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Monitoring marine litter from space

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Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#51

Post by throwup238 »

LetsGetTechnicl wrote: post #40
317070 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now in the UN, or at the next climate conference, people can actually say: "Look, Vietnam, you are somehow responsible for 12.2% of the marine plastic in the ocean, with only 1.23% of the world population. We are making this trade agreement or that international investment conditional on that number improving by 2028." Before, there was simply no way of monitoring these things. I had to invent that number. That is a…

I mean how much of that is because western countries take advantage of Vietnam and other countries in their region to cheaply produce their plastic crap?

The US produces plenty of plastic waste on its own, but it ends up in landfills because of modern garbage collection and street sweeping infrastructure. Before the development of landfills and garbage trucks, trash was a much bigger problem in the developed world - plastics just weren’t very common yet.

Most developing countries don’t have that infrastructure so plastic pollution is everywhere, regardless of how much they export to Western countries.

Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#52

Post by mlhpdx »

agomez314 wrote: post #2

What’s the use of tracking waste if no efforts will be done to stop its production? Cleanups are nice and all but you gotta stop the bleeding where it starts. Maybe I’m being too cynical?

Don’t underestimate the power of ego and national pride. Shinning a light on the foibles of nations is generally very effective, for good or not. It’s clear from the images so far that there are local hotspots, and those areas aren’t incapable of mustering the resources to ~solve it~ [improve or maintain their national caché].

Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#53

Post by mlhpdx »

LetsGetTechnicl wrote: post #40
317070 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now in the UN, or at the next climate conference, people can actually say: "Look, Vietnam, you are somehow responsible for 12.2% of the marine plastic in the ocean, with only 1.23% of the world population. We are making this trade agreement or that international investment conditional on that number improving by 2028." Before, there was simply no way of monitoring these things. I had to invent that number. That is a…

I mean how much of that is because western countries take advantage of Vietnam and other countries in their region to cheaply produce their plastic crap?

Not much? It’s the habits of the society. Other places have similar economic situations without the pollution.

Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#54

Post by mlhpdx »

boffinAudio wrote: post #8

At some point I wonder if its going to be viable to harvest ocean plastic, and use it to produce energy .. and every time I see one of my favourite remote-beach Youtubers climb over piles of plastic rubble on some remote tropical island, I can't help get the feeling that there has to be some kind of way to make a portable, self-replicating 3D printer that can go out there and just reproduce itself. But I guess the ch…

Already being done?

https://theoceancleanup.com/

Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#55

Post by toomuchtodo »

crazydoggers wrote: post #34
317070 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now in the UN, or at the next climate conference, people can actually say: "Look, Vietnam, you are somehow responsible for 12.2% of the marine plastic in the ocean, with only 1.23% of the world population. We are making this trade agreement or that international investment conditional on that number improving by 2028." Before, there was simply no way of monitoring these things. I had to invent that number. That is a…

Interestingly The Philippines is responsible for 35% of ocean plastic waste. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/visualized-ocean-plastic...

https://theoceancleanup.com/rivers/

Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#56

Post by azulster »

agomez314 wrote: post #2

What’s the use of tracking waste if no efforts will be done to stop its production? Cleanups are nice and all but you gotta stop the bleeding where it starts. Maybe I’m being too cynical?

its useful to measure and track the problem if only demonstrate it's validity

Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#57

Post by dr_dshiv »

317070 wrote: post #10
agomez314 wrote: post #2

What’s the use of tracking waste if no efforts will be done to stop its production? Cleanups are nice and all but you gotta stop the bleeding where it starts. Maybe I’m being too cynical?

Now in the UN, or at the next climate conference, people can actually say: "Look, Vietnam, you are somehow responsible for 12.2% of the marine plastic in the ocean, with only 1.23% of the world population. We are making this trade agreement or that international investment conditional on that number improving by 2028." Before, there was simply no way of monitoring these things. I had to invent that number. That is a…

Is there a principle or a name for how measurement leads to enhanced control?

Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#59

Post by dennis_jeeves2 »

agomez314 wrote: post #2

What’s the use of tracking waste if no efforts will be done to stop its production? Cleanups are nice and all but you gotta stop the bleeding where it starts. Maybe I’m being too cynical?

Very similar situation in medicine. Diagnostics seems to have improved but not the cures, or prevention. To add to the confusion often early diagnostics + treatment is presumed to be prevention. All in all, it appears to me that there is grand delusion of progress while somewhat regressing.

Re: Monitoring marine litter from space

#60

Post by BurningFrog »

agomez314 wrote: post #2

What’s the use of tracking waste if no efforts will be done to stop its production? Cleanups are nice and all but you gotta stop the bleeding where it starts. Maybe I’m being too cynical?

If you don't measure the problem you don't know if it's getting better or worse, or even, strictly speaking, that it exists at all.

"Let's first fix the problem, and maybe later figure out if it exists" is much worse than the opposite order.

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