Up To 1.5 Billion Masks Could End Up In The Sea This Year

If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know I may not be a believer that climate change is mostly/solely caused by Mankind (and, heck, even if it is, it’s being used as an excuse to institute Statism around the world), but, I do believe in the environment. It’s bad enough have masks (and gloves) all over the place, because people are too lazy to properly dispose of them. Well generously refer to them as “assholes”. And now

Report: Over 1.5 Billion Masks to Pollute Ocean This Year

Over one billion of the 52 billion masks produced in 2020 will pollute the world’s oceans, warns a report published by an environmental group out of Hong Kong.

OceansAsia said the masks will both contaminate oceans with plastic and harm already vulnerable marine wildlife.

“Single-use face masks are made from a variety of meltblown plastics and are difficult to recycle due to both composition and risk of contamination and infection,” OceansAsia’s report states. “These masks enter our oceans when they are littered or otherwise improperly discarded, when waste management systems are inadequate or non-existent, or when these systems become overwhelmed due to increased volumes of waste.”

The report estimates nearly 7,000 tons of plastic could pollute the ocean and may take roughly 450 years to break down.

It’s a dual problem. The masks aren’t properly disposed of and they do not break down correctly. And, really, you know lots of those blue mask people buy are ending up in the oceans and other waterways.

The report also highlights various animals that have died due to masks. In September, a penguin was found dead on a Brazilian beach with a mask wrapped up inside its stomach, according to a local marine conservation organization, Instituto Argonauta.

“The consequences of the large number of people who frequented the beaches of the North Coast of São Paulo on the extended holiday of September 7 may have cost the life of a Magellan penguin, whose cause of death is linked to a mask that was found inside his stomach,” read a statement from the non-profit.

It’s just one example, and probably limited, but, the plastic and other pollution in the oceans is bad enough. The report recommends wearing cloth mask (which, of course, really do not stop diseases, but, make people feel better). I’ve seen lots of those cheap ones you get at the convenience store lying in the roads and parking lots, too.

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16 Responses to “Up To 1.5 Billion Masks Could End Up In The Sea This Year”

  1. pResident Thief and "DR" Xiden says:

    We non communist citizens have been accused of “science denial” and not believing in global warming because we don’t buy into the Cult’s preposterous propositions and foolish calls of the science being settled and ridiculous anti-science claims of a consensus. Science is never settled and never decided by consensus. Facts aren’t up for a vote except in leftist land where men can instantly become women, menstruate and bear children and where the desire to claim all races are equal leads people to hate their own race for not being equal. Go figure.

    That said as far as we’ve seen none of us support pollution of any of our natural resources by wanton carelessness. We do have the ability to weigh human needs against unwanted actions and decide where the point of equilibrium is. Like at what point are coal mines, the miners jobs, and the power the coal generates too low to warrant the pollution they cause?

    Even though we can support some pollution for good reason, we don’t support pollution for no reason. That said, from what we’ve witnessed of the trash and destruction left behind by leftist rallies, riots, protests and even “gatherings” (ever see a photo of Woodstock after the pinko hippies left, or the Washington Mall when the million man march was over?) and compared them to Conservative or Republican gatherings we must say those are leftists masks discarded after they made their public appearance of virtue to their fellow idiots. For only a leftist would turn a public display of compliance into a vast wasteland of discarded “we were here” signs.

    • Elwood P. Dowd says:

      The non-communist (actually selective communist/authoritarian or SCA) Americans are motivated by their feelings/beliefs rather than reason and evidence. One doesn’t “believe” in global warming, one either accepts the evidence or doesn’t.

      Scientific theories are never proven (Science is never settled). So-called skeptics can falsify the greenhouse gas/global warming theory with credible contrary evidence. They haven’t yet. It’s a conservative meme that science is not advanced by scientific consensus, which makes sense if you don’t think about it. Does tobacco use cause cancer? The medical consensus is yes, but has that really been proven? The eminent Mr Rush Limbaugh says no, based on the observation that not every smoker gets cancer.

      • david7134 says:

        One problem, there is no evidence and when you look at the data you provide, you see it is misinterpreted. For instance, the rise in CO2 occurs after the rise in temp. You get a large number of other things wrong, plus, you correlate and that almost always leads to wrong assumptions. Then, the only answer you have for this imaginary problem is global communism and destruction of our wealth, and your cohorts agree that even this would not have a meaningful alteration in CO2 or weather.

      • Nighthawk says:

        There is plenty of evidence that refutes the AGW theory. Faulty models, no less than three periods in the last 10,000 years when temps were higher than they are now, NO doom and gloom prediction coming true and the list goes on. It is simply YOU who refuses to believe this evidence. So don’t preach to us about who is motivated by feeling/beliefs.

        • Elwood P. Dowd says:

          No less than 3 periods in the Holocene when temperature was greater than now?

          Can you support this claim? Would be happy to see the evidence.

          Even is true how does this refute that the theory of AGW? The theory predicts that rising CO2 will cause a rise in global temperatures.

      • Jl says:

        “Can’t falsify the greenhouse global,warming theory with credible contrary evidence..”; Now that’s a good one-we’re told it causes hot and cold, wet and dry, so as to be unfalsifiable. ‘Never proven”.. Part of the scientific method is reproducible results through experiments. As we know, there’s never been an experiment done showing the radiative properties of CO2 warming anything, even a cup of coffee

        • david7134 says:

          Jl,
          Actually a good experiment has been performed. Take two green houses with plastic or glass that allows uv. Fill one with CO2 the other with regular air. Result= no difference in temp.

          • Elwood P. Dowd says:

            devoid,

            Does infrared radiation penetrate glass or plastic? Visible light does, doesn’t it? The visible light is absorbed by the dark soil in the greenhouse and is re-emitted in infrared wavelengths.
            Does the infrared escape the glass or plastic roof or does the greenhouse heat up? Why doesn’t the heat (infrared radiation) leave a car on a sunny day?

            Can you link to the experiment?

  2. Elwood P. Dowd says:

    It’s more and more evident that nuCons/deniers/trumpists are more than anything else, conspiracists.

    On global warming, every government, major religion, university, corporation, legitimate media, scientific organization under the behest of the global communists is involved in the conspiracy to control conservatives!

    On Covid, every government, major religion, university, corporation, legitimate media, scientific organization, medical organization, under the behest of the global communists is involved in the conspiracy to control conservatives!

    On The Election, every US government body, the courts, Supreme Court, DOJ, FBI, legitimate media, local Republicans, Congress, under the behest of the global communists is involved in the conspiracy to control conservatives!

    No wonder you guys feel so powerless and threatened.

    • david7134 says:

      As I have said before, you are very stupid and seriously lacking in knowledge and insight, so save us your assessment of the stolen election. Regardless, it was the spark needed to start the war, get it on.

      • Elwood P. Dowd says:

        diva,

        As I explained over 4 years ago, trump is a psychopath unfit to be our president. Remember discussing that he might be able survive is he didn’t have any crises. He he did have a crisis called Covid. We know, we know, trumptilians assert that Chinese commies with the help of US Dems spread Covid throughout the population to “get trump”. That’s untrue, but you know that. Illogical, unlikely imaginary conspiracy after another. Magical thinking.

        Before this election a group of psychologists predicted that if trump lost the he would bitch and moan about the vote and challenge the result. Why? Because he’s a psychopath – he sees himself as the strongest, smartest, winningest, superman on Earth. He may even believe he won.

        This brings us to those that still support/worship him. Are you guys psychopaths yourself or are you victims of this charismatic psychopath’s cult? Some are no doubt psychopaths but most have just been taken in by this TV game show host.

        diva, you’ve been cheerleading a nuCivil war for years – hoping that the CSA would regroup. How do you think this war will end? The far-right traitorous minority against the rest of America including the US military. Are you counting on the military, who swear allegiance to the Constitution not trump, abandoning their posts and joining in your overthrow of America? Do you plan to take up arms yourself or are you counting on the Proud Boys and others?

        • david7134 says:

          Jeff,
          That is a remarkable amount of idiotic ravings. I might point out that your knowledge of medicine is very limited and you certainly have no ability to presume to consider a diagnosis. You are nothing more than an individual who is completely controlled by left trivia and propaganda. As to the coming war, you will find out, don’t worry.

  3. Elwood P. Dowd says:

    devoid,

    I hope to see you in the coming war…

    • President Elect Kye says:

      “I hope to see you in the coming war…”

      Typical commie statement. You just can’t wait for more Americans to die, can you? You can make innuendos to david7134, how much would you hope to see ME in the coming war? Let’s see…I have 79 confirmed commie kills and you have how many? Oh yeah, ZERO. You fought Vietnam in Toronto burning your draft card.

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