Think about it

New Continent Discovered in Pacific Ocean

Only problem is, it's made entirely of plastic.

A high-seas mission departs from San Francisco next month to map and explore a sinister and shifting 21st-century continent: one twice the size of Texas and created from six million tonnes of discarded plastic.

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Coolness abounds though, thanks to the efforts of Scripps and Brita:

With a crew of 30, the expedition, supported by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Brita, the water company, will use unmanned aircraft and robotic surface explorers to map the extent and depth of the plastic continent while collecting 40 tonnes of the refuse for trial recycling.

If that recycling proves to profitable it could be a boon! There are six million tonnes (at least) of plastic there, and we could tap into it all. Remember my post about limited resources? Bringing those resources back to the United States, and converting them for use by our country (and then keeping them here) would be great. These are, I believe, the technologies we need to work on if we're to stay relevant in the world economy of the future.

Paper or paper?

China sacks plastic bags. They use over 3 billion of them a day!

The Chinese government is banning production and distribution of the thinnest plastic bags in a bid to curb the white pollution that is taking over the countryside. The bags are also banned from all forms of public transportation and "scenic locations." The move may save as much as 37 million barrels of oil currently used to produce the plastic totes, according to China Trade News. Already, the nation's largest producer of such thin plastic bags, Huaqiang, has shut down its operations.

The effort comes amid growing environmental awareness among the Chinese people and mimics similar efforts in countries like Bangladesh and Ireland as well as the city of San Francisco, though efforts to replicate that ban in other U.S. municipalities have foundered in the face of opposition from plastic manufacturers.

I thought there might be a significant impact on petroleum, and there is ... to the tune of 37 million barrels. And why am I not surprised that US efforts have been curbed by plastic lobbyists. I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs, but surely you can redirect your efforts ... maybe biodegradeable plastics?