Clean Up in Aisle Two! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pompeii

Originally, archaeologists had thought that Pompeii had fallen into decline following an earthquake in 62 AD, causing the garbage buildup before the city's destruction in 79 AD. However, recent research has found that Pompeii revitalized itself after the earthquake, indicating that people of that time had a casual view of getting rid of garbage, even leaving it in the streets and the floors of their homes.

This question supplied by TimBentley.

Answer: plastic

Though many articles imply that the garbage patch is a single "island" of material, the reality is a bit different. The currents in the Pacific Ocean flow such that two areas, the Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches, accumulate and circulate trash.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) claims that there is no easy solution to removing the garbage, in part because it is floating in the currents and doesn't stay in the same place. However, their website about marine debris states unequivocally "Regardless of the exact size, mass, and location of these areas of concentration, man-made litter and debris do not belong in our oceans or waterways."

The Algalita Marine Research Institute (AMRI), founded in 1994, now focuses on research of plastics in marine environments and education on helping to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution.

This question by mlcmlc.

Answer: Garbage

The Mobro 4000 incident is credited with the accelerated adoption of recycling programs in the US to help reduce the fill rate for limited waste landfill sites.

This question supplied by jmarlin.

Answer: cucumbers

A driver of an automobile making a lane change hit a box truck, causing it to collide with a tractor trailer. The tractor trailer hit the wall and ricocheted back into traffic, striking an SUV before overturning and spilling its cargo. The driver of the car and the tractor trailer were both hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The car's driver was ticketed for making an improper lane change.

This question supplied by LBaggins.

Answer: Crash of a B-52 carrying nuclear weapons

The conventional explosives in two of the four Mk 28 nuclear bombs exploded spreading plutonium over a large area. Despite the removal efforts, questions about the thoroughness of the cleanup resurfaced in 2008 with the discovery of trenches on the site containing still contaminated soil.

The Torrey Canyon actually ran aground off the coast of Cornwall England in 1967.

The K-8 sank in the Bay of Biscay in 1970 with its nuclear tipped torpedoes presumably still laying at a depth of 4,680 m approximately 490 km northwest of Spain.

A leak of methyl isocyanate from a Union Carbide plant was the cause of 3,787 deaths in Bhopal, India in 1984.

This question supplied by jmarlin.

Answer: M6

Engineers, whilst constructing the M6, used 2.5 million Mills and Boone novels to aid the binding of materials. Not only romantic, but environmentally friendly too!

This question created by surdoux.

Answer: underground fire

The town grew up around coal mining, both strip and open-pit. There is disagreement about what actually caused the start of the fire, however, a landfill fire spread through a hole in the surface and began burning underground in 1962. Though there was an awareness of the problem, it wasn't until 1981 when Todd Domboski, a twelve year old child, fell into a sinkhole (he was rescued by his cousin) that serious attention was given. Congress allocated over forty-two million dollars to relocate residents in 1984, and many families moved to nearby towns.

As of 2012, the fire has burned for fifty years, with no solution on how to put it out.

This question provided by mlcmlc.

Answer: Cuyahoga River

Surprisingly, the 1969 fire was neither the first nor the largest. The largest reported fire on the river was reported in 1952 and caused over $1 million dollars in damage.

The 1969 event did, however, generate the most reaction. It was a major spur to efforts to control industrial pollution of US lakes and rivers. The river quality has improved significantly since then but is still an area of concern for the Environmental Protection Agency.

This question supplied by jmarlin.

Answer: Molasses

The storage tank contained the number one sweetener in the US at the time: molasses. Safety regulations had not been adhered to and a heatwave put extra pressure on the tank's welding. Residents reported hearing rumbling noises for a time and then suddenly:

"Molasses, waist deep, covered the street and swirled and bubbled about the wreckage. Here and there struggled a form - whether it was animal or human being was impossible to tell. Only an upheaval, a thrashing about in the sticky mass, showed where any life was... Horses died like so many flies on sticky fly-paper. The more they struggled, the deeper in the mess they were ensnared." - from: "Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919" by Stephen Puleo.

The initial clean-up took weeks and turned the harbour brown for the next few months as hoses ran constantly to wash the sticky molasses from cobblestones and walls. For the next few decades at least, on a hot summer's day the smell of molasses wafted across the city. Some say you can still can smell it!

Question supplied by Chavs.

Answer: Melbourne, Australia

The word "Graffiti" generally brings to mind images of street gangs and illegal vandalism. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and many taggers create striking works of art. There are places in the world where this art form is not only allowed, but encouraged. If you want to exercise your skills in one of these spots, the only danger you face is that another artist will come along behind you and demonstrate his/her talent by painting over your creation.

This question supplied by LBaggins.