The world ocean as waste space: the case for equal opportunity

This essay is an exploration of the concept of using the ocean as an integral component of a comprehensive waste management program. We start with several premises: That modern technological societies must reduce the amount of waste they produce through aggressive and creative programs which include source reduction, recycling and reuse. That these societies should make special efforts to simplify the chemical composition of that part of the waste stream that requires disposal. That even with aggressive programs of source reduction, recycling and reuse these societies will still have large quantities of wastes which will require disposal and that they insist that all possible receiving media be considered. It is implicit from the final premise that the world ocean should be considered as a disposal option on an equal basis with other options. The only way to ensure an appropriate level of protection for each medium is to consider all media and to select the appropriate medium for disposal of each kind of waste, the protection of the atmosphere and the ocean is clearly more difficult, they are common resources. Novel approaches to the use of the world ocean as waste space need to be encouraged; approaches that protect the ocean and its living resources, and which take advantage of the ocean's special qualities as an appropriate receiver of certain types of wastes. -from Authors