April 5 - Cousteau Series on PBS Highlights Marine Debris Problem

Tonight, PBS launches a series of Documentaries "Jean Michel Couseau: Ocean Adventures" which encourage us to open our eyes to the wonders and plight of the global marine environment.

Tonights two-part opener 'Voyage to Kure' chronicles a three-week journey across the 1,200-mile chain of islands, atolls and reefs that make up the northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the currents deposit literally tons of plastic and other debris on the islands and reefs. Each year more than 100 tons of garbage is removed from the islands, including piles of plastic packaging, containers, lighters, toys and other articles.

Some of the debris is ingested by birds attracted to the bright colors. In one scene, Cousteau shakes a bird carcass and finds it filled with plastic debris the bird has eaten.

The documentary helps underscore the seriousness and global nature of the plastic marine debris problem. Californians Against Waste is undertaking a multi-level campaign to address the problem of plastic litter and waste that is at the core of the marine debris problem.