Junk Raft: Sailing The Seas Of Debris
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under News & Reviews | 3 Comments
What do you get when you take 15,000 plastic bottles, the discarded wingless body of a Cessna 310 aircraft, and a sail? A seaworthy, solar powered ship dubbed the ‘Junk Raft‘ headed from Long Beach, CA to Hawaii, of course. Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal plan to sail a raft with recycled plastic bottles wrapped in discarded fishing net acting as pontoons and an old wingless Cessna cockpit as the cabin. This long, strange trip will be calling attention to the massively detrimental effect of plastic in our oceans. (Apparently 10,000 pounds of plastic are dumped into the ocean every day from Los Angeles alone.) Eriksen has sailed with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, trolling the waters of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and now he’s ready to risk life and limb for this cause. When asked why he and his partner were willing to put their lives on the line over some plastic in the ocean, Eriksen stated the folowing…
Yes, we are risking our lives, but the issue of petroleum-based plastic and our national dependence on petroleum, warrant urgent action. My quality of life, the future of our nation’s economy, environmental quality, and human health, are at stake. I remember 17 years ago, as a young Marine in the Gulf War, standing in Kuwait City covered with drops of oil from the burning wells, saying to myself, “Why have we done this?” James Baker, former Secretary of State, the man that sent me to war, said recently, “We had a written policy that we would go to war to defend secure access to the energy reserves of the Persian Gulf.” This is not why I chose to serve my country!
So Eriksen, along with co-pilot Paschal and Junk’s on-the-ground operations czar Anna Cummins, have all chosen to serve their country in a different way. Continue reading Junk Raft: Sailing The Seas Of Debris…
Posted on May 30, 2008 |
Zaproot: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, eCo TV | 1 Comment
Jessica Williamson of Zaproot gives you the lowdown on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Eastern Garbage Patch. This “plastic soup” in the one of the ocean’s gyres spans an area larger than the State of Texas and holds six times more plastic than plankton! A research vessel called The Algalita sailed to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to assess the situation.
eCo Tip: To reduce the amount of plastic collecting in the ocean, replace “disposables” in your life with reusables.
- Use stainless steel water bottles, on-the-go utensil kits, reusable shopping totes, travel coffee mugs, and non-disposable razors.
- When you choose products, take the amount of packaging into consideration before you buy. Less is best.
- Learn more at Anna Cummins’ website, BringYourOwn.org.
- If you’re a kid or know one who’s into helping the planet, link up with the Roots and Shoots Reusable Bag Campaign.
Posted on April 30, 2008 |
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