Japan Tsunami Junk Floating Towards Hawaii

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SUMMARY

Up to 20 million tons of debris from Japan's March 11, 2011 tsunami is moving across the Pacific Ocean towards Hawaii, as reported by researchers from the University of Hawaii. This debris includes furniture, fishing boats, and appliances, with the first confirmed sighting being a 20-foot fishing boat marked "Fukushima." The debris is expected to reach the U.S. West Coast within three years, raising concerns about potential hazards for marine activities. The situation highlights the ongoing impact of the tsunami on oceanic environments.

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http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/envoy/20-million-tons-debris-japan-tsunami-moving-toward-143640503.html

Up to 20 million tons of debris from Japan’s tsunami moving toward Hawaii

By Laura Rozen
Senior Foreign Affairs Reporter

Some 5 to 20 million tons of debris--furniture, fishing boats, refrigerators--sucked into the Pacific Ocean in the wake of Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami are moving rapidly across the Pacific. Researchers from the University of Hawaii tracking the wreckage estimate it could approach the U.S. West Coast in the next three years, the UK Daily Mail reports.
"We have a rough estimate of 5 to 20 million tons of debris coming from Japan," University of Hawaii researcher Jan Hafner told Hawaii's ABC affiliate KITV.
Crew members from the Russian training ship the STS Pallada "spotted the debris 2,000 miles from Japan," last month after passing the Midway islands, the Mail wrote. "They saw some pieces of furniture, some appliances, anything that can float, and they picked up a fishing boat," said Hafner. The boat was 20-feet long, and was painted with the word "Fukushima." "That's actually our first confirmed report of tsunami debris," Hafner told KITV.

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on March 11 has left some 20,000 people dead or missing.
 
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No one has plans to pck up the garbage? Perhaps TLC can do a reality show about it and can have contestants loot the junk.
 
How could you pick up 20 million tons of garbage?
 
I'm on Oahu. If I see anything here, I'll let you guys know... It looks like most of it is going to float north of Hawaii though, which is good; it would suck to be riding a wave and then all of a sudden get hit in the head with a refrigerator!
 
I don't know, you're probably missing out on all sorts of cool stuff. I could use a new fridge myself
 
Don't ever underestimate what contestants on a reality tv show are capable of.
 
It's already passed through my daughter's bedroom.
 
Jimmy Snyder said:
It's already passed through my daughter's bedroom.
:smile:
 

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