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As the artist of the CAP I have contributed this artpiece to our exhibition made from recycled and plastic waste.

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Greaves,K. 2017. 'Recycled shark in Plastic Ocean'

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch sits near the surface of the ocean. Dense debris can sink centimeters or even several meters beneath the surface, making the vortex’s area nearly impossible to measure.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/

Photograph by NOAA

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Interesting article in the Sydney Morning Herald..

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Environmental groups and scientists across the country will call for immediate action on plastic bags, bottles and microplastics that make up the 34.9 billion pieces of visible plastic in Australian waters, when they front a senate inquiry into marine plastic pollution on Thursday.

The inquiry was called for by Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson last year, when he declared Australia's oceans had turned into a "plastic soup".

"I'd like to see a fully co-ordinated national plan where the government shows leadership on investing in research and monitoring the collection of information, this was supposed to happen in 2009," he said.

"I'll be looking to how much funding we have committed to research. There's been a big global spike in studies done, but Australia has contributed almost nothing."

Dave West holds small bits of plastic that he found on the beach. Credit:Peter Rae

CSIRO, Total Environment Centre, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Clean Up Australia and local councils are among some of the groups that made submissions ahead of the inquiry.

Environmental groups project that with effective intervention, Australia's marine plastic pollution input could be reduced by more than 50 per cent within a three- to five-year window.

"Underpinning the community's frustration is the continued role of the Commonwealth, whose track record addressing our priority waste problems is littered with failure and a disturbing trend to misrepresent the scope of the problem."

The Boomerang Alliance, along with groups like the Total Environment Centre, will use Thursday's inquiry to call for a container deposit scheme, a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags and microbeads in laundry and cosmetic products, and continued enforcement of existing regulations.

Just some of the microplastics that can be found in the world's oceans. Credit:Boomerang Alliance

The hope is that some of these initiatives are not far away.

Container deposit schemes are being actively investigated in Queensland and NSW, where Premier Mike Baird made an election promise to have a scheme in place by July 1, 2017.

Groups such as Clean Up Australia have long campaigned for plastic bags to be banned "forever," and in March last year hopes were buoyed when federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt said he was prepared to use the "bully pulpit" of government to "get rid of" plastic bags.

Government sponsored studies have reported that between 8712 and 11,937 tonnes of litter enter Australia's marine environment each year, in addition to 6000 tonnes of waste related to fishing and other types of maritime activities.

However, the Boomerang Alliance said figures like this "badly underestimate" the problem.

"Conservatively, we can identify at least 56,000 tonnes of plastic entering our environment every year, [including] beverage litter, tyre dust, synthetic fibres, production waste, microbeads and plastic bags," Boomerang Alliance national policy director Dave West said.

Dr Jennifer Lavers is a research fellow at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, and one of the expert panel members who made a submission to Thursday's senate inquiry.

She said marine plastic pollution is now ubiquitous from the top to the bottom of the planet.

"We find plastic absolutely everywhere and in enormous quantities. That's largely due to the fact most of the plastic in the ocean is quite small, which means the scale of the problem is drastically underestimated."

Graphic: Conrad Walters. Source: NCEAS

With 30 per cent of marine fish in the world's oceans considered to have plastic in their stomachs, she said there is "no doubt we are eating residual plastic contamination," while other estimates suggest anyone consuming an average amount of seafood will ingest "about 11,000 plastic particles each year".

"We are definitely behind the eight-ball," said Dr Lavers, adding that "numerous other developed and developing countries are substantially further ahead".

She said container deposit schemes and bans on plastic bags and microbeads are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to tackling marine pollution, but they are a starting point.

"My fear is we continue debating this for the next 20 years. We have to start somewhere, set goals and keep moving forward."

Lucy Cormack is a crime reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.

Most Viewed in Environment

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Marine plastic pollution senate inquiry targets Australian ocean pollution

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Updated first published at Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Environmental groups and scientists across the country will call for immediate action on plastic bags, bottles and microplastics that make up the 34.9 billion pieces of visible plastic in Australian waters, when they front a senate inquiry into marine plastic pollution on Thursday.

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Belch, 2009, 96" x 96" x 96", plastic debris (PET), steel, aluminum rivets, tinted polycrylic + mica powder
http://www.aurorarobson.com/2009.html

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Photo: Waterfall, 2009, recycled plastic, monofilament, 13 x 34 x 4 feet (MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ontario)
http://www.katharineharvey.com/artwork.php?w=waterfall_maclaren&c=installations

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Photo: Waterfall, 2013, recycled plastic, monofilament, 18 x 34 x 2 feet (Bank of America Building, Los Angeles, California)
http://www.katharineharvey.com/artwork.php?w=waterfall_la_2013&c=installations

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Activist-artist Shannon McCarthy, creates art from marine debris with a message of awareness of plastic waste and its impact on our oceans.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20151001/living-green-artist-makes-mosaics-from-marine-debris

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Prince Charles warns that 'plastic is now on the menu' due to the amount ingested by fish 

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Prince Charles warns that 'plastic is now on the menu' due to the amount ingested by fish 

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“The eight million tonnes of plastic that enter the sea every year - through our own doing I might add - is now almost ubiquitous”, the prince told a global conference on safeguarding the world's oceans.

"For all the plastic that we have produced since the 1950s that has ended up in the ocean is still with us in one form or another, so that wherever you swim there are particles of plastic near you and we are very close to reaching the point when whatever wild-caught fish you eat will contain plastic.

"Plastic is indeed now on the menu."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/05/prince-charles-warns-plastic-now-menu-due-amount-ingested-fish/

Credit: Steve Parsons/PA

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This plastic bottle jellyfish reminds us that even invertebrates are at risk. "Even sea jellies are found with plastic particles in their translucent bodies," Pozzi says.

Credit: Washed Ashore
http://ocean.si.edu/slideshow/washed-ashore-beach-trash-ocean-art

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The Wave sculpture by Wren Miller highlights the damaging effects of using single use plastic bottles on the environment. Gety images by Toby Smith.
http://www.wrenmillerart.co.uk/

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Community celebrating success of project. Photo by Martin Lacasse.
https://blog.vonwong.com/mermaidplastic/

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Community sorting out plastic into various bins. Photo by Tessa Levesquehttps://blog.vonwong.com/mermaidplastic/

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Community plastic collection.
photo by Anna Tenne
https://blog.vonwong.com/mermaidplastic/

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I created a little sample of a bulletin board notice for the project.
-Amber

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Link to the Waves Of Trash facebook page 

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Link to the Waves Of Trash facebook page 

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I set up a facebook page for the waves of trash community project.
-Amber
https://www.facebook.com/wavesoftrash/

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Sydney Northern Beaches Community Art Space

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Creative Space in North Curl Curl was conceived for emerging or established artists who need studio space, and for groups who need an exhibition venue. Creative Space is an affordable, professional arts facility on the Northern Beaches where you can show your work and connect with the community.

Who Can Hire a Studio?

If you're artist establishing your practice and you'd like inspirational creative space of your own, we have four single studios and one double studio to hire at subsidised rates in six-month blocks. Take a look at our studio hire terms and conditions, and meet the artists who are here right now.

Studio Rates

All studios are available for hire for 12 months at a time. For a single studio, the rate is $45 a week and the double is $65. The outdoor studio, suitable for welding, ceramics and scuplture, is $55 per week.

Studio Booking

If you're inspired by the idea of having 12 months of subsidised studio space, get your application to hire studio space in early. Applications for 2018 open in November 2017. Take a look at the floorplan and see what you think.

Who Can Use the Gallery?

The gallery is for artists holding creative solo or group exhibitions. We may have capacity for one-off workshops, but not functions or regular activity. We provide technical know-how and promotional support, plus access to facilities and equipment. Take a look at our gallery hire terms and conditions.

Gallery Facilities

The Creative Space is accessible, with kitchenette, toilets and outdoor area. Equipment available includes a ladder, 10 tables, 49 chairs, 49 stools, exhibition lights, trolley, around 200 cables and 500 hooks, and various plinths. The space is unstaffed, so please make sure you have appropriate minders during your open times.

Gallery Rates

You can hire the gallery for a minimum of one week and up to four weeks at a time. For solo exhibitions in 2018, the rate is $190 per week. For group exhibitions, it's $350 per week. We'll ask you for a refundable bond of $300 when you confirm your booking.

Gallery Booking

If you're planning a solo or group exhibition, get your application to hire the gallery in early, as we're always hosting big events. Applications for next year open on 1 July and close at 5pm on 31 October. Take a look at the floorplan and see what you think.

There's Always a Lot Going On

Northern Beaches Art Prize, Manly Library Artists' Book Award, Creative Made Makers Market and a fast-changing line of exibitions... the Creative Space has become a hub of important art events on the Northern Beaches. Check our What's On Event Calendar and see what's coming up.

Get Involved with Art

Whether you're an artist or you just love engaging with art, please join the Northern Beaches Council Creative News mailing list so we can invite you to exhibitions, artist talks, artistic opportunities and networking events. Or just find out more about Creative Space.

Email: creative@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au

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Creative Space in North Curl Curl was conceived for emerging or established artists who need studio space, and for groups who need an exhibition venue. Creative Space is an affordable, professional arts facility on the Northern Beaches where you can show your work and connect with the community.

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I just wanted to add a note up on Padlet about the website for anyone who missed it on the forum. I have set up a free bare-bones website for the CAP over on wordpress. It is currently missing content but it's live.

- Joel

https://wavesoftrash.wordpress.com/

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Politics Degree
We're here to raise awareness of our oceans

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and this......

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More places to hold our event

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Sculpture Walk | Gold Coast Cultural Precinct

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Of those works commissioned specifically for the Walk the most significant to date is Chris Booth's towering Wiyung tchellungna-najil (Keeper of the Light). The concept of the sculpture was born after the artist spoke with Ysola Best, a descendant of the Kombumerri people who are on of the traditional groups of aboriginal people from the Southport area.

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