Solar Impulse Pilot: ‘I Flew Over Plastic Waste As Big As a Continent’

[Shadowferal]

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

From National Geographic
Billions of people on the planet, and so much shit gets dumped in the ocean every year. How could anyone believe that it wouldn't eventually come back to bite us in the ass?

dead zones are popping up everywhere

[Orlong]

Yeah, Im going to believe a hyperbole by an environmental nazi flying a solar plane. If it was true he wouldve taken a picture of it so we could see it. And plastic in the oceans conveniently all in one place does not damage humans at all.

[Techno-Druid]

Yeah, Im going to believe a hyperbole by an environmental nazi flying a solar plane. If it was true he wouldve taken a picture of it so we could see it. And plastic in the oceans conveniently all in one place does not damage humans at all.

It damages the ecosystems we rely on.

[Orlong]

I loled

Either way its still a shame that there is such a huge clump sitting out there in the ocean, curious how it formed like that though. currents drawing the debris together over time i suppose?

If there really is a huge clump out there, then it should be easy to remove. Just fly out a helicopter with a scoop on it and scoop it out of the water like you scoop dumplings out of chicken broth, and if its really big just take a tugboat out there and tow it in to shore

[Daelak]

Fuck politics this needs to be discussed....
http://ecowatch.com/2016/04/25/solar...se-boyan-slat/

As the Solar Impulse 2 made its historic 62-hour flight from Hawaii to California without fuel, pilot Bertrand Piccard personally saw the horrific amount of plastic in our oceans.
solarimpulse
The solar airplane as it approaches the California. Photo credit: Solar Impulse

While flying above the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Piccard sent out a tweet to Boyan Slat, the 21-year-old founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup.

“I flew over plastic waste as big as a continent,” Piccard wrote. “We must continue to support projects like @BoyanSlat Ocean Cleanup,” referring to Slat’s ambitious project of ridding the world’s oceans of plastic trash.

The Ocean Cleanup describes itself as the “world’s first feasible concept to clean the oceans of plastic” and has garnered widespread public admiration and support especially for Slat, a former aerospace engineering student who proposed the concept when he was only 17.

Piccard and Slat also spoke on Friday as the solar-powered plane made its risky journey.

It’s no surprise that the pilot and the young inventor linked up—both are using innovative technology to promote the greater good of the planet.

Piccard and the Solar Impulse team plan to fly around the world using only the power of the sun to promote clean transportation and other environmental causes.

“We have demonstrated it is feasible to fly many days, many nights, that the technology works,” fellow pilot Andre Borschberg told the Associated Press.

“I think innovation and pioneering must continue,” Piccard added. “It must continue for better quality of life, for clean technologies, for renewable energy. This is where the pioneers can really express themselves and be successful.”

Slat has spoken before about the necessity to protect our oceans.

“The oceans are the most important life—support systems of our planet,” he said in 2014. “It regulates the climate, it produces oxygen. The vast majority of biodiversity can be found in the ocean.”

The Ocean Cleanup involves a massive static platform and V-shapped booms that passively corrals plastics with wind and ocean currents. If all goes to plan, the project will officially launch in 2020 and be the longest floating structure ever deployed in the ocean.

Similarly, both parties have experienced hiccups along the way. Before arriving in California, the plane, the Solar Impulse 2, had been grounded in Hawaii for nine months as it underwent repairs after its record-breaking five-day trip from Japan to Hawaii in July.

As for Ocean Cleanup project, despite a 530-page feasibility study, some critics and scientists have written off Slat’s idea on mechanical design and ecological impacts. Dr. Marcus Eriksen, the co-founder of 5 Gyres, offered a number of constructive suggestions for the project.

Still, it’s very clear that the environment needs whatever help it can get, from curbing our reliance on dirty energy to putting a stop to plastic waste. The world’s oceans and marine life are suffering from a devastating plastic crisis, with 8 million metric tons of plastic waste dumped into our oceans every year. Plastic pollution is only getting worse as consumer use of plastic and plastic-intensive goods intensifies in emerging countries.

Not only that, an alarming new study by the University of Delaware physical oceanographer Tobias Kukulka reported that there might be much more plastic than what’s estimated.

“My research has shown that ocean turbulence actually mixes plastics and other pollutants down into the water column despite their buoyancy,” Kukulka said, according to UD Daily. “This means that surface measurements could be wildly off and the concentration of plastic in the marine environment may be significantly higher than we thought.”

Silly liberal, man cannot affect the mighty ocean.

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If there really is a huge clump out there, then it should be easy to remove. Just fly out a helicopter with a scoop on it and scoop it out of the water like you scoop dumplings out of chicken broth, and if its really big just take a tugboat out there and tow it in to shore

This is literally the thought process of a 6 year old.

[Shadowferal]

If there really is a huge clump out there, then it should be easy to remove. Just fly out a helicopter with a scoop on it and scoop it out of the water like you scoop dumplings out of chicken broth, and if its really big just take a tugboat out there and tow it in to shore

I'm glad to see you didn't bother doing any homework, or reading any links.

But since the area is so huge, and no country wants to take any responsibility, the cleanup would bankrupt even the wealthiest country. And then there's getting every nation to stop dumping as well.

[Indigenously Abled]

Silly liberal, man cannot affect the mighty ocean.

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This is literally the thought process of a 6 year old.

Maybe that's why I read it in a child's voice.

[I Push Buttons]

If there really is a huge clump out there, then it should be easy to remove. Just fly out a helicopter with a scoop on it and scoop it out of the water like you scoop dumplings out of chicken broth, and if its really big just take a tugboat out there and tow it in to shore

Its not a clump... It is a debris field... Estimates of its size range from as small as the size of Texas at the low end up to 4% of the Pacific Ocean's surface area at the high end...

Pictures and satellite images aren't possible because, like I said, it isn't a clump, it is a highly dispersed field of debris (average density of 4 parts per cubic meter) that amalgamates in one area due to the convergence of many ocean currents in one place...

And it does effect us since much of the debris is very small, even microscopic... Billions of fish and birds in the region ingest the debris, we ingest them, etc.

I don't even know why I say anything though, because, like normal, you are completely immune to facts, evidence and reason.

[Gheld]

Its not a clump... It is a debris field... Estimates of its size range from as small as the size of Texas at the low end up to 4% of the Pacific Ocean's surface area at the high end...

Pictures and satellite images aren't possible because, like I said, it isn't a clump, it is a highly dispersed field of debris (average density of 4 parts per cubic meter) that amalgamates in one area due to the convergence of many ocean currents in one place...

And it does effect us since much of the debris is very small, even microscopic... Billions of fish and birds in the region ingest the debris, we ingest them, etc.

I don't even know why I say anything though, because, like normal, you are completely immune to facts, evidence and reason.

And that's just the stuff that floats on the surface.

[Ripster42]

How did he see said garbage patch when its mostly microscopic in nature?

Large pieces of plastic aren't the real danger in the ocean. Its that plastics break down to be small particles. Then they are ingested by fish and accumulate in the food supply. Which is most dangerous for the larger species of fish and mammals (humans included) who can potentially ingest large quantities of these plastics.

You're conflating two issues. Mercury and plastic. Mercury gets concentrated the farther up the food chain you get, plastic just gets ingested and then causes whatever eats it to starve because they can't eat anymore as they're full of indigestible plastic. While the concentration of pollutants in the food chain can occur from plastics, that's not the real worry and to use an analogy would be like kasich running opposite trump. Ya, it's not good, but it's also not the worst result of the election/pollution.

[Powerogue]

Such hyperbole! It's only the size of mexico! jj.

Yeah it's pretty fucked up what we've done to the ocean :\

I knew about a massive garbage patch in the ocean already but it was in a different ocean. o_O

I suppose that's what we get for throwing entire continents' worth of nonbiodegradable waste into the ocean instead of recycling it. If you throw away a banana peel into the dirt, it'll compost within a few weeks, if you throw a plastic bottle, that thing is staying there forever.

How did he see said garbage patch when its mostly microscopic in nature?

Large pieces of plastic aren't the real danger in the ocean. Its that plastics break down to be small particles. Then they are ingested by fish and accumulate in the food supply. Which is most dangerous for the larger species of fish and mammals (humans included) who can potentially ingest large quantities of these plastics.

Ah, I should've amended. It'll stay there for years upon years until it finally makes its way into the ocean, gets slowly broken up into small pieces that are eaten by fish, then you eat the fish, and viola, you've just fed yourself plastic.

[Khaza-R]

You're conflating two issues. Mercury and plastic. Mercury gets concentrated the farther up the food chain you get, plastic just gets ingested and then causes whatever eats it to starve because they can't eat anymore as they're full of indigestible plastic. While the concentration of pollutants in the food chain can occur from plastics, that's not the real worry and to use an analogy would be like kasich running opposite trump. Ya, it's not good, but it's also not the worst result of the election/pollution.

No. Plastic can choke and kill animals of course when they are in larger fragements. But it also releases chemicals into the water systems as it degrades in microplastics. They are both PTBs. Both have the same effects. Both cause bio-accumulation and magnification in the marine food web.

http://www.nature.com/articles/srep03263

[Ahovv]

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5911969/lies-...-garbage-patch

Unless this article from 2012 is somehow severely outdated, this story is quite misleading.

[Hellravager]

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5911969/lies-...-garbage-patch

Unless this article from 2012 is somehow severely outdated, this story is quite misleading.

It is severely outdated do the math about how much trash can occur in 4 years of dropping it in the ocean

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Another reason why that link is bullshit, this right here, if theres dead zones in certain spots where oxygen is pretty much non-existent then we have problems
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_zone_%28ecology%29

[Forogil]

I knew about a massive garbage patch in the ocean already but it was in a different ocean. o_O

I suppose that's what we get for throwing entire continents' worth of nonbiodegradable waste into the ocean instead of recycling it. If you throw away a banana peel into the dirt, it'll compost within a few weeks, if you throw a plastic bottle, that thing is staying there forever.

Depends; at least many plastics can be degraded by bacteria as well, even in energy-starved regions, - and it is likely to evolve to become even better (with the obvious problems):
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/1103....2011.191.html
Some plastics are also more biodegradable than others - especially when exposed to sunlight as floating debris is.

Since plastics require energy to form and normally are carbon-based it doesn't seem odd that some organisms can consume them. Obviously this is not an excuse to pollute - but perhaps indicating that instead of focusing on cleaning up this patch of increased plastic levels (i.e. Ocean Cleanup) it might be better to focus the effort on reducing the amount of plastic reaching the oceans; or on switching to more biodegradable plastics.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

Depends; at least many plastics can be degraded by bacteria as well, even in energy-starved regions, - and it is likely to evolve to become even better (with the obvious problems):
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/1103....2011.191.html
Some plastics are also more biodegradable than others - especially when exposed to sunlight as floating debris is.

Since plastics require energy to form and normally are carbon-based it doesn't seem odd that some organisms can consume them. Obviously this is not an excuse to pollute - but perhaps indicating that instead of focusing on cleaning up this patch of increased plastic levels (i.e. Ocean Cleanup) it might be better to focus the effort on reducing the amount of plastic reaching the oceans; or on switching to more biodegradable plastics.

And focusing on things like pharmaceutical waste.

[Forogil]

Another reason why that link is bullshit, this right here, if theres dead zones in certain spots where oxygen is pretty much non-existent then we have problems
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_zone_%28ecology%29

The dead zones have very little to do with plastics, but a lot with fertilizers being over-used on land. That is also a problem - similarly as the great barrier reef dying, but we shouldn't mix everything up.

[mickybrighteyes]

If there really is a huge clump out there, then it should be easy to remove. Just fly out a helicopter with a scoop on it and scoop it out of the water like you scoop dumplings out of chicken broth, and if its really big just take a tugboat out there and tow it in to shore

you vastly underestimate the size of these trash heaps and overestimate people's willingness to actually take care of the issue. You'd need something like a whole fleet of ships just to begin putting a dent in the mess... and they'd be working at it for a few years.

[Ahovv]

It is severely outdated do the math about how much trash can occur in 4 years of dropping it in the ocean

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Another reason why that link is bullshit, this right here, if theres dead zones in certain spots where oxygen is pretty much non-existent then we have problems
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_zone_%28ecology%29

Those dead zones are nowhere near the gyres. That argument is invalid.

Show me new, reputable information from a scientific journal citing anything other than "small particles spread across the gyres." Large visible trash is uncommon, and it is incredibly misleading to make such claims.

I'm not claiming the plastics aren't a problem; but the way they are being portrayed here is a blatant lie.

[Forogil]

you vastly underestimate the size of these trash heaps and overestimate people's willingness to actually take care of the issue. You'd need something like a whole fleet of ships just to begin putting a dent in the mess... and they'd be working at it for a few years.

Wrong, he overestimates the density of the trash heaps - due to the unnecessary exaggerations.

Due to the low amount of plastic debris there is a risk that some of the vessels sent to clear out the plastic will sink causing more pollution than they clean up.