Busting the hype, sorry kid
This is a very interesting read about why the Ocean Cleanup Array project is full of naïveté.
It’s nicely connected with Tommy Leung’s post:
Markers Of The Anthropocene
https://plus.google.com/u/0/111479647230213565874/posts/H87PSjm6sXT
h/t Cindy Brown
#ScienceSunday
Originally shared by Cindy Brown
Best place to start is at home.
Do read this. It outlines the massive scope of the problem in the first place. But it also points out the inherent problem with the “recyclability” of plastic in the first place:
But even when plastics do get recycled, in the vast majority of cases, recycling only kicks the can down the road one generation by creating a product that can’t or won’t (because of economic constraints) be recycled again. In short, the vast majority of the recycling industry isn’t doing anything to solve marine plastic pollution, and for the most part, recycling is just creating a secondary market for waste. Even if the economics of Slat’s Ocean Cleanup Array didn’t further impede its viability, more plastic would still be entering the ocean than his device would pull out. Placing fees on producers of virgin plastics, and giving breaks to those who use 100% recycled content or are actively working towards it, would help to balance this equation out and would be great news for the ocean.
h/t various sources including Cod Codliness
June 8, 2014
Cod Codliness posted on this too, and made some very good points re. celebrity endorsement by George Takei on Facebook.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CodCodliness/posts/XqYi3yJVbvm
June 8, 2014
Thanks Rajini Rao. Cindy Brown mentioned Cod Codliness’s resource but I didn’t get around to checking his post of this.
June 8, 2014
It’s troubling that Takei’s Facebook endorsement of this young man’s proposal has over 126K likes and 36K shares. Although there are people debunking the plan, there are more who think that this is a step in the right direction. These sort of whizkids (like Jack Andraka whose prostate cancer story is still not published) get the limelight because they capture our imagination but their science is not validated by peer review or shown to stand up to the rigors of scientific scrutiny. So once again there is a build up of hype and no delivery.
June 8, 2014
It reminds me of a Shark Tank episode that with the theme of only children contestants. One of the Sharks said, something about it being real money so they had to be treated the same as adult contestants.
We feel mean or harsh when we criticize these kids for their ideas but facts are facts. I remember the prostate cancer story and I felt like people would push back because here’s the “budding genius” and I’m the old scientist with sour grapes.
June 8, 2014
Yep, contrasting the fresh, telegenic kid with the fusty old academic harping on details and old fashioned peer review …although we can give ’em a run for their money with our scintillating selfies, right? ;D
June 8, 2014
Yes we can. The fact that Boyan Slat first thought of the problem while scuba diving in Greece and he’s only 19, made me wonder how privileged he is. I wonder if he’s part of the generation of kids where everyone gets a trophy for participating; no team loses.
June 9, 2014
Boyan Slat is from NL. I don’t know if he’s privileged or not. Travel in the EU is not just for the privileged. Other than living in a country that affords free education (university) to all it’s citizens.
That aside, I admit to disappointment upon reading the article.
I, as many others, had never heard of cleaning up the ocean with a floating array. It gave me more than just hope (for a moment). Now reality has set in. I do like some of the suggestions in the article.
Placing fees on producers of virgin plastics, and giving breaks to those who use 100% recycled content or are actively working towards it, would help to balance this equation out and would be great news for the ocean.
The oceans ecosystem is changing, thanks to human wastage and a lack of respect for out environment.
Thanks for the heads up Chad Haney I’ll work even harder at removing and recycling plastic.
June 9, 2014
The article was an eye opener for me Terry McNeil. I was just talking to my wife about how we should reduce our use of plastic.
June 9, 2014
Chad Haney It’s very doable, I’ve slowly been switching over to glass/metal/wood for a few years now. Demanding better purchasing options from manufacturer’s is also very important. 🙂
June 14, 2014
I am starting to see biodegradable plastic bags! Our county just dropped some off for our kitchen waste, which they do a great job of recycling. Previously, we used paper bags to line the recycling container which led to silly trips to stores that have the paper bag option 😀
The best way to cut down on plastic grocery bags is to keep a bunch of sturdy canvas ones in each car and hanging near your garage door. Also sternly chastise your spouse for forgetting to take a reusable bag and bringing back plastic 😉 I also reuse the baggies that we put vegetables in…just pop them back into the canvas bags and fill them up in the store. I’m sure the folks at the check out counter notice our strange collection of plastic bags, but they don’t seem to care.
June 14, 2014
Rajini Rao we have our collection of bags in the car too. We also re-purpose bags for Ana.