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19-Year-Old Figured Out How To Clean Up Half The Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch In Just 10 Years (Original Post) 1monster Jun 2014 OP
very cool kid passiveporcupine Jun 2014 #1
A lot of music and talk but rickford66 Jun 2014 #2
Looks like the same way they contain smaller oil spills Warpy Jun 2014 #4
^^^this^^^ mopinko Jun 2014 #7
Plastic garbage floats. It can float into "corrals" placed in and on the Pacific Ocean. JDPriestly Jun 2014 #18
That's the explaination but I wanted to actually see the darn thing. rickford66 Jun 2014 #22
So would we all. But it sounds like a good idea that should be funded and JDPriestly Jun 2014 #23
The big floating stuff isn't the worst of it. rickford66 Jun 2014 #24
Thanks for pointing this out. JDPriestly Jun 2014 #25
So is there someplace one can learn more? Maybe contribute to the effort? newthinking Jun 2014 #3
Information page here: 1monster Jun 2014 #6
my first cynical reaction was we don't have enough smart well-meaning rich kids certainot Jun 2014 #13
Smart kid smallcat88 Jun 2014 #5
BZ to your comment Perseus Jun 2014 #9
I live in Illinois smallcat88 Jun 2014 #21
Californians are reusing bags. We live right on the Pacific. A lot of the trash JDPriestly Jun 2014 #19
And I read that the ban on bags has actually spawned new businesses. You can't enter a store around calimary Jun 2014 #28
People get out of cars in front of our house and throw litter on our yard. I try to JDPriestly Jun 2014 #29
this seems like one of those things quakerboy Jun 2014 #8
Wow, with young people like him, there IS still hope for this planet. nt Fla Dem Jun 2014 #10
I have to wonder if the solution is pipoman Jun 2014 #11
If it cause less plastics to be made because plastic is being recycled mucifer Jun 2014 #12
It's not like using floating booms to skim trash is some revolutionary idea. drm604 Jun 2014 #14
I did not advocate for crowd funding and didn't even know that it was beeing crowd funded until 1monster Jun 2014 #15
Sorry. My post wasn't intended as a swipe at you. drm604 Jun 2014 #16
I would not expect DUers to rush out and crowdfund the idea. JDPriestly Jun 2014 #20
Make a video about a 19 year old supposed genius or a video about pie-in-the-sky "solar roadways" drm604 Jun 2014 #30
You are aware that the Federal Highway Admistration contacted Solar Roadways 1monster Jun 2014 #32
Yes, I am aware. drm604 Jun 2014 #33
So they are experimenting further to prove or disprove feasiblilty... If it doesn't 1monster Jun 2014 #34
I'm saying that we should concentrate resources on things that are more likely to work drm604 Jun 2014 #35
Is it viable? drm604 Jun 2014 #17
knowledgeable people are suggesting it's nothing but a pipe dream Brother Buzz Jun 2014 #26
too small lululu Jun 2014 #27
Great kid oldandhappy Jun 2014 #31
dont tell the kid that there are storms over the ocean too sometimes.... RedstDem Jun 2014 #36
Sounds promising. Quantess Jun 2014 #37

Warpy

(110,900 posts)
4. Looks like the same way they contain smaller oil spills
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:37 AM
Jun 2014

only his booms go down farther in the water, allowing fish to escape (nets wouldn't) while herding the garbage into a smaller area where it can be scooped out.

Just think of all those millions of tonnes of the stuff being converted back into oil. Plastic mining might just become a growth industry in the future as drilled oil runs out.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
18. Plastic garbage floats. It can float into "corrals" placed in and on the Pacific Ocean.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 03:30 PM
Jun 2014

Clever. We shall see how it works. Wouldn't take nearly the investment that some other ideas would require.

rickford66

(5,497 posts)
22. That's the explaination but I wanted to actually see the darn thing.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 04:43 PM
Jun 2014

Plastic floating in can also float out. Quick camera shots of people "doing things" with loud music isn't my idea of "how" it works. Yes, I like the idea, of course, but even a simple diagram would have been nice. I wouldn't invest a penny if all I saw was smiling faces and someone saying "It works!" I've been to and participated in many engineering design reviews for military and civilian contracts so I'm used to actually seeing something even for a PR video. I'd like to know more.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
23. So would we all. But it sounds like a good idea that should be funded and
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 05:05 PM
Jun 2014

given a chance. As I said in a previous post, I would prefer to see the idea vetted by a foundation or the government before someone spends a lot of money on it.

rickford66

(5,497 posts)
24. The big floating stuff isn't the worst of it.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 05:16 PM
Jun 2014

The vast majority of plastic is just below the surface and consists of very fine particles. It's part of our food chain and most of us have it in our tissues now. I quit eating seafood a year ago, but it will make it's way into all our foods eventually. This idea, if implemented will help somewhat.

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
13. my first cynical reaction was we don't have enough smart well-meaning rich kids
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 11:25 AM
Jun 2014

thanks for the link!

smallcat88

(426 posts)
5. Smart kid
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:47 AM
Jun 2014

But here's hoping that the human race will grow up and stop polluting the planet in the first place.

 

Perseus

(4,341 posts)
9. BZ to your comment
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 09:28 AM
Jun 2014

There needs to be a parallel effort to convert people's mentalities to take care of the planet and to stop polluting, otherwise the ten year goal could become fifteen, or more.

We go to a beach around where we live and when we take walks we take plastic bags with us to collect garbage that people have left on the sand, it is 99.99% plastic what we pick up, things like water-bottles, fishing lines, water-bottle caps, and other plastic toys. By the time we are done with our walk, which is only about two miles one way, the bags are half full, so we drop them in the recycle bins they have on the beach.

If people would be more careful and make sure they don't leave trash behind the planet will become a cleaner place while helping recycle used plastic.

smallcat88

(426 posts)
21. I live in Illinois
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 04:28 PM
Jun 2014

So no beaches. But I am constantly picking up trash off the street, in parking lots etc. and throwing it in a nearby garbage can. I get some funny looks sometimes but it's encouraging to note that a lot of the looks I get are embarrassed. I think some people just need to see someone else doing it to realize the garbage can is a better option than the street.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
19. Californians are reusing bags. We live right on the Pacific. A lot of the trash
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 03:32 PM
Jun 2014

comes from our garbage pails.

Large grocery stores in LA are required to charge extra for plastic bags. As a result, we are reusing our bags.

calimary

(80,693 posts)
28. And I read that the ban on bags has actually spawned new businesses. You can't enter a store around
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 11:23 PM
Jun 2014

L.A. now without seeing stands and displays of one or two - or more kinds of reusable shopping bags near the entrance. And they're GREAT! Inexpensive. Solidly made - they last a LOT longer than a flimsy plastic bag that too often gets holes poked in it, and they're always bigger. The handles are always sturdier, too, which makes them easier to carry. Plus, you'd see the plastic bags blowing about on the ground and just insulting what's supposed to be at least SOME natural or artistically rendered beauty around us. Sheesh - I find myself wondering "doesn't this matter anymore?" I usually take extra doggie bags with me when I walk our dog. AMAZING how trashy people are. Cigarette butts, plastic cups - sometimes with plastic lid and straw still stuck in the lid, wrappers of all kinds - whether it's gum or candy or Cheetos or who-knows-what snacks, a soda can or two, a plastic bottle or two, or more - and that's the human crap. There's the dog crap (literally) as well. I can't believe what pigs some people are! Really disappointing! EVERY neighborhood could be a nice neighborhood if everybody just cleaned up after themselves. And sometimes it's a gardener or construction guy, but if it's on your property or in front of wherever you live, shouldn't YOU clean it up? Out of simple respect for your neighbors? Besides, all that thoughtless litter looks shitty.

Bitch, bitch, bitch...

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
29. People get out of cars in front of our house and throw litter on our yard. I try to
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 01:17 AM
Jun 2014

clean it up, but who looks at the very front of the yard that often.

It's thoughtless for people to litter, but we all have to clean up as well as we can.

quakerboy

(13,901 posts)
8. this seems like one of those things
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 03:06 AM
Jun 2014

one of the oil companies might want to jump on. If it is as easy, and therefore presumeably low cost, as seems to be indicated, its a cheap way to look good and counteract some of the negative press they get. Imagine being the Oil company who cleaned up the pacific gyre. You could claim to be green and people would have to at least think about it.

And you get the salvage, which could be used to supplement the plastics their oil produces, or as mentioned, possibly turned into oil. And sold. You would think that already refined products would have to be at least as efficient to get useable oil out of as fracking.

And if anyone's got the infrastructure to both do the pickup of the collected plastics, and the conversion into something useful, you would think it would be the oil companies.

 

pipoman

(16,038 posts)
11. I have to wonder if the solution is
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 10:41 AM
Jun 2014

Worse than the problem. What do we do with it once excavated? Is moving it around going to stir up toxins now contained?

I know nothing about it, just wondering.

mucifer

(23,367 posts)
12. If it cause less plastics to be made because plastic is being recycled
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 11:21 AM
Jun 2014

then it should be a win win.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
14. It's not like using floating booms to skim trash is some revolutionary idea.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:18 PM
Jun 2014

What is it about this particular young man's plan that makes it worth funding? There are already lots of going concerns that already do this with oil and presumably other materials.

We need to be skeptical of crowdfunding pleas. No doubt there are some that are worthwhile, but like anything, there are also going to be failures and even outright scams. Be careful about what you give your money to.

1monster

(11,012 posts)
15. I did not advocate for crowd funding and didn't even know that it was beeing crowd funded until
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:28 PM
Jun 2014

someone asked for more information and I googled it.

I simply thought it was an interesting story about a thinking young man...

It might work. It might not work. But it will never work if someone doesn't try it. If there are fatal flaws in this idea, it may lead to better ideas. A successfull invention is the result of hard work and inspiration. But successful inventions are seldom instantly successful. Most attempts are not successful until after many failures which lead the inventors on learning process which eventually lead to a viable device.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
16. Sorry. My post wasn't intended as a swipe at you.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:37 PM
Jun 2014

I just wanted to point out to everyone that they need to be careful about where they give their money.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
20. I would not expect DUers to rush out and crowdfund the idea.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 03:36 PM
Jun 2014

There is a process for funding good ideas through foundations that require that written grant applications that set goals and processes to make sure the goals are met and the organizations are legitimate.

A lot of people complain about the expense of fundraising, but it is often well worth it. My only complaint is that the foundations usually pick projects that make them feel or look good, not the ones that really need it.

Try raising money for homeless African-American men. All the organization in the world, the best grant-writing in the world doesn't make it easy. It's just a tough sell.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
30. Make a video about a 19 year old supposed genius or a video about pie-in-the-sky "solar roadways"
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 09:25 AM
Jun 2014

and they'll go viral, George Takei will post them on his Facebook feed, and they'll rake in tons of money. Try to raise funds for the homeless and you'll be ignored. That pretty much describes it.

1monster

(11,012 posts)
32. You are aware that the Federal Highway Admistration contacted Solar Roadways
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 12:11 PM
Jun 2014

while they were in the concept phase and gave the funding for prototypes and R & D. Solar Roadways did not contact the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Highway Administration contacted them and offered funding.

If the FHA thinks that Solar Roadways is feasible enough to twice give funding to them, then maybe this idea is not so "pie-in-the-sky" as you make out.

I don't know if Solar Roadways will be as successful as hoped, but I believe it will make a big difference. And I only wish that I could donate more. If this company ever goes public I will definitely buy as much stock as I can.

As for the "19 year old supposed genius" and the 'pie-in-the-sky "solar roadways"' what are you doing to improve our world?

If this post is a bit snappish, then it is because it irks me when posts are made that scorn, without any stated evidence, efforts to make our world a better place.

That said, if you have an ongoing fundraising effort for aiding the homeless, post the url and I'll donate an equal amount to it as I did to Solar Roadways. Keep in mind that I donate five to ten times more to local homeless on a regular basis than I did to Solar Roadways.

http://solarroadways.com/clearingthefreakinair.shtml

1monster

(11,012 posts)
34. So they are experimenting further to prove or disprove feasiblilty... If it doesn't
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 02:43 PM
Jun 2014

work, I'm sure that the project will provide many beneficial side products in imporovements to solar energy and knowledge.

If it does work as predicted by the developers, it will be a godsend to the planet and to the economies of the world.

But you are saying that it might not work, so we shouldn't even try? Okay. Whatever.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
35. I'm saying that we should concentrate resources on things that are more likely to work
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 03:33 PM
Jun 2014

and are cheaper to implement and maintain. For example, put solar panels on roofs, or maybe alongside highways or on median strips.

And instead of using resources hopelessly trying to clean this stuff out of the oceans, let's use those resources to find ways to keep it out of there to begin with. Much of that waste is too degraded to recycle and much of it is microscopic and floating beneath the surface. You can't collect the microscopic stuff with floating booms, and even if you could you couldn't do it without also sweeping the water clean of necessary microscopic organisms.

We're on the same side. I just think there are better ways.

Brother Buzz

(36,212 posts)
26. knowledgeable people are suggesting it's nothing but a pipe dream
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 07:34 PM
Jun 2014



The Fallacy of Cleaning the Gyres of Plastic With a Floating ...



As the policy director of the ocean conservation nonprofit 5Gyres.org, I can tell you that the problem of ocean plastic pollution is massive. In case you didn’t know, an ocean gyre is a rotating current that circulates within one of the world’s oceans – and recent research has found that these massive systems are filled with plastic waste. There are no great estimates (at least scientific) on how much plastic is in the ocean, but I can say from firsthand knowledge (after sailing to four of the world’s five gyres) that it’s so pervasive it confounds the senses. Gyre cleanup has often been floated as a solution in the past, and recently Boyan Slat’s proposed ‘Ocean Cleanup Array’ went viral in a big way. The nineteen-year-old claims that the system can clean a gyre in 5 years with ‘unprecedented efficiency’ and then recycle the trash collected. The problem is that the barriers to gyre cleanup are so massive that the vast majority of the scientific and advocacy community believe it’s a fool’s errand – the ocean is big, the plastic harvested is near worthless, and sea life would be harmed. The solutions starts on land.

If an outlier subset of the movement to end oceanic plastic pollution exists, it would be the proponents of gyre cleanup. These guys pop up now and again (make no mistake, Slat’s idea and drawings are not new), but for some reason his idea got big media attention. No serious scientist or policy advocate believes that microplastic gyre cleanup is a real strategy for ridding micro-plastics from the oceans—not even The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Industry often backs ‘gyre cleanup’ concepts because they give the impression that we can continue to consume more and more and good old human ingenuity will figure out how to solve all the environmental problems. The public, for their part, loves the thought of a quick fix and wants to believe that a ‘boy genius’ can come along and solve a problem that all the old crusty PHDs can’t.

It’s a great story, but it’s just a story. I find debating with gyre cleanup advocates akin to trying to reason with someone who will argue with a signpost and take the wrong way home. Gyre cleanup is a false prophet hailing from La-La land that won’t work – and it’s dangerous and counter productive to a movement trying in earnest stop the flow of plastic into the oceans. Gyre cleanup plays into the hand of industry, but worse, it diverts attention and resources from viable, but unsexy, multi-pronged and critically vetted solutions.

Slat’s project as it stands is in the fairy tale phase, which is where all the other gyre cleanup schemes out there are, too. So far Slat’s is not a ‘design schematic’ nor is it ‘engineered’ nor is there a business plan attached to it—a fact that Slat all of the sudden underscores in an update to the website, saying he’s just conducting a ‘feasibility study,’ and that his intention was never to suggest that it was presently viable. But that certainly is not what his website suggested before the media attention—and this is precisely why it got so much media attention. From the website: “Extract 7,250,000,000KG of plastic from the oceans in just 5 years per gyre, Contribute Now!”

Well, if Slat’s intention is to funnel the money into a feasibility study, maybe I can save him some money. Let’s look at gyre cleanup schemes from a vantage governed not by dreams, passion and media preciousness, but from something a little more effective and a lot more boring—reason.


<more>

http://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/ocean-cleanup-array-boyan-slat-2/
 

lululu

(301 posts)
27. too small
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 10:35 PM
Jun 2014

A lot of plastic in the oceans has broken up into extremely tiny pieces. Still able to kill sealife, however. So getting rid of the "islands" of plastic is just part of the solution.

oldandhappy

(6,719 posts)
31. Great kid
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 11:31 AM
Jun 2014

Hope he stays out of politics. Amazing what you can do if you are not spending hours a day on the phone asking for money!! eh??? We need our creative people. We need them lots.

 

RedstDem

(1,239 posts)
36. dont tell the kid that there are storms over the ocean too sometimes....
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 07:25 PM
Jun 2014

his idea is, at most, the first thing a first grader would think of..


lol, give me a break.

but i hope he keeps thinking of possible solutions.

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