Stories like this make me renew my recycling efforts. CNN reports: “A huge, swirling pile of trash in the Pacific Ocean is growing faster than expected and is now three times the size of France. According to a three-year study published in Scientific Reports Friday, the mass known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is about 1.6 million square kilometers in size — up to 16 times bigger than previous estimates.” I’ve been to France, and it’s not a dinky place. It is slightly less than the size of Texas, according to the CIA World Factbook (one of the best sources for all kinds of global details). By the way, Earth Day is April 22.