Clean up plastics from the oceans

PLASTICS IN THE OCEAN

Nowadays, plastics are a huge problem in our environment, especially in the sea. This problem, that affects humans, is created by humans!  

• This problem makes:
  • • Effect of Toxic Wastes on Marine Animals: Oil spill is dangerous to marine life in several ways. The oil spilled in the ocean could get on to the gills and feathers of marine animals, which makes it difficult for them to move or fly properly or feed their children.
    • Disruption to the Cycle of Coral Reefs: Oil spill floats on the surface of water and prevents sunlight from reaching to marine plants and affects in the process of photosynthesis. 
    • Depletes Oxygen Content in Water: Most of the debris in the ocean does not decompose and remain in the ocean for years. It uses oxygen as it degrades. As a result of this, oxygen levels go down. 
    • Effect on Food Chain: Chemicals used in industries and agriculture get washed into the rivers and from there are carried into the oceans. These chemicals do not get dissolved and sink at the bottom of the ocean. Small animals ingest these chemicals and are later eaten by large animals, which then affects the whole food chain. This is also bad for humans as we eat fish.

It also causes more problems. Here above there are only some examples.

Down here, we have an example of a beach with lots of plastics and a turtle surrounded by plastics.

                                                                      

Boyan Slat's story

Boyan Slat was born the 27^th of July of 1994. Since he was nineteen years old, he wanted to remove the plastics from the oceans and seas. 

He is a Dutch inventor, entrepreneur and aerospace engineering student who works on methods of cleaning plastic waste from the oceans. He designed a passive system for concentrating and catching plastic debris driven by ocean currents. This project won a prize for "Best Technical Design at Delft University of Technology". He established a foundation called “The Ocean Cleanup”.

Initially, there was little interest, because it would only clean 5% of the plastics in our oceans, but, since his TED talk about how the Oceans can Clean Themselves, that went viral because of his revolutionary idea, he attracted thousands of volunteers and two millions of dollars of funding for pilot installations.

In November 2014, he won the Champions of the Earth award of the United Nations Environment Programme.



This is the organisation logo.






















Boyan Slat's solution

Boyan prposed a very intelligent idea. He said, "WHY MOVE THROUGH THE OCEANS, IF THE OCEANS CAN MOVE THROUGH YOU? ". 

He started thinking and he developed an idea. He wanted to put a fence in the sea to remove the plastics, but through this fence,fish could pass. After lots of trials, his team and him, decided to put a fence in  the north sea of about 100 metter long. If that fenece could survive there, then it could in all the other parts of the sea.  The idea actually was to put a fence that could retain plastics and at the same time that fish could pass trhough. Then thosse plastics would be removed by a ship.

This image show how this fence works.






 


MY OPINION

I think this project is a great idea. If it works correctly it will be such a nice thing for the environment and the sea. 

This boy had a great idea that can save the planet. It is amazing how a man (almost a kid) has done this amazing project, that has actually been proved in the north sea.

I think that more people should be interesed in this types of projects, programmes..., because it is a problem that affects everybody and only a few are working  hard to avoid it. I think is a shame that there is no more people involved.

I don't know why but I will like to follow the news of this project. I'm interesed to know how this project developes. Also I like to investigate and learn new things.

I don't know if I could be capable to do such an amazing thing. Sometimes, kids have great ideas, but are not possible to show it to the world due to their age. 

If one day I make something that can stop the global warming or something that can help the environment I'll be very glad. 

For the moment I'll start recycling and telling other people to care about the environment. Maybe in the future I'd like to be involved in international projects.