The amount of plastic we use and discard is the focus of the Open Ocean art displays at the Monterey Bay Aquarium . I posted some pictures last fall of some here. And another museum, the Marin Mammal Center focused on this as well in their Washed Ashore display.

The displays focusing on the Pacific Gyre at the Monterey Bay Aquarium have expanded since the last time I was here.

Artists have done wonderful things to bits and pieces of plastic in both instances. But because the art is lovely to look at, I wonder if folks viewing understand the ugly consequences of our disposable culture.

Certainly it would no fun for anyone, least of all kids, to walk around a museum or aquarium and see a picture of dead fish and turtles ensnared by human detritus.

It comes down to this – we use and throw away too much plastic. This stuff lasts too long to use just once. It doesn’t disappear. It floats around and lasts forever. (Well, a long long time).

So while I’m not going to stop using plastic, I’m trying to avoid ‘one use’ plastic. Things like plastic bags that are used once. Straws. Disposable cutlery. Plastic wrap will be hard to avoid.

These bowls are made of PET plastic – soda and water bottles are made of the same stuff. I found these bowls beautiful and delicate, echoing the shapes of the live pulsating jellies in the next room.

The plastic ones will probably last longer than any of us.