You might call it the greenhouse effect, though it is not directly related to climate change. A dead sperm whale which washed ashore last year in Andalusia, in southern Spain, was found to have died from ingesting plastic sheets used in the construction of greenhouses in that region. The whale had over 17 kilogrammes (37 pounds) of garbage blocking its stomach, including some 30 square metres (36 square yards) of plastic canvas, said Renaud de Stephanis, a marine biologist at the Donana Biological Station, which is run by the Spanish National Research Council. “There were a dozen metres of plastic rope, plastic sheeting used on the outside of greenhouses, and plastic sheeting used inside and even two flower pots.”
Beached sperm whale in Spain dies after eating large amounts of plastic
I am not surprised, I have fortunate to have the ability to go to Spain on a yearly basis. My wife and son, as well as myself, always comment on all the plastic sheeting we see bumped on the shore near the green houses are. This is very prominent in the Costa Del Sol area of southern Spain.
I’m from Canada and am always shocked at how much garbage is left every where and especially near the water. It’s as if the locals don’t care.
How about the big floating plastic mass (mess?) floating in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre… out in the Pacific Ocean?