Racer

What is your traveling philosophy?

love em and leave em!

31 years old
From Denver, United States
Currently in Denver, United States

Our Curious World

The world is a fascinating place! Working in 23 different countries, Experiential Learning International and our volunteers have seen some crazy stuff.

August 4, 2009

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Descent into the Maelstrom

It happens to all of us at one point or another. You are driving down the road on a hot day, windows rolled down, enjoying a Subway sandwich, when the plastic bag gets sucked right out the window. You think to yourself, oh crap, but in general, you're not a person who never litters, what's one bag, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. The question is, where does that bag end up. There is a good chance it ends up in a piece of massive little known American territory. This territory sits between the mainland of the US and Hawaii, and is known collectively as the "Plastic Vortex".

When currents from different sides of the world combine, often they will form a large eddy. There are several of these, one in Atlantic Ocean, one in the Indian Ocean, and one in the Pacific. The one in the Pacific though, over the years, has accumulated the vast majority of plastic that gets washed out to sea from the beach, or flushed out through storm drains. As a result, it has become a massive whirlpool, twice the size of the state of Texas and growing, consisting almost entirely of trash. It would in itself be a tourist attraction if it wasn't for the fact that it represents a major threat to health and the environment. The extent of the damage is only just now being studied, but it appears that as the plastic breaks down in the direct, intense sunlight, it releases toxins into the ocean. These toxins are absorbed by the fish that eventually become food. Who knew that when that Subway bag flew out your car window, you would eventually end up eating it.