What is the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch"?

Dynamic Earth

1. First let’s head over to Wikipedia for an overview of what the garbage patch is made from and why it exists.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

Where did all the garbage come from?

2. What does NPR say? Check them out here…

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89099470

(there is also a direct link to this story at the bottom of the Wikipedia page)

Please summarize the article below.

3. Don’t worry though, some plastics break down easily in the oceans. Is that good or bad?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html

Please summarize the article below.