Ask Elsa

Bottles

Q I'm not sure it was appropriate for the newspaper to encourage people to launch messages in bottles. Litter is a problem without that, and the bottles might pose a threat to marine life. Teddy, James Island.

A That's a good issue and a tough call: romance or the environment. Friday 5 suggested tucking a piece of paper in a bottle and including an e-mail address along with the date and location the bottle is launched.

It's the familiar stuff of ballads and books.

At first, I was going to suggest a compromise — include in the bottle a pledge to reduce gas consumption by 20 percent and thus mitigate your actions.

But then I saw a 2004 U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy report on marine debris, and I suggest you might want to consider this information before throwing in the bottle.

"The trash and other waste that drift around the global ocean and wash up on the nation's shores pose a serious threat to fishery resources, wildlife and habitat, as well as human health and safety."

The report goes on to say that glass bottles break, and that plastic bottles "are breaking down into microscopic particles that are now washing up on beaches, floating in coastal and ocean waters, and settling in sediment."

These particles can accumulate toxic chemicals including DDT and PCBs, and they can be ingested by marine life.

Have I managed to spoil your romantic plans for the weekend?

Elsa McDowell, public editor, welcomes questions or comments about the paper's news coverage. Call 937-5626 or e-mail her at askelsa@postandcourier.com. Visit her blog at www.post scripts.typepad.com/elsa/.