世界遺産・英領ヘンダーソン島に最悪級のプラスチックごみ漂着 由来は日本と中国が同率一位

　南太平洋の世界遺産、英領ヘンダーソン島に、日本製品のごみを含むプラスチックごみが、大量に流れ着いている。
砂浜にあるプラごみの密度は、これまで世界で報告された中でも最悪級だという。豪州や英国の研究チームが、米科学アカデミー紀要に発表した。

ヘンダーソン島は南米と豪州の間に浮かぶ絶海の孤島。面積は約３７平方キロメートルで那覇市よりやや狭いほどだが、希少な生物のすみかで、国連教育科学文化機関（ユネスコ）の世界自然遺産に登録されている。南半球の海流の影響で、ごみが流れ着きやすいという。

研究チームは２０１５年に海岸のごみを調査。９９・８％は水に浮きやすいプラスチックで、島全体では約３７７０万個、重さ約１７トンと推定された。

ごみの密度は砂浜の表面で１平方メートルあたり最大で約６７１個。１０センチほどの深さに埋まった微小なごみは、最大で同４４９６個と推定された。
廃棄された場所は不明だが、由来が判別可能な８８個を調べると、日本製品のごみが約１８％で中国製品と並び最多だった。
次いでチリが約１２％で続き、米国やロシア、スペインなど由来のごみもあった。

中にはレジ袋やカミソリ、ペンのふたなどもあり、化粧品容器を背負ったヤドカリや、漁具のごみにからみついて死んだ海亀も見つかった。海を漂う間に劣化して粉々になった大きさ５ミリ以下の「マイクロプラスチック」も目立つという。研究チームは「ヘンダーソン島のような離島が、世界で増え続ける廃棄物の掃きだめになっている可能性がある」と警告している。（小堀龍之）

2017年5月29日11時02分 朝日新聞
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK5K5RL2K5KULBJ014.html

これまた無慈悲なお知らせが・・・（爆ｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗ

Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, leading a Spanish expedition, was the first European to discover the island on 29 January 1606 and named it San Juan Bautista;^[8] Captain Henderson of the British East India Company ship Hercules re-discovered the island on 17 January 1819 and named it Henderson Island; and on 2 March 1819 Captain Henry King in the Elizabeth landed on the island to find the king's colours already flying. His crew scratched the name of their ship into a tree.

King, Captain Henry
Born in Torquay, Devonshire, 7th April, 1783.

Died on 6th June, 1874.

Age 12 joined the Royal Navy and climbed through the ranks to become commander and later promoted post retirement to captain.

At aged 58 decided to join the Plymouth Company and emigrate to NZ.

英国海軍墓地内の「大日本帝国第二特務艦隊戦死者之墓」で献花 via kwout

Virginia Plain via kwout

Hercules British East India Company - Google Search via kwout

Skinner was born in 1778 in Calcutta (Kolkata) India. His father was Lieutenant-Colonel Hercules Skinner, an officer in the East India Company Army of Scottish origin, while his mother was a Rajput princess, daughter of a zamindar, she was taken prisoner at the age of fourteen, and came under the care of his father, then an ensign, who treated her with much regard^{[citation needed]}, and subsequently they had seven children, two girls and five boys, Joseph, James, Hercules, Alexander, Thomas, Louisa and Elizabeth.^[3][4][5] When he was 12 years old his mother committed suicide. He was first educated at an English school in Calcutta, and then at a boarding school.^[6]
His father originally apprenticed him to a printer in Calcutta but hating the life he ran away after three days.^[7] Because of his Indian heritage, Skinner was unable to serve as an officer in the East India Company army^[8] and, at the age of sixteen, he entered the Mahratta army as an ensign under Benoît de Boigne, the French commander of Maharaja Scindia's forces of Gwalior State. Boigne was impressed by his family ancestry, Skinners having served William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Once taken in, Skinner soon showed military talent.^[9] He remained in the same service under Pierre Cuillier-Perron, who became commander-in-chief of Sindhia's army after Boigne's retirement, until 1803, when, on the outbreak of the second Anglo-Maratha War, all Anglo-Indians were dismissed from Mahratta service.^[8]

Higher Than The Sun via kwout

Higher Than The Sun via kwout

William@GQ via kwout

日本と中国は大掃除ですな。キムチと言う名の腐敗した粗大ごみを含めて・・・（爆ｗｗｗｗｗ