In the article, “Boy Genius Boyan Slat’s Giant Ocean Cleanup Machine Is Real”, Schiller (2017) described about the events that led to the conception and evolution of Boyan Slat’s Ocean Cleanup Machine design, which would start to help rid the ocean of tens of thousands of plastic garbage yearly from 2018. The author reported that the Patch had been covered in plastic debris since 1997, and the build-up had worsened since then; thus, it inspired Slat to clean the ocean. His design involved a large boom rooted to the seabed and would use the Pacific’s current to gather the trash into the centre, which would then be cleared up by “ocean garbage truck”. However, the project faced positive and negative reactions for its large scale concerning its resources and prospects. With all the hype generated by the initiative, Slat had modified his design to be more cost effective and efficient. Through research and development, the improved system consisted of a large anchor to suspend the boom in “deep-water layer” and had scaled to contain 50 devices of 0.6 miles each. Therefore, the system would not require excavating the seabed, and it ensured the continuity of the system even when one device ceased to function.

Overall, the article did address the ongoing development of the machine and the creator’s expectation of it. However, it has failed to convince the reader on the design’s efficiency and explain its interaction and impact on marine lives.

Firstly, the article did not state the machine’s capabilities and limitations precisely. Apart from emphasising that the device would clean up as much as 50% of the total debris within five years, the article missed out the fact that the machine would only be able to pick up the garbage of a centimetre or larger in size or at 3-metres deep. Removing the larger plastics would solve the entanglement issue for the aquatic wildlife and achieve an aesthetic ocean view. However, the article did not address the presence of microplastic, which would cause toxic effects on creatures when ingested and that it may indirectly affect human life when those creatures are fished and eaten by consumers. This point has been elaborated in the article, “Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Experts Unsure If Ocean Cleanup Is Going To Rid The Seas Of Plastic ” by, Yang (2018). Without addressing the incapability of the system, it would mislead readers into thinking that the machine would be foolproof and a successful solution to the current problem.

Also, the article overlooked the environmental impact caused by design. It is a known fact that with the implementation of such a large-scale system in the home of the aquatic wildlife, there is bound to be a disruption to nature. This point was explained in the article, “A Massive Plastic Cleanup Project Provokes Hope and Scepticism” by Stein (2018). The article emphasised that the device would become a “fish-attracting device” where small fishes would be attracted to the accumulation of algae on the device, which would bait larger fishes to the area. With the increases of fishes in the area, it would increase the rate of fishing since the system is unable to differentiate between the garbage and the sea creatures, and would result in the possibility of entanglement within the debris and the “ghost nets”. Without addressing the entanglement concern imposing a threat to sea creatures including endangered sea turtles, it would mislead readers into assuming that the foundation has not implemented measures to protect wildlife.

In conclusion, the project is a great initiative to clear up garbage accumulated over the years. However, the article should not omit the stated points as it showed the system’s limitations and aftermath impacts due to the promising implementation. Thus, it does not convince the reader on the design’s efficiency and explain its interaction with marine lives. Ultimately, in my opinion, prevention is better than cure, and so the initiative will be more successful if there are measures taken at the root causes which is to educate the public and factories and reinforce the need to dispose of waste properly.

References

Schiller, B. (2017, November 05) Boy Genius Boyan Slat’s Giant Ocean Cleanup Machine Is Real. Fast Company. Retrieved, February 05, 2019, from https://www.fastcompany.com/40419899/boy-genius-boyan-slats-giant-ocean-cleanup-machine-is-real

Stein, V. (2018, October 05). A massive plastic cleanup project provokes hope and scepticism. PBSO News Hour. Retrieved, February 05, 2019, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/a-massive-plastic-cleanup-project-provokes-hope-and-skepticism

Yang, E (2018, September 23). Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Experts unsure if Ocean Cleanup is going to rid the seas of plastic. ABC News. Retrieved, February 05, 2019 from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-23/ocean-cleanup-great-pacific-garbage-patch-plastics/10285938

Last Update: 08th April 2019