More or Less: Behind the Stats How much plastic is in the Ocean and can Mr Beast make a difference?
Jan 9, 2022
The urgent issue of plastic pollution in our oceans takes center stage as popular figures launch a $30 million campaign to remove plastic waste. With an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic currently floating around, they explore the daunting challenges of accurately measuring and collecting it. The podcast highlights ongoing efforts at beaches and rivers, while assessing the costs and feasibility of these clean-ups. It also delves into the complexities of tackling microplastics and the environmental impacts of current technologies, revealing the small steps being taken against a colossal problem.
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MrBeast's Ocean Cleanup Campaign
- Mr. Beast and Mark Rober launched a campaign to remove 30 million pounds of ocean plastic.
- They pledged to remove one pound of plastic for every dollar raised, aiming for $30 million.
Quantifying Ocean Plastic
- The exact amount of plastic in the ocean is unknown, with estimates of over 5 trillion surface pieces.
- Measuring ocean plastic is challenging due to the ocean's vastness and the varying sizes of plastic particles.
Plastic Entering Oceans
- Around 400 million tons of plastic are produced annually worldwide.
- Of that, an estimated average of 8 million tons enters the ocean each year.