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This sort of thing is not helpful in the fight against plastic waste. It gives the impression that such a thing could make even the slightest dent, and it give

This sort of thing is not helpful in the fight against plastic waste. It gives the impression that such a thing could make even the slightest dent, and it gives those who sell single use plastics a reason to say "see, it's under control!". "There isn't really a problem is there? Aren't there boats that pick the plastic up out of the ocean?" - silly as that might sound to you and I, that's the core message that many would pick up on, and other would amplify. A quixotic fools errand.

chinathrow 7y ago
I disagree. It's one of many steps we need to do right now and in the future: - Stop dumping/polluting waters - Clean up what is out there Boyan and his project cater for the second one and they're trying to solve a real, existing problem. Others are trying to solve other problems. What's wrong with that?
- andrewstuart 7y ago
  > What's wrong with that? It's pointless and sends a false message that "cleaning up the problem" is even vaguely possible. That false message will be picked up and amplified by "big plastic" companies like CocaCola to convince the public that they aren't in fact ruining the earth with their single use plastics. It has people like you convinced that it's possible to "clean up what is out there". It's not. If the tap broke in your kitchen and poured thousands of gallons of water on to the floor every minute, would you start mopping that up like crazy, as fast and hard as you can? Or would you first turn off the tap?
  - esel2k 7y ago
    I disagree that it is giving a false message. I is also saying: „there is a need to clean our oceans because of the endless plastic.“ shocking amount of plastic might slowly help to change the mindsets. I will take time - maybe two generations - and then these children’s will understand that throwing plastic away (like you see in many countries) is just bad. I think it gives everyone deep down a sense of accountability...
  - dade_ 7y ago
    Don't worry, the people that you are worried about are trapped in a media bubble that is warning them that their right to single use plastic is going to be taken away because of people in China that litter. I think that projects like this will put hard numbers to how difficult and expensive "mopping" is and possibly learn something from the trash that is being collected. Then we know that each plastic straw, bag or bottle costs this much to collect from the ocean and we know that x percent end up there. Then use the data to support initiatives to inform policy.
    - chinathrow 7y ago
      I'm not at all trapped in a media bubble. I simply stated that I support multiple attacks on the very real and existing problem. Every ton of prevented plastic in the water is a net gain. Every ton of removed plastic from the water is a net gain.
  - chinathrow 7y ago
    I never said I was convinced that the cleanup is easy or even possible - I said we have to start trying it. And I support projects which are at least trying - no matter if they attack the source or the symptom of the problem. While some people focus on changing policies can and should do impact at the source of the problem, other people focus on engineering solutions for fighting the existing problem. Not everyone can become a policy maker/politician - so please cut those at least trying some slack.
andygates 7y ago
It won't clear itself up. And we can educate the misinformed.
- andrewstuart 7y ago
  The idea that anyone can go out there and "clear it up" is really wrong, and that's why this sort of project is so unhelpful. This is the pacific ocean - it takes up about a third of the world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pacific_Ocean_-_en.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pacific_Ocean_-_en.png When I visited the very remote pacific ocean, there was plastic everywhere. On remote islands, every ten feet were plastic bottles and garbage, in the water - everywhere. The idea that any number of dedicated garbage collection ships, given all the resources in the world, could clear this up, is just completely ridiculous. >>> It won't clear itself up And neither will we - it's impossible, and distracts from the real task at hand which is to stop the flow, stop the creation of it. To solve the problem we must relentlessly point the spotlight back on the companies that are creating this endless flow of garbage.
  - JulianMorrison 7y ago
    We put it in piece by piece and we can take it out the same way. Might take a few centuries. Best to get started.
    - logifail 7y ago
      > Best to get started. Started taking it out, or started not putting it in the first place?
      - 24gttghh 7y ago
        Both? The first of the Three-R's is Reduce. It's always more effective to prevent a problem than to clean up after it, but that certainly doesn't imply something shouldn't be cleaned up...

chinathrow 7y ago

I disagree. It's one of many steps we need to do right now and in the future: - Stop dumping/polluting waters - Clean up what is out there Boyan and his project cater for the second one and they're trying to solve a real, existing problem. Others are trying to solve other problems. What's wrong with that?

andrewstuart 7y ago
> What's wrong with that? It's pointless and sends a false message that "cleaning up the problem" is even vaguely possible. That false message will be picked up and amplified by "big plastic" companies like CocaCola to convince the public that they aren't in fact ruining the earth with their single use plastics. It has people like you convinced that it's possible to "clean up what is out there". It's not. If the tap broke in your kitchen and poured thousands of gallons of water on to the floor every minute, would you start mopping that up like crazy, as fast and hard as you can? Or would you first turn off the tap?
- esel2k 7y ago
  I disagree that it is giving a false message. I is also saying: „there is a need to clean our oceans because of the endless plastic.“ shocking amount of plastic might slowly help to change the mindsets. I will take time - maybe two generations - and then these children’s will understand that throwing plastic away (like you see in many countries) is just bad. I think it gives everyone deep down a sense of accountability...
- dade_ 7y ago
  Don't worry, the people that you are worried about are trapped in a media bubble that is warning them that their right to single use plastic is going to be taken away because of people in China that litter. I think that projects like this will put hard numbers to how difficult and expensive "mopping" is and possibly learn something from the trash that is being collected. Then we know that each plastic straw, bag or bottle costs this much to collect from the ocean and we know that x percent end up there. Then use the data to support initiatives to inform policy.
  - chinathrow 7y ago
    I'm not at all trapped in a media bubble. I simply stated that I support multiple attacks on the very real and existing problem. Every ton of prevented plastic in the water is a net gain. Every ton of removed plastic from the water is a net gain.
- chinathrow 7y ago
  I never said I was convinced that the cleanup is easy or even possible - I said we have to start trying it. And I support projects which are at least trying - no matter if they attack the source or the symptom of the problem. While some people focus on changing policies can and should do impact at the source of the problem, other people focus on engineering solutions for fighting the existing problem. Not everyone can become a policy maker/politician - so please cut those at least trying some slack.

andygates 7y ago

It won't clear itself up. And we can educate the misinformed.

andrewstuart 7y ago
The idea that anyone can go out there and "clear it up" is really wrong, and that's why this sort of project is so unhelpful. This is the pacific ocean - it takes up about a third of the world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pacific_Ocean_-_en.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pacific_Ocean_-_en.png When I visited the very remote pacific ocean, there was plastic everywhere. On remote islands, every ten feet were plastic bottles and garbage, in the water - everywhere. The idea that any number of dedicated garbage collection ships, given all the resources in the world, could clear this up, is just completely ridiculous. >>> It won't clear itself up And neither will we - it's impossible, and distracts from the real task at hand which is to stop the flow, stop the creation of it. To solve the problem we must relentlessly point the spotlight back on the companies that are creating this endless flow of garbage.
- JulianMorrison 7y ago
  We put it in piece by piece and we can take it out the same way. Might take a few centuries. Best to get started.
  - logifail 7y ago
    > Best to get started. Started taking it out, or started not putting it in the first place?
    - 24gttghh 7y ago
      Both? The first of the Three-R's is Reduce. It's always more effective to prevent a problem than to clean up after it, but that certainly doesn't imply something shouldn't be cleaned up...