The 'toxic monster' is coming! Texas-sized floating island containing one million tonnes of junk fro

[Awesomecaek]

[url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-toxic-monster-is-coming-texassized-floating-island-containing-one-million-tonnes-of-junk-from-japan-tsunami-drifting-towards-us-8922358.html]independent.co.uk[/url]
[quote]The most concentrated stretch of rubbish- dubbed the 'toxic monster' - is currently sitting between Hawaii and California
An enormous floating island of debris from Japan’s 2011 tsunami is drifting towards the coast of America, bringing with it over one million tonnes of junk that would cover an area the size of Texas.

The most concentrated stretch – dubbed the “toxic monster” by Fox News - is currently around 1,700 miles off the coast, sitting between Hawaii and California, but several million tonnes of additional debris remains scattered across the Pacific.

If the rubbish were to continue to fuse, the combined area of the floating junkyard would be greater than that of the United States, and could theoretically weigh up to five million tonnes.
...
[/quote]

[editline]5th November 2013[/editline]

[img]http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article8922356.ece/ALTERNATES/w460/toxic-junk.jpg[/img]

[OvB]

That's a lot of debris.

[No_0ne]

nuke it

[Awesomecaek]

[QUOTE=OvB;42769608]That's a lot of debris.[/QUOTE]

OvB I think it's time to ask you the question everyone wants to know the answer for;

Is everyone going to die, yet?

[Viva_]

Texas sized? Bullshit, there's no way it's texas sized.
I get that it's if it were all pulled together but still, their claim that it'd be larger than the us just seems too exaggerated.

[Alec W]

[QUOTE=mysteryman;42769632]Texas sized? Bullshit, there's no way it's texas sized.[/QUOTE]

If the rubbish were to continue to fuse, [B]the combined area[/B] of the floating junkyard would be [B]greater than that of the United States[/B], and could theoretically weigh up to five million tonnes.

[ironman17]

Sounds like the West Coast's gonna have some overly-cluttered beaches.

[Provost]

[QUOTE=OvB;42769608]That's a lot of debris.[/QUOTE]

Is it?

[hovergroovie]

EDIT: nevermind, that image is huge

[Viva_]

[QUOTE=Alec W;42769642]If the rubbish were to continue to fuse, [B]the combined area[/B] of the floating junkyard would be [B]greater than that of the United States[/B], and could theoretically weigh up to five million tonnes.[/QUOTE]
I still call bullshit, i knew it was saying it as collaboratively.

[Eudoxia]

So OvB do you think this is going to be basically colloidal plastic like the other Texas-sized garbage patch in the Pacific, or actual macro stuff floating around?

[Viva_]

[QUOTE=hovergroovie;42769659]EDIT: nevermind, that image is huge[/QUOTE]

You do realize how useless that map was anyway? There were about 13 confirmed spots of debris and all those massive amounts of yellow circles said were "potential" debris.

[zombays]

Jesus H. Fuck, thumb that image, hovergroovie.

[DoctorSalt]

[Not pictured in OP -> Basically the entire debris field]

[img_thumb]http://global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Scitech/tsunami%20debris%20field%20graphic.jpg[/img_thumb]

[Beelzebub]

why dont the governments get an effort together to get it cleaned up

[OvB]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;42769623]OvB I think it's time to ask you the question everyone wants to know the answer for;

Is everyone going to die, yet?[/QUOTE]

Only California.

[Viva_]

[QUOTE=OvB;42769709]Only California.[/QUOTE]

California will be bombarded with trash? So nothing new then.

[Krinkels]

This is good for the environment though. If we cover the ocean's surface in garbage, the water below it won't absorb as much heat and the earth stays cool.

[shian]

I shall claim the island as mine, and crown myself as king and name it sealand.

Oh wait it's already been used, fuck.

[zombays]

And then it eats Florida and no one cares [sp]except me :([/sp]
:suicide:

[Socram]

These articles are always really misleading. Sure there is visible debris here and there but the "Texas sized patch" is little particulates that are mixed in with the water and create a nasty sludge. Not that that is any better at all mind you, but it's not like there is some island of trash you can walk across, or see from google maps.

[zombays]

[QUOTE=Krinkels;42769756]This is good for the environment though. If we cover the ocean's surface in garbage, the water below it won't absorb as much heat and the earth stays cool.[/QUOTE]

And the stuff that sinks becomes an artificial reef....and then a turtle get strangled from a plastic 6-pack wrap

[booster]

[QUOTE=zombays;42769765]And then it eats Florida and no one cares [sp]except me :([/sp]
:suicide:[/QUOTE]

Yes, it will cross the entire globe, against all the winds and currents, so it can reach Florida.

[Apocalypsewaffle]

[QUOTE=Beelzebub;42769701]why dont the governments get an effort together to get it cleaned up[/QUOTE]

Because have you looked at the size of that field

And does the US government ever try to clean something up

[Eudoxia]

[QUOTE=shian;42769759]I shall claim the island as mine, and crown myself as king and name it sealand.

Oh wait it's already been used, fuck.[/QUOTE]

Claim the island [I]for[/I] sealand. Become governor, eventually climbing your way up to Emperor of Sealand.

[Ravenholme]

[QUOTE=Krinkels;42769756]This is good for the environment though. If we cover the ocean's surface in garbage, the water below it won't absorb as much heat and the earth stays cool.[/QUOTE]

So, in your infinite wisdom, want to explain how that's a pro for the biggest carbon sink in the world? To whit, photosynthetic phytoplankton. Which require sunlight, which won't get through your garbage lid.

[canI]

[QUOTE=Alec W;42769642]If the rubbish were to continue to fuse, [B]the combined area[/B] of the floating junkyard would be [B]greater than that of the United States[/B], and could theoretically weigh up to five million tonnes.[/QUOTE]

So one mil equals Texas and 5 mil equals USA? My math is a little shitty but...

[shian]

[QUOTE=Eudoxia;42769806]Claim the island [I]for[/I] sealand. Become governor, eventually climbing your way up to Emperor of Sealand.[/QUOTE]
Eh, wouldn't I have to dethrone the rightful king then?

[Oizen]

Its a secret terrorist attack.

[dai]

[QUOTE=cani;42769811]So one mil equals Texas and 5 mil equals USA? My math is a little shitty but...[/QUOTE]

1,000,000 tons divided evenly across 268,581 sq miles for texas would be [b]3.7 tons/sq mile[/b]
5mil tons across 3.79mil sq miles for the (continental) US would be [b]1.3 tons/sq mile[/b]

but maybe this is counting the fact that most of the fringe stuff is a lot lighter and spread out

and calling it the toxic monster is hilariously alarmist god damn