Subject category:
Ethics and Social Responsibility
Published by:
Amity Research Centers
Length: 11 pages
Data source: Published sources
Abstract
Founded in 1997, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) was the world's biggest and most popular collection of floating trash. Stretching between California and Hawaii, it was often described as 'larger than Texas'. With the help of ocean currents, the passive drifting systems of 'The Ocean Cleanup', a non-profit organisation founded by Boyan Slat, a Dutch descendant, was projected to clean up nearly half the GPGP in five years starting from 2018. If everything went as per plan, The Ocean Cleanup was expected to reach the GPGP in August 2018. The system comprised a floater, screen, anchor and ship. However, there were challenges galore and it was also not clear whether the plan devised by the organisation would work. Even if it worked, there were some experts who questioned the wisdom of making an effort to clean up the patch at a time when chunks of plastic debris was still being added to the oceans across the globe. Biologists and oceanographers had also started expressing their concern about The Ocean Cleanup's project to clean the GPGP. They had begun questioning not only the project's feasibility, but also whether the technology to be used would be able to withstand the natural forces of the open ocean, the impact of the project on marine life, and whether this was the most suitable method of dealing with the problem of ocean plastics. Amidst this scenario, would The Ocean Cleanup be able to clean the plastic debris in the GPGP and make the earth a much greener place to live? What were the challenges and criticisms it was likely to face?
Location:
Other setting(s):
2018
About
Abstract
Founded in 1997, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) was the world's biggest and most popular collection of floating trash. Stretching between California and Hawaii, it was often described as 'larger than Texas'. With the help of ocean currents, the passive drifting systems of 'The Ocean Cleanup', a non-profit organisation founded by Boyan Slat, a Dutch descendant, was projected to clean up nearly half the GPGP in five years starting from 2018. If everything went as per plan, The Ocean Cleanup was expected to reach the GPGP in August 2018. The system comprised a floater, screen, anchor and ship. However, there were challenges galore and it was also not clear whether the plan devised by the organisation would work. Even if it worked, there were some experts who questioned the wisdom of making an effort to clean up the patch at a time when chunks of plastic debris was still being added to the oceans across the globe. Biologists and oceanographers had also started expressing their concern about The Ocean Cleanup's project to clean the GPGP. They had begun questioning not only the project's feasibility, but also whether the technology to be used would be able to withstand the natural forces of the open ocean, the impact of the project on marine life, and whether this was the most suitable method of dealing with the problem of ocean plastics. Amidst this scenario, would The Ocean Cleanup be able to clean the plastic debris in the GPGP and make the earth a much greener place to live? What were the challenges and criticisms it was likely to face?
Settings
Location:
Other setting(s):
2018