Arts & Entertainment
Tsunami
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25 million tons of debris, including what was left on land.
Yender said that so far, no debris confirmed to be from the
tsunamis has landed in the U.S., including large buoys sus-
pected to be from Japanese oyster farms found in Alaska
last year. The buoys would have had to travel faster than
currents to get to Alaska at that time if they were set
loose by the March 11 tsunamis.
Similar buoys have washed ashore in Alaska and the
U.S. West Coast before the tsunami, she said.
Yender said there is little chance of any debris being
contaminated by radiation. The debris came from a large
swath of Japan’s northeastern coast, not only near the
tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima.
Further, it was dragged out to sea with the tsunamis, not
while the Fukushima plant experienced multiple melt-
downs.
Nicholas Mallos, a conservation biologist and marine
debris specialist for the Ocean Conservancy, said many of
the objects in the debris were expected to be from Japan’s
fishing industry. That could pose a risk for wildlife, such as
endangered Hawaiian monk seals, if fishing gear washes up
on coral reefs or beaches.
“The major question is how much of that material has
“In many cases it’s not density that matters, it’s total
amount,” he said. “For example, if there’s a current flowing
around Midway island, that island would collect debris like
a trawl moving across the ocean. It will collect all the debris
on its way.”
Ultimately, Maximenko said, most of the remaining
tsunami debris will join garbage floating in a gyre
between Hawaii and California produced by swirling
Pacific currents. Much of that trash in a wide area
known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is bits of plas-
tic, which slowly breaks down into smaller pieces but
doesn’t completely disappear. It was unclear whether
large items like refrigerators will make it across the
ocean because there has been little precedent for such an
event.
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The debris came from a large swath
of Japan’s northeastern coast, not
only near the tsunami-damaged
nuclear power plant in Fukushima
sank since last year, and how much of that remains afloat or
still in the water column,” Mallos said.
Maximenko said the dispersion of the debris makes it
more difficult to track but no less hazardous.
OPENING THIS WEEK: For Movies Opening March 16
by Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
tion. Cast includes Jason Trost, Art Hsu,
Caitlyn Folley and Lee Valmassy.
BIG BUDGET FILMS
21 Jump Street (R for violence, drug and
alcohol abuse, coarse sexuality, crude
humor and pervasive profanity) Comical
adaptation of the Eighties TV series fea-
tures a couple of disgraced cops (Jonah Hill
and Channing Tatum) forced to work under-
cover at a high school to crack a teen nar-
cotics ring. With Ice Cube, DeRay Davis
and Brie Larson.
Free Men (Unrated) WWII saga, set in
German-occupied Paris, revolving around
an Algerian immigrant (Tahar Rahim) who
becomes inspired to join the Resistance
after being befriended by a Jewish singer
(Mahmud Shalaby). With Michael Lons-
dale, Lubna Azabal and Farid Larbi. (In
French with subtitles)
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Casa de Mi Padre (R for profanity, sex-
uality, drug use and graphic violence)
Crime comedy about a couple of siblings
(Will Ferrell and Diego Luna) who land in a
turf war with a Mexican mobster (Gael Gar-
cia Bernal) when they take desperate meas-
ures to save their father’s ranch. With Efren
Ramirez, Genesis Rodriguez and Adrian
Martinez. (In English and Spanish with sub-
titles)
Delicacy (Unrated) Romantic romp about
a French widow (Audrey Tautou) who finds
herself courted by a Swedish co-worker
(Francois Damiens) while still mourning
the loss of her husband. Support cast fea-
21 Jump Street
tures Bruno Todeschini, Melanie Bernier
and Pio Marmai. (In French and Swedish
with subtitles)
Detachment (Unrated) Romance drama
about a jaded substitute teacher (Adrien
Brody) who becomes less blasé about life
after getting emotionally involved with a
colleague (Christina Hendricks), a teen
prostitute (Sami Gayle), and a troubled stu-
dent (Betty Kaye). With Lucy Liu, Marcia
Gay Harden and Blythe Danner.
The FP (R for sexuality, nudity, pervasive
profanity and brief drug use) Musical com-
edy about a couple of rival gangs vying for
control of a local park who decide to settle
their differences in a deadly dance competi-
Jeff, Who Lives at Home (R for profani-
ty, sexual references and drug use) Late
bloomer comedy about a 30 year-old slack-
er (Jason Segel), still living in his parents’
basement, who discovers his destiny while
running an errand for his mother (Susan
Sarandon). With Ed Helms, Judy Greer and
Rae Dawn Chong.
The Kid with a Bike (Unrated) Bitter-
sweet drama about an abandoned 12 year-
old (Thomas Doret) who is rescued from a
beggar’s farm by a hairdresser (Cecile de
France) performing a random act of kind-
ness. With Jeremie Renier, Egon Di Mateo
and Olivier Gourmet. (In French with subti-
tles)
Natural Selection (R for profanity, sexu-
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The FP
ality, violence, drug use and brief graphic
nudity) Baby-daddy dramedy about a bar-
ren housewife (Rachael Harris) who tries to
fulfill her dying husband’s (John Diehl) last
wish by tracking down his long-lost, illegit-
imate son (Matt O’Leary). With Jon Gries,
Billy Blair and Berna Roberts.
Reuniting the Rubins (PG for mature
themes and mild epithets) Dysfunctional
family comedy about an uptight attorney
(Timothy Spall) who reluctantly postpones
a vacation to reunite his estranged offspring
at Passover for the sake of his ailing mother
(Honor Blackman). Featuring Rhona Mitra,
James Callis,Hugh O’Conor and Loo
Brealey.