Boyan Slat, 24, who launched the Pacific Ocean cleanup project, said the speed of the solar-powered barrier isn’t allowing it to hold on to the plastic it catches. Slat said he expects shipping containers filled with fishing nets, plastic bottles, laundry baskets and other plastic trash scooped up by the system to be back on land within a year. ADVERTISEMENTAmong those skeptical of the Ocean Cleanup is George Leonard, chief scientist of the Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group. Leonard says that even if plastic trash can be taken out of the ocean, a lot more is pouring in each year. Leonard said a solution must include a multipronged approach, including stopping plastic from reaching the ocean and educating people to reduce consumption of single-use plastic containers and bottles.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 18, 2018 01:30 UTC