Environmental problems caused by humankind are now so widespread and seemingly intractable that solving them becomes more difficult with each passing day. Every environmental mistake we have made is reflected in the dramatic destruction of the oceanic ecosystem.

Roz is using her rowing adventures to raise awareness of the crisis facing our oceans and is appealing to everyone to take immediate action. For the first stage of her Pacific row, from San Francisco to Hawaii, she will be drawing attention to the massive amount of plastic finding its way into the world's oceans and raising awareness of the damage it causes to this delicate ecosystem.

• An estimated 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles in the North Pacific are killed every year by waste plastic in the seas.
• Between 70% and 100% of seabirds in the North Pacific (depending on species and location) are affected by mistakenly eating plastic.
• There is an area the size of Texas in the middle of the Pacific where waste plastic accrues, gathered by ocean currents. There are six pounds of plastic for every one pound of zooplankton, the dominant life form in the area.

Polluted paradise
The islands of Hawaii are being badly affected by plastic pollution, threatening the sea life in the waters around this tropical paradise.

Caught in the centre of the North Pacific Gyre (a vast swirling vortex formed by ocean currents), the accumulation of plastic grows as waste is drawn in from all over the ocean. Rather than biodegrading, plastic photodegrades, disintegrating into smaller and smaller pieces.

Poisonous plastic
The smaller the pieces, the lower down the food chain they are consumed – meaning that they are accumulating to higher and higher levels near the top of the food chain. Eventually they are consumed by the ultimate predator – human beings.

The digestion process releases toxic chemicals from the plastic. The chemicals are then absorbed into the body’s tissues, leading to sickness and disease.

You matter
It’s not too late. A passionate spokesperson for the environment, Roz Savage believes that if we each take responsibility for our individual environmental impact and unite in a global effort to stop the plastic pollution right now, we have the power to make a difference.

Click here to learn about what local Hawaiian organizations are doing.

The Blue Frontier Campaign
The Pacific row is a project of the Blue Frontier Campaign, a non-profit organization that supports grassroots marine conservation efforts and arranges forums to build consensus among other environmental organizations.

Roz recommends the Blue Frontier Campaign's book, 50 Ways to Save the Ocean. To read the chapter on plastic pollution, click here.

Click here to buy the book.

Click here to find out more about what you can do to help.

More information on this site, at:

The Expert's View
by Dr Richard Thompson, Reader in Marine Ecology, University of Plymouth, UK

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Why Should I Care?

Where Can I Find Out More?