Summary_Reader Response Final

In the article “Boy Genius Boyan Slat’s Giant Ocean Clean Up Machine is Real”, Schiller (2017) stated that an improvised design of the trash collecting machine would help to collect plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean. Boyan Slat first envisioned his Ocean Clean Up machine in a TED talk and would commence hauling trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area where plastics are accumulated in the ocean, in 2018. According to Schiller (2017), Slat’s design includes large booms that gathers trash with the assistance of Pacific’s currents. The booms function like an “artificial coastline” passively trapping debris into the centre, which would be offloaded to a boat monthly. Large anchors, which would be suspended with the booms ensures its manoeuvrability around the ocean. The suspended anchors form four sections, creating a huge surface area of 328 feet square that reduces the booms’ speed as trash circulates within the Patch. Schiller mentioned that a 0.6-mile prototype would be tested by Ocean Clean Up Foundation on the same year before being deployed in 2018. The total amount of debris collected is expected to accumulate up to a five-figure sum annually, which are intended to be recycled into usable items. This article gives a clear description on the design of the Ocean Clean Up machine and how it works. However, there is a lack of elaboration regarding the amount of plastic the machine would collect in five years, its efficiency, as well as whether this implementation would create an impact to the wildlife.

Firstly, though the article mentioned that half of the plastic trash would be collected from the ocean in five years, it failed to elaborate on whether it plans to clear half of the existing amount of plastics or take into consideration the additional amount that would accumulate at the patch over the next five years. Boyan Slat mentioned in the article that he expects to collect tens of thousands of tons of debris a year. According to Hasek (2018), it is “estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic” are entering the ocean each year from rivers. That means while a five-figure ton of plastic is being removed from the patch every year, a seven-figure ton is being introduced. In this case, Slat is most likely referring to clearing half the trash from the patch from the existing amount in five years, not taking into account the figures of the plastics will keep rising which the article should have specified to its readers.

Secondly, while the article described Slat’s aim in the coming years, it did not mentioned about the efficiency of the Ocean Clean Up Machine and its performance in the ocean. Summers (2018) stated that Slat launched Ocean Clean Up system 001 in October 2018 which failed due to its inability to collect plastic. The main reason was due to the speed of the booms that was moving slower than the plastics that were carried by the current. The booms eventually lost most of the plastics that it had initially captured. I feel that such statements should be made only after they have tested the efficiency of the device.

Lastly, the machine's behaviour towards the marine life was not mentioned in the article. According to Knapton (2018), the device is unable to distinguish plastic and living things. This would result in the wildlife being harmed during the operation of the Ocean Clean Up Machine. I feel that this is a very crucial point in the context of this ocean clean up project, which has an intention to save the environment. However, a solution would not be one if it does the environment more harm than good. I am sure this is a subject that would affect the readers’ impression if it had been mentioned in the article. 

In conclusion, Boyan Slat should have come out with substantial evidence to back the objectives that he had set to meet. In this way, readers would be more convinced and feel supportive of his initiative towards reducing the plastic waste in the ocean.

References:

Hasek, G. (2018, May). Plastic Pollution: Single Use Plastic Impact on Our Oceans. Green Lodging News, Retrieved from https://www.greenlodgingnews.com/plastic-pollution-single-use-plastic-impact-on-our-oceans/

Knapton, S. (2018, August). Device to clean-up Great Pacific Garbage Patch could harm wildlife, warn conservationists. The Telegraph, Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/08/07/device-clean-up-great-pacific-garbage-patch-could-harm-wildlife/

Schiller, B. (2017, November). Boy Genius Boyan Slat’s Giant Ocean Cleanup Machine Is Real. Fast Company, Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/40419899/boy-genius-boyan-slats-giant-ocean-cleanup-machine-is-real

Summers, H. (2018, December). Great Pacific garbage patch $20m cleanup fails to collect plastic. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/20/great-pacific-garbage-patch-20m-cleanup-fails-to-collect-plastic