The Pacific isn't terrific - it's junk
A vortex of floating trash in the North Pacific is as big as the US state of Texas, with about six kilograms of plastic for every kilogram of plankton. Discarded bottles and other plastic trash accumulate at sea in huge swirls that ensnare fish, marine mammals and birds, according to environmental agency Greenpeace.Politicians are waking up to the problem.Nations with the most advanced economies are meeting in Berlin this week to agree on measures to reduce the masses of plastic waste clogging the world's oceans.The Group of Seven nations started three days of talks yesterday with industry officials, scientists and environmental activists to discuss prevention and ways to clean up."We seek concrete actions to protect the oceans from even greater strains because of waste masses, especially plastic waste," Germany's Environment Ministry state secretary Jochen Flasbarth said. "We need a clear roadmap." ..
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