plastic oceans
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Plastic Oceans. The Prevention of Plastics from Mississauga Entering Streams, Rivers, The Great Lakes and The Ocean Presention by: Ruwanthi Halwala. Introduction. Ruwanthi ( Ru ) Halwala, Hon B.Sc., University of Toronto, Mississauga IHTEC intern- Case Study Contact: [email protected] - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala
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Plastic OceansThe Prevention of Plastics from Mississauga Entering Streams, Rivers, The Great Lakes
and The OceanPresention by: Ruwanthi Halwala
IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala
Introduction
Ruwanthi (Ru) Halwala, Hon B.Sc., University of Toronto, Mississauga
IHTEC intern- Case Study Contact: [email protected]
Julia Morton- Marr, B.Ed., Founding president
International Holistic Tourism Education Centre (IHTEC) Canadian Educational Charitable NGO Peace and Sustainability Education ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council)
status http://www.ihtec.org
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Captain Charles Moore Pioneer in discovering the Eastern Pacific garbage patch, stimulating research, and developing protocols for monitoring beach/marine plastics, now used worldwide
http://www.algalita.org
Source: http://www.algalita.org/about-us/bios/charles.html
IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala
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Land to Ocean Issues
Polystyrene made practical in 1938
Over 80% from land
5 Gyres www.5gyres.org
In water : photodegradation Plastic soup Nurdles
Bioaccumulation
Source: http://www.californiagreensolutions.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=2467, onemoregeneration.org
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Plastics and its components can remain in the ocean, and are easily absorbed into organisms, and might even accumulate over the food chain
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Throwaway economiesContributing to the litter in the ocean and the great lakes
Source:http://wavepatrol.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/the-plastic-shore-waste-build-up-in-the-north-pacific-ocean-twice-the-size-of-texas/
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Whale dead after consuming plasticSperm whales generally have a life expectancy of over 70 years
Source: http://envireusablebags.com/2013/04/plastic-litter-kills-a-sperm-whale-in-the-mediterranean/
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Sea birds commonly mistake plastic for food200,000 Albatross chicks die each year
Sources: http://plasticproblem.blogspot.ca/p/issue.html , http://animal.discovery.com/birds/ocean-gyre-albatross-ocean-gyre-birds-pictures.htm
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Case Study –Mississauga, Erindale
Significant plastic litter on Highway 403 ramps
Pollution, wind, rainurban runoff.
Ministry of Transportation contracts out highway cleanup Funding : limited Highway exits, plastic litter smaller than the
size of a shoebox
Local MPP More community groups, citizen involvement
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Highway 403Mississauga: Confederation Parkway
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Street litterPlastic bits are washed to the sides and enter the drainage system
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Mississauga/ Peel Region: Currently
Currently : LitterNot, Adopt A Highway/Park Program The Great Shore-Line Cleanup and Pitch-In
Canada, Debris By-Law : Fine EcoSource, Brampton Clean City Committee
and Eco Caledon
The problem : still present
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Mississauga/ Peel Region: What we don’t know
Community groups – have any adopted the Erin Mills Parkway (Exit 113) ramp on Highway 403?
Any progress with cleaning?
Corporations / Businesses
Education?
Who are our litter bugs?
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International Recommendations
Australia: Refunds on plastics returns 10 cents/bottle, built into the sale price 90% of all bottles, cans,
“Keep Australia Beautiful”
“ You dropped that, Sport”
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International Recommendations
California Littering fine Polystyrene (Styrofoam) prohibition Eliminated plastic bags
Germany Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) :
fines/ incentives, Source reduction Recycled content laws
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International Recommendations
Australia: Refunds on plastics returns 10 cents/bottle, built into the sale price 90% of all bottles, cans,
“Keep Australia Beautiful”
“ You dropped that, Sport”
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IHTEC Recommends
Media campaign for Ontario, “ Keep Canada Beautiful” Focus on positive, practical solution Mascot : Canadian, relatable
“Cradle to cradle” approach
Lids on household recycling bins
Increasing littering fines
Educational programs, particularly in schools and Universities
Incentives
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Decomposition rates for common marine debrisLand plastics take 500-1o00 years to decompose
Source: http://www.cereplast.com/marine-debris-decomposition-rates/
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Conclusion/ Future implications
Where do we go from here?
Changing how we think about plastics Culture of sustainability Reduce consumerism
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IHTEC’S Marine Peace Parks?
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Sources
http://www.kinnelonconserves.net/Why-Is-It-So-Bad-.html
http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.ca/2012_01_08_archive.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Spermwhale.shtml
http://www.californiagreensolutions.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=2467
http://www.mindfully.org/Berkeley/Berkeley-Plastics-Task-Force.htm
http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/midway/#CF000313%2018x24
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