Green | January 07, 2010 | Comment on this video (20)

I took the 1 Green Thing Challenge: I'll be removing 559 POUNDS of garbage out of the ocean

leahl
Last year I gave myself a goal to choose one environmental issue I am particularly passionate about, and rather than send money to an organization, create a hands on project where I can see the difference I make. Without too many deep thoughts involved, I decided to figure out how much garbage I was personally responsible for putting into the ocean, and then go remove it. I went and got my diver's certification, and...well..that's as far as I got!

There is a part of me that realizes this is ridiculous. At the beginning of the day I believe we ultimately need to be changing large systems so that we aren't forced to live in a way that is inherently damaging to the planet. In the middle of the day, I believe we each need to do each do our part both personally and politically. At the end of the day, I believe we need to address the damage that we did in the past and fix it.

So this New Year's Eve, I made the resolution again, but this time I opted to ask everyone in the Internets to help me, (I also posed a challenge on Current for people to join me and choose just ONE green thing to focus on and, ask us for our help. So far 13 people have taken the 1 Green Thing Challenge.)

Thankfully people have been sending in great suggestions, and Derk figured out the following calculation: 14 billion pounds of garbage was being dumped into the ocean every year - US is responsible for 1/3 (at least) - - so 4.6 billion pounds each year Divide that by the 304,059,724 Americans on record - and you get ... 15.1286067731... lbs. (see the blog post for live links to his resources)

According to Derk's calculation, 15.1286067731 x 37 (my age in 2010) if I am to remove the garbage out of the ocean that I am personally responsible for: I'll be removing 559.758422, aka 560 pounds of garbage out of the ocean.


Today's questions I would love help with:

1. What does 560 pounds of garbage look like?

2. Where should I store it?

3. I need to contact a diving association or organization that specializes in garbage removal: anyone have suggestions?
  1. groups:
    Green,   1 Green Thing
  2. tags:
    Activism,  Ocean,  Leah Lamb,  1 green thing
  3.     
    |
    Embed video:
    |

20 comments // I took the 1 Green Thing Challenge: I'll be removing 559 POUNDS of garbage out of the ocean // Video

  • leahl
  • SustainableSchmidt
    • 0
      SustainableSchmidt  

    • Great idea Leah, I am really glad you are doing this. I think you should store the garbage and make a log of what, when and where you came up with it all. Since most of what is really bad floating out there is plastic, its going to be really bulky, but it will be a great visual for people to see and think about. I hope you keep blogging about your progress!

    • 2 years ago
  • bicyclearkansas
    • 0
      bicyclearkansas  

    • EPA says Americans generate 4.5 lbs of waste per person, per day. Where I live in AR, unfortunately the average Arkansan generates more than that! I hope you will also consider trying to be zero waste generating on a daily basis, as that is where the problem starts. Many US cities and local governments are taking a very progressive stance and setting goals for zero waste. And when you travel to the ocean to remove your 560 lbs, I hope you choose the beach nearest your home, and travel there by the most environmentally friendly means you can. Good luck!

    • 2 years ago
  • asherp
    • +1
      asherp  

    • Leahl!

      I just had a great idea about what to do with the plastic!!! Since we really need federal action to deal with this issue, you should save it up in shipping containers, and then dump it out on the steps of the Capitol Building.

    • 2 years ago
  • UrbanMechanic
    • 0
      UrbanMechanic  

    • Yeah, I got the bit about the garbage patch...I understand that plastic breaks down...there is however a sizable amount that is in various bodies of water (perhaps not a lot in the garbage patch) that could/should be salvaged while in its more whole state. That said, there are likely plenty of materials (metal, glass, organic) that are dumped into the water that could be salvaged and perhaps re-purposed if not for artistic purposes perhaps simply recycled for re-use, etc. This of course doesn't solve the bigger issues of chemicals, de-constructed plastics, and other such nasty substances that are more difficult to extract. Then again that might just be an issue for a different challenge, no?

    • 2 years ago
  • asherp
    • 0
      asherp  
    • UrbanMechanic:

      I still think that the most effective approaches are two:

      1) Clean up what has settled onto the beaches already

      2) Prevent plastic from being:
      a) improperly disposed of
      b) used by the general public
      c) produced in the first place

      The patch is growing every year, because every year, the amount that goes in is larger.

      To try and remove plastic from the patch while plastic is still being produced, improperly disposed of, and littered about, is like trying to empty a half-filled bathtub with a teacup while the spigot is running fully on.

      We need to stop the stuff from going in there to start with, and what has washed ashore will be easier to clean up than what's at sea. The stuff at sea is going to be nearly impossible to remove.

    • 2 years ago
  • pjacobs51
    • +1
      pjacobs51  
    • Image

    • 'round these parts (lol) We do something called "River Rescue."

      Last year we took 5.67 tons of trash from the James river, in one day.
      The Ozark Paddlers Association does this at several locations throughout the year.

      Here's a link, if you live 'round these parts and want to help out:

      http://www.riverrescue.net/

      We try to get it before it gets to the oceans. But man, it's unbelievable how much crap you can find. Even found a car one year.

    • 2 years ago
  • CalgarC
    • 0
      CalgarC  
    • Image

    • you can build a large metal box, fill it with water. it should sink. then you put your garbage ontop of the box and poke holes in the bottom ( with the help of an air pump) it should rise to the top. if built correctly you might be able to get something that can carry 50-100 pounds, take 5 or so trips to collect garbage and your done.

      kinda cheezy and stupid idea but it works.

      lol image won't show up large enough...

    • 2 years ago
  • asherp
  • CalgarC
  • perlpunk
  • UrbanMechanic
    • 0
      UrbanMechanic  

    • I love the Zahedi sculpture!

      This definitely gives me food for thought about my own personal resolution, which I haven't settled on.

      I hope you continue to give us dispatches covering your progress. I would love to see what you manage to create out of whatever refuse you recover.

    • 2 years ago
  • UrbanMechanic
    • 0
      UrbanMechanic  

    • Well you could take a vacation "cruise" the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It's about the size of Texas according to some accounts. I'm guessing it would be pretty easy to scoop-up 560 lbs (or more). That doesn't exactly help in dealing what to do with all of that garbage. From what I understand a lot of the refuse that makes it to that spot is plastic. Perhaps recycling it, or forming it into a sculpture?

    • 2 years ago
  • leahl
  • asherp
    • 0
      asherp  
    • UrbanMechanic:

      The problem, again, with the garbage patch, is that most of the pieces have begun to break down into other toxic chemicals, and are very very very small.

      It's not like it's a patch of plastic that you can walk on, or even see.

      Most are about the size of a grain of sand. It would be incredibly difficult to remove this plastic from the water without removing countless organisms from their habitats as well.

      The only way that you can tell when you are in it, is if you take samples from the water, and calculate the number of plastic particulates.

    • 2 years ago
  • derk
  • JanforGore
  • leahl
    • 0
      leahl  
    • JanforGore:

      Yes I did! I think this is brilliant~ and doable! Happy to help organize a lobbying meet up in DC. Perhaps you want an expert lobbyist to give you some pointers? We could arrange that if so!

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • asherp
    • 0
      asherp  

    • It's my understanding that most of the (plastic) garbage in the ocean has broken down into small chunks no bigger than a bic lighter.

      I think the most effective thing you could do is go to islands with sand beaches, where the plastic is coming ashore and settling on the beaches and mixing in with the sands, and sift the sands and remove the plastic.

      This has two benefits:
      1) You're removing the plastic
      2) You're in Hawaii!!!

      What's sad is 560 lbs of plastic isn't but a drop in the bucket, so to speak.

      Also, because most of the plastic garbage is so small now, the best thing we can do is prevent any MORE garbage from going in.

      However, that said, I think what you're doing is noble and awesome, and will hopefully generate lots of attention to the problem (and dangit, I kind of want to do it too, the idea of constructing the technology/infrastructure needed to sift/rake/separate sand, and then actually putting it to work is super appealing to my inner boyscout), and hopefully spur some collective action in towns and cities across the USA.

      I just saw on the Colbert Report last night, in the interview with Charles Moore, that there is absolutely ZERO INFRASTRUCTURE for dealing with the plastic on the beaches of Hawaii (there is certainly more than 560lbs of plastic on the beaches of Maui alone). So your New Year's resolution might end up helping to generate the technology to separate plastic from sand, and dispose of the plastic appropriately. This could turn out to be huge.

      Let me know how I can help.

    • 2 years ago
more from Green:
from the community

top videos