Could this work?
Is it feasible? Last month there was a video posted about a documentary ("Midway"
on Albatrosses dieing from eating trash from the so called Great Pacific Garbage Patch/Gyre. It was heartbreaking and there was a bit of discussion about what could be done to solve the problem of the trash and it's impact on sea life.
I came across this article today, about a 19 yr old young man that has come up with a potential solution. I don't know enough about the technical aspects of the idea being feasible or not, but at least someone has come up with a possible way to do something other than hand wringing.
19-year-old Boyan Slat has unveiled plans to create an Ocean Cleanup Array that could remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste from the world’s oceans. The device consists of an anchored network of floating booms and processing platforms that could be dispatched to garbage patches around the world. Instead of moving through the ocean, the array would span the radius of a garbage patch, acting as a giant funnel. The angle of the booms would force plastic in the direction of the platforms, where it would be separated from plankton, filtered and stored for recycling.
More details at the link. (Also the website at the link has some other interesting environmental designs being developed)
http://inhabitat.com/19-year-old-student-develops-ocean-cleanup-array-that-could-remove-7250000-tons-of-plastic-from-the-worlds-oceans/#more-494723
It would be so awesome if this could be funded and really work. If there would be enough money to be made from recycling the plastic, maybe someone would make it a reality.
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I hope that he and his idea will get noticed by someone with the means to get it going. Even just to set up a working prototype out in the ocean would be a good start I think. I saw that he has a website for the project, I have to go read through it and see where they are in truly getting it off the ground.
A faint ray of hope....