Additional Sources

Additional Sources

Sources used for the back matter of The Mess That We Made, along with additional educational resources, can be found here.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

PBS News Hour, “Great Pacific Garbage Patch Weighs More Than 43,000 Cars and is Much Larger Than We Thought”
The Ocean Cleanup, “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”

Plastic Pollution

Plastic Oceans, “The Facts”
The Smithsonian, “Marine Plastics”
Science Alert, “We Totally Missed Most of The Plastic Pollution in The Ocean, Study Reveals”
Plastics Europe, “Plastics – the Facts 2017”
Our World in Data, “How Long Does it Take Plastics to Break Down?”
The Washington Post, “More Than Half the World’s Sea Turtles Have Eaten Plastic, New Study Claims”
 

Microplastics

GESAMP, “Microplastics In The Ocean – A Global Assessment”
National Ocean Service, “What Are Microplastics?”
Science Direct, “Microplastics: Finding a Consensus On the Definition”
The Guardian, “Microplastic Pollution in Oceans is Far Worse Than Feared, Say Scientists”

Global Waste

The World Bank, “Global Waste to Grow by 70 Percent by 2050 Unless Urgent Action is Taken: World Bank Report”
Ellen McArthur Foundation, “The New Plastics Economy”
UN News, ‘Turn the Tide On Plastic’ Urges UN, As Microplastics in the Seas Now Outnumber Stars in Our Galaxy”

Shipping Containers and Lost Cargo

World Shipping Council, “Containers Lost At Sea – 2017 Update”
The Maritime Executive, “Over 1,500 Containers Lost at Sea Annually”
gCaptain, “Number of Containers Lost at Sea Falling, Survey Shows”
Shipping and Freight Resource, “Containers Lost At Sea! Why it Happens and What to Do When it Happens”
The Telegraph, “Lost Cargo and Rubber Ducks: Inside the Curious World of Container Shipping”

Styrofoam, Straws, Bottles, and Other Disposable Plastics

Sciencing, “How Long Does it Take for Styrofoam to Break Down?”
Green Dining Alliance, “Real Cost of Styrofoam”
WasteDive, “To Ban or Recycle? Inside the Foam Fight Dividing the Industry”
Jstor Daily, “Is the 30-Year-Long Styrofoam War Nearing Its End?”
Society of Environmental Journalists, “Styrofoam Facts — Why You May Want To Bring Your Own Cup”
Money, “No One Knew How Many Plastic Straws Americans Use Every Day. Then a 9-Year-Old Kid Did the Math”
The Mighty, “Disposable Plastic Straws Suck. Try These Disability-Friendly Alternatives”
Eco Cycle, “Be Straw Free Campaign”
Earth Day Network, “Fact Sheet: How Much Disposable Plastic We Use”
Forbes, “We’re Now At A Million Plastic Bottles Per Minute – 91% Of Which Are Not Recycled”
The Guardian, “A Million Bottles a Minute: World’s Plastic Binge ‘As Dangerous As Climate Change'”