The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit environmental organization, has announced a bold goal: to eliminate the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within five years, contingent on securing the necessary funds. The patch, estimated to contain 79,000 metric tons of plastic waste, spans an area twice the size of Texas. To achieve this, The Ocean Cleanup estimates it will need $7.5 billion — a significant sum, but one the organization believes is feasible when compared to global expenditures like Halloween decorations or a fraction of profits from plastic producers.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has grown rapidly, and The Ocean Cleanup has developed innovative solutions to tackle it. Their latest technology, System 03, features a 1.4-mile-long floating barrier towed between two vessels to capture the waste. So far, they've removed about one million pounds of trash, which is just 0.5% of the patch's total. However, with plans to scale up operations and map "hotspot" areas of plastic accumulation, the organization aims to accelerate its progress.
Founder and CEO Boyan Slat emphasized that the only barrier to solving this environmental crisis is funding. He called on the world to take action, suggesting that the patch could even be cleared in five years at a reduced cost of $4 billion if their technological advancements prove successful. Slat believes that, with the right investment, clean oceans can be a reality within a manageable timeframe.
This initiative represents a major step in addressing one of the planet's most pressing environmental issues, and Slat's message is clear: with proper funding, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can finally be relegated to history.
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