Debunking a few myths about marine litter

“Science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths.”

Karl Popper Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge, 1963

Myths:

There will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.
Plastic is currently the biggest threat to the ocean.
Microplastics are harmful to humans.

While there is some truth in all of these statements, they have ascended into the realm of myth. Repeated in the press, cycled endlessly on multiple social media platforms, these myths have become firmly lodged in our minds.

Human beings have always relied on myths. They are the stories that underpin our lives and help us frame reality. But myths can also offer easy answers to complex problems.

In an era when we are bombarded by news about environmental problems and disasters, it isn’t surprising that we would turn to easy answers. But they aren’t going to help us. The solution to the challenges we face – globally and here in Norway – is to get the facts. And then to get active.

That’s the message in a new GRID-Arendal project to debunk (avkrefte) 10 myths about plastic in the marine environment produced for the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment. Stop Talking Trash About Marine Litter not only refutes myths about ocean plastic, it offers answers supported by solid scientific information.

Plastic is so prevalent and used in so many items in our daily lives that we forget it’s only been around for about 70 years. In that time trillions of pieces of plastic have entered the oceans – from large abandoned fishing nets to fragments that can only be seen with a microscope. And as stories about threats increase, myths blossom. Here are a few of them, taken from Stop Talking Trash:

Myth: There will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050

We can’t be certain about this claim, although you hear it a lot. In fact, it’s almost impossible to come up with an exact figure. A 2016 report which was widely quoted in the press estimated that if nothing is done to stem the plastic flow, in less than 10 years the ocean will contain a tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish.

The uncertainty lies in the fact that it’s very difficult to estimate fish populations and how much plastic is actually in the oceans. So, while saying “more plastic than fish by 2050” works to illustrate the seriousness of the problem, it can’t be verified. At least not yet.

Myth: Plastic is currently the biggest threat to the ocean

This is false. There are many threats to the ocean. Plastic is definitely one of them, and one of the biggest. According to a 2015 study, there are 5.25 trillion plastic pieces floating around. That’s equal to 720 pieces for everyone on the planet.

While plastic pollution is among the most serious threats, a larger problem may be the way it amplifies other stresses on ocean health. Threats like climate change, acidification, ocean warming, overfishing and habitat destruction. In fact, the main problem is that we are responsible for all these effects – and we seem to lack the will to address them. But there are signs that things are changing. The oceans aren’t dead yet and if we take action now we still have a chance to deal with plastic and other human impacts.

Myth: Microplastics are harmful to humans

This is another case where we suspect it’s true but we don’t have enough information to verify the concern. Yet.

There is definitely growing concern about effects marine microplastics could have on people’s health. It’s possible that toxic chemicals are leaching from plastic litter and microscopic particles and are entering the food chain. That they could possibly wind up on our dinner plates rings alarm bells. But are they harmful?

Plastic has been found in the stomachs of sea creatures around the world – in fish in the Northwest Atlantic and the English Channel, in endangered sea turtles, in giant Bluefin tuna off the coast of Lebanon and the stomach of a whale that died off the coast of Norway last year. Last week, a whale died with 80 plastic bags in its stomach in Thailand. So there is real concern about negative effecrs on marine animals that eat microplastics. When smaller fish are eaten by predators like tuna and swordfish, there is fear that plastic moves up the food chain.

Another concern is that chemical pollutants can also bind to microplastics and may increase accumulations of toxins in larger predatory fish. In this way particles and toxins could move up the food chain and end up on our plates.

However, assessing the risks to human health from marine plastic is complicated and much is still unknown. So, while there is growing concern,further work is needed to establish the effects on our health.

Stop Talking Trash deals with other myths, such as 90% of the plastic in the oceans coming from 10 Asian rivers, banning plastics in cosmetics or vacuuming up plastics in the oceans is the answerand the problem is too big and complex to do anything about.

Let’s deal with that last one.

Despite the scope of the problem, individual actions are key to reducing the total amount of plastic that eventually ends up in the ocean. There is a growing list of actions being taken around the world – from Europe to Kenya, from Indonesia to the United States. In Norway, the government has also commited to cutting the flow of plastic into the sea.

There is a local connection as well. Arendal’s International Market, held last week, pledged to go plastic free for it’s 25th anniversary.

With that in mind, here are a few things you can do:

Inform yourself — be an educated consumer and dispose of your waste in responsible manner so it doesn’t end up in the ocean. Spend a little time doing your own research. Easy-to-read material is available on the GRID-Arendal (http://www.grida.no/publications/410) and UN Environment (https://www.unenvironment.org) websites.
Sort and recycle your plastics – it means less plastic being produced and thrown away after a single use. Oh yes, don’t forget to refuse single-use plastic.
Take direct action – participate in a local recycling programmes or beach cleanups. Support international campaigns that help remove plastic directly from the environment.
Support your government to address marine litter– contact your representatives and let them know that this issue is important to you urge them to follow the lead of Kenya, Indonesia and other places where action is being taken.

Remember, everyone can take action on marine litter right now.

Header photo Steven Lutz/GRID-Arendal