscle to take it to the Govt. and that is a bane, I think.

I think many of our age old practices were/are better suited to our people.

Example : Take the case of teflon which is used in non-stick ware which we quickly switched to. The fumes from such a pan are toxic to birds, when heated at high temperatures. Moreover, it seems, that they release carcinogenic particles at high heat. Heavy pans are recommended instead of lighter ones, to withstand the temperature.

I am not sure if many are in the know about this, but I certainly did not know the facts (and I found it on the net while looking for a different issue). If something was allowed by the GOI and advertised freely, then it is natural that people would use it. And it is in this area that GOI has to step in. It is not only required to ban plastics in resorts or tourist places (like Ooty etc), but rether the whole country.

Apparently a chemical that is used to make teflon is dangerous and there is a plan to use an alternative, but that would take some years, it seems.

Sir I take a different tack on this.
Can we keep our Apartment complex clean, can we clean up our streets, can we clean up our subdivision? Have we done it?
We have excuses when it comes to doing some social service (except AMji). We still want MMji to come wipe our bottom, and we complain about it that it is not happening soon enough.

Please visit the countries of the world, and let us learn some cleanliness. We tamilians talk of acharams, madi as hygiene, wake up the charade fools no one.

http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/general-discussions/12402-saligrama-stone-3.html#post194403

 

[auh]

Sir I take a different tack on this.
Can we keep our Apartment complex clean, can we clean up our streets, can we clean up our subdivision? Have we done it?
We have excuses when it comes to doing some social service (except AMji). We still want MMji to come wipe our bottom, and we complain about it that it is not happening soon enough.

Please visit the countries of the world, and let us learn some cleanliness. We tamilians talk of acharams, madi as hygiene, wake up the charade fools no one.

http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/general-discussions/12402-saligrama-stone-3.html#post194403

I think that two issues are being confused here - one of that of personal hygiene and cleanliness and the other of that of the responsibility of the Govt., leave alone madi and acharam as they are culture/religion specific.

While the two may not always be mutually exclusive, one can be maintained without the other, but for a balance in the society, the twain should meet. But alas, we humans are so fickle minded.

Agreed that a person has responsibilities, but upto what extent? Where does individual responsibility end, and, that of the Govt. takes over? I think, as a practical solution, these measures make sense when implemented by the GOI. The present problem, requires a top-down approach with probably sticks and carrots.

Will the machinery wake up to respond?