If you’ve never heard of the Great Pacific or Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, it’s an area nearly the size of Texas, that is completely filled with floating and disintegrating plastic marine debris, trapped by the North Pacific Gyre. If you want to know the details, the Algalita Marine Research Foundation is very informative.
But the truly exciting part about this garbage patch is that a it has inspired a British banking billionaire, David de Rothschild, to build a boat completely from plastic waste and to sail it through this patch, across the Pacific Ocean. He says it’s to raise awareness about the importance of being eco-friendly and keeping oceans clean. However, my favorite parts of this project (called Plastiki) are that 1) it has proven far more difficult to build a boat out of plastic waste than the billionaire originally imagined and that 2) de Rothschild is ENTIRELY convinced that this is a super EXTREME adventure that will bring TONS of awareness about the environment, despite the fact that this is not the first voyage of its kind. Maybe it’s cruel to laugh at an adventuring adrenaline junky who wants to use his fortunes to save the world and is finding it’s not easy. But I enjoy it. And you can too! Check out the Plastiki site or read about his vision here and here. He was scheduled to launch today, but has been delayed to the vague date of “Summer 2009.” Don’t you just hate when your big plans to get sponsors to build a boat so you can go sailing all summer go awry? …I guess it’s also a rather a decent idea that might change the way we build boats from now on, but who cares about that.
laughs for days. where do those millionaires get their crazy ideas? nevertheless, i am rooting for him. it’s just that funny.
The new yorker had a big ass article about him two weeks ago. Unfortunately, they didn’t put it all online.
It was mostly interesting because it went into good detail on the technical/engineering innovations they’ve had to devise and modify and whatnot. Plus, the launch has been delayed like five times. video: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/tny/…
He frames himself as an explorer. It seems to me like he’s more of an “adventurer.”
He definitely has big ideas (especially in terms of promotion). And the article made me want to follow the blog to see how it all works out.
Also, here is his “competition” (in obtaining sponsors – the AMRF sponsored the Junk Raft – and because of the very similar idea and mission and route) – http://junkraft.blogspot.com/
They whipped that boat together in two weeks.
What a dashing fellow Sexy and rich, baby. I’ve heard about this garbage patch. I tried to find photos of it online but met with no success. I wonder what a wasteland of plastic trash looks like.
There’s a (12million part) video on Vice’s website of a trip to the patch. It’s basically three clueless hip kids that swear A TON (they are so edgie!) who paid to charter the boat and for the scientists to get some water samples. Obnoxious, but still illuminating.
There aren’t many pictures, because it’s not actually a giant pile of garbage. It’s spread out, and a photo wouldn’t capture much.