Another compelling reason to leave no footprint

Yep until people stop throwing things out the windows, over the edge of the boat, leaving bleep on beaches etc this will continue to happen. Unfortunately some people just don't give a bleep about any body or any thing else...... Very sad video of the birds dying and the amount of stuff they have obviously consumed is amazing. Great photography as well............

If you google "Pacific Ocean Garbage" this video here is a sample of what you will see. The birds of Midway island are feeding in that environment so its no wonder that their stomachs are full of plastic.

Maybe its worth mentioning that its Clean Up Australia Day next Sunday 3rd March so we can all do our small bit to make things a bit better. Sadly its a problem that isn't going to go away.

Cheers,

Val.

But IMHO There will be many birds that learn to discriminate between plastic and food , and those will survive and prosper in the modern world.

Natural selection at its best like the Australian crows that have learned to flip the cane toads over.

Pied Albatrosses have amazing memories as evidenced by their multi ocean journeys to Wollongong at exactly the moment the cuttlefish spawn and die so that they eat the dead ones.

A lot of Naturalists I believe have an overly pessimistic view. Again I often hear of an area in drought and the 'bird counts " have diminished. Of course they have. The birds aren't stupid, they move. When I visited Arkaroola in the middle of the drought, hardly a bird or animal was to be seen, but people in Quorn had told me of seeing emus swimming the Murray. That is how they cope.
So although the trash in the oceans is incredible and inexcusable, I don't think it will mean the extinction of a bird population, only the dumb ones.
Regards Philip A

Funny, I thought we were talking rubbish in oceans not rainforest destruction which is a completely different thing.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that particularly in poor countries humans take priority over animals. Many rainforest creatures are codependent on the rainforest so are destined to end up in zoos, much like Rhinos which are seen more valuable dead ( without horns) than alive.
Cassowaries spring to mind.
But animals and birds that can adapt to humans do much better eg Kookas, King Parrots Lorikeets, many of which are now "free range pets".

But we should pity the ones that no one loves like the thoroughly smelly and unlikable African Wild Dog. They will soon be extinct.

To rage against the predominance of humans to me seems an exercise in utter futility, as we cannot successfully impose our values and will on people for whom cutting down rainforests and hunting rare animals is necessary for their own survival.

We in Australia have nothing to be ashamed of , except for maybe trashing the bush with crap and rubbish as we have some of themost robust environmental protection in the world.
But I know that is not enough for many extremists who would prefer that we all go back to walking, "eat local" ie have no veges out of season , and have no power.

Regards Philip A