ipl-logo

Analysis Of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

1532 Words7 Pages
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a gyre in the Pacific Ocean which has been collecting marine debris for many years, forming a trash vortex of astounding size in the middle of the ocean. The majority of the trash collected is plastic, or microplastics, due to their extremely resistant nature based on their chemical composition. They are bonded so tightly that it is incredibly difficult to break the plastics down, so instead, they remain in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for indefinite periods of time, damaging aquatic life and polluting the waters.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been portrayed to the public as a growing, urgent issue, which can be solved if we work together to remedy the problem. This general presentation is fair to the problem, as the trash vortex does pose a great threat to aquatic life, and its pollution of the sea is far from desirable. However, different media outlets and people have reported on the issue differently, resulting in a great variety of ideas and myths surrounding the trash vortex.

Firstly, the physical manifestation of the trash vortex has often been misrepresented. Journalist Nick Allen’s article in the Telegraph, published in May 2010, described the garbage patch as a “vast floating island of trash”. This directly contradicts much of the information given by other reliable sources. Whilst the Telegraph has a fair reputation and is generally considered a trustworthy news outlet, this description only seems to exist for a
Open Document