Ocean trash problem 'far from being solved,' U.N. says (CNN) {understatement!}

[eppur_se_muova]

By John D. Sutter
CNN

(CNN) -- The world's oceans are full of trash, causing "tremendous" negative impacts on coastal life and ecology, according to a U.N. report released Monday.

The oceans will continue to fill up with junk discarded from cities and boats without urgent action to address this buildup of marine debris, the United Nations Environment Programme says in a report titled "Marine Litter: A Global Challenge."

Current efforts to address the problem are not working, and the issue is "far from being solved," the report says.

"There is an increasingly urgent need to approach the issue of marine litter through better enforcement of laws and regulations, expanded outreach and educational campaigns, and the employment of strong economic instruments and incentives," the report says.

"Although a number of countries have taken steps at the national level to deal with marine litter, the overall situation is not improving."
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/06/08/ocean.trash.report/index.html

What a bizarre coincidence that this report came out almost the same day as the Air France crash drew attention to the problem: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=198072&mesg_id=198072

[MADem]

1. Trash is gradually starting to become a commodity

How long will it be before people are mining the oceans for garbage, because it has value, I wonder?

[captain jack]

2. I expect little else from modern "civilized" man.