OCEAN CLEANING DEVICE SUCCESSFULLY
COLLECTS PLASTIC FOR THE FIRST TIME
For the first time since its initial design, a massive
rubbish collecting device has successfully removed
large amounts of plastic from an island of litter the
size of France floating in the Pacific Ocean.
The 25-year-old Dutch engineer and creator of the
floating contraption, Boyan Slat, announced the
achievement in early October on Twitter, together
with a picture of some of the collected debris, wri-
ting, “Our ocean cleanup system is now finally cat-
ching plastic, from one-ton ghost nets to tiny micro-
plastics! Also, anyone missing a wheel?”
The enormous U-shaped contraption is made up
of a 600m long floating boom with a skirt shaped net
suspended below it. No power is needed to operate
the device as the movements and currents of the sea
are used to propel it through the rubbish.
Announced by Mr. Stat in 2012, the development
of the Ocean Clean up device has encountered some
technical challenges along the way. When tested
last year, the device was first unable to catch any de-
bris due to the speed at which it was moving through
the plastic, and later in the year, it broke apart due to
rough sea conditions.
But now, with the recent success of this device,
the Ocean Clean Up Project can begin moving into
its next phase. With plans to develop the technology
further, increase the size of the structures, and de-
ploy more of these devices so that they can gather
the thousands of tonnes of plastic currently floating
in the Pacific.
The massive island of floating rubbish occupying
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the waters between California and Hawaii is
known as the “Great Pacific garbage patch”. It is
the largest of five major offshore waste accumula-
tion areas resulting from converging ocean currents
and is estimated to contain 80,000 tonnes of plastic
waste.
In total, 99% of the rubbish found in the patch
is plastic, with scientists noting that microplastics
also appear to be accumulating rapidly within the
area as well.
All of this marine debris can have a massive im-
pact on ocean wildlife, with animals such as sea
turtles and albatrosses mistaking plastic bags or re-
sin pellets for food, and other marine mammals such
as seals becoming entangled in discarded plastic
fishing nets.
Microplastics and other litter can also decrease
algae and plankton growth, which in turn can affect
animals that rely on these organisms as a food sour-
ce, resulting in the disruption of entire food chains.
The Ocean Clean Up Foundation hopes to have a
fleet ready to launch in the next few years and belie-
ves that the final design will be able to collect half of
the debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Exitosa primera recogida de basuras en el
océano
El recolector masivo de basuras en el Océano Pacífi-
co, oceánico ha sido eficaz, por primera vez, desde
su diseño inicial .
Por primera vez en su diseño inicial, un gran reco-
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
lector de basura ha sido retirado del Océano Pacífi-
co. Boyan Slat, el ingeniero holandés de veinticinco
años y creador del mecanismo flotante, lo anunció
a primeros de octubre en su cuenta de Twitter publi-
cando una fotografía de la retirada de escombros,
afirmando: “Finalmente nuestro sistema de limpieza
está atrapando el plástico del océano ¡Desde una
red fantasma de una tonelada hasta pequeños mi-
croplásticos! Por cierto, ¿a alguien le falta una rue-
da? “.
El enorme dispositivo en forma de U está formado
por una se compone de una pluma flotante de 600
metros, del que cuelga una red en forma de falda. El
ingenio mecánico, no necesita energía para operar
y es el movimiento marina el que lo impulsa entre
las basuras.
La máquina del Sr. Stat fue presentada en 2012 por
su creador pero, ha encontrado algunos escollos
técnicos en su camino. Se probó el año pasado, y
el invento no pudo recolectar ningún residuo dada
la velocidad a la que se movía entre los plásticos y
posteriormente, se rompió debido a las difíciles con-
diciones del mar.
Ahora, el éxito del proyecto Ocean Clean Up, permite
pasar a la fase siguiente. Entre sus planteamientos
desarrollar la perfección de su tecnología, aumentar
el tamaño de la estructura e implementar los dispo-
sitivos.
La enorme isla de basura flotante que ocupa las
aguas entre California y Hawai se conoce como el
“la isla de basura del Pacífico”. Es la mayor de las
cinco principales acumulaciones de residuos en alta
mar provocada por 80.000 toneladas de residuos
plásticos.
Casi la totalidad de los investigadores, el 99%, afir-
man que tambien los microplásticos parecen estar
acumulandose con rapidez en dicha área.
Todos estos desechos marinos pueden tener un im-
pacto masivo en la vida marina, con animales como
tortugas marinas y albatros que confunden bolsas de
plásticos o bolitas de resina con alimentos. Otros
mamíferos marinos, como las focas, se enredan en
redes de pesca de plástico, desechables.
Los microplásticos y otros desechos también pueden
disminuir el crecimiento de algas y plancton afec-
tando a los animales en sus fuentes de alimento, re-
duciendo la cadena alimenticia de forma completa.
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
La Fundación Ocean Clean Up espera tener en los
próximos años una flota maquinarias lista de forma
que el diseño final, pueda retirar la mitad de los
escombros en el Gran Mancha (isla) de Basura del
Pacífico.
LONDON’S SECOND ANNUAL CAR FREE DAY
London’s largest ever Car Free Day took place on
22nd September with 20 kilometres of roads clo-
sed to traffic across parts of the city centre, with a
wide variety of street-based events planned for both
young and old to enjoy across the capital.
Another 18 boroughs across the Greater London
area also banned cars on more than 200 streets to
hold community events.
Collectively named ‘Reimagine’, the events ran-
ged from yoga sessions, arts and crafts marquees,
BMX and skate ramps, guided walks, treasure hunts
and various types of live entertainment for all ages.
On the world-famous Tower Bridge, a mass yoga
session was organised with hundreds arriving early
to enjoy a sunrise yoga experience with the spec-
tacular and quintessential backdrop of the Tower of
London.
In the usually traffic-heavy area of the City of Lon-
don, a hedge maze was installed on Cheapside and a
festival space with acts performing on a solar-powe-
red stage at Bank Junction. Children and adults
were also able to enjoy the unique opportunity to
race go-karts in the Square Mile.
The purpose of the all-day event was to raise
awareness of climate change and toxic air quality
in the city by encouraging locals and visitors to use
fewer cars and to explore the capital in other ways.
The day also aims to bring communities together and
to allow children to play and enjoy their local areas.
London is currently the fourth most polluted city
by nitrogen dioxide levels in the world, with pollu-
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