You may have heard about the latest affront to the planet: There is a floating “island” of plastic larger than the state of Texas off the western coast of the US. A swirling vortex of currents collects plastic consumer products in one place. Discarded bottles, and bags, and a mind-numbing array of crap that we have convinced ourselves we need in our lives end up dumped at sea. The island grows. It breaks down. Animals eat it. We eat the animals. You know what happens next.