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Wilson, the cleaning pipe
Wilson, a 2000 foot long pipe, is almost about to begin its journey to clean up the Great Pacific garbage patch, a massive floating pile of plastic garbage in the middle of the ocean. It is set to reach its starting point on Tuesday and begin cleaning shortly afterward. The device isn't supposed to clean every bit of plastic in the Pacific, but is projected to clean up to 90% of the 150 million tons of garbage in our oceans. This project is a huge step in fighting environmental degradation and hopefully many will see it as an inspiration to continue fighting for climate change reform, e.t.c. The Ocean is a huge supplier of food and resources, and it would be in our best interests to keep our food safe to consume. This relates to this idea of environment degradation and climate change. There is a huge argument whether we should preserve the environment or allow people to harvest its resources for profit. Personally, I think we should protect the environment at all costs. After all, this is our only planet. We should treat it with care and respect to ensure success for future generations.
1) Should the environment be protected? Or should people be allowed to use land/ocean for their own needs?
2) What kinds of regulation would be effective in stopping environmental degradation, on land and in the ocean?
3) Do you think Wilson will be effective in solving the ocean pollution problem? Why or why not?
This is a huge step to fixing and completely abolishing the ocean pollution problem. For years, the human race has treated the oceans and the Earth in general as a trash can. The amount of plastic and trash in the ocean has had a huge affect on the world and the animals living in the ocean as well. Yes, the environment should be protected since it is crucial to life on Earth and has been a growing problem for many years. This project, Wilson, should be effective in solving the Ocean pollution problem because it is projected to take out 90% of the plastic in the Ocean. However, we need to help as well by stop throwing our trash and polluting the oceans. The only way to stop this problem is if everybody is on the same page.
ReplyDeleteThe environment should definitely be protected since it is our only planet. People should not be allowed to use the land and ocean for their own needs because if everyone did so, we would be greatly polluting our planet's resources due to our giant population. I think Wilson will be effective in solving the ocean pollution problem if we decrease the amount of plastics and garbage that we currently put into it. The ocean is vital to our ecosystem and we should keep it safe and healthy. The only problem is, where will this trash go once taken out of the ocean?
ReplyDeleteThe environment should definitely be protected instead of being used solely for human benefit and profit. Many of the devastating consequences of pollution, climate change, etc. cannot be reversed, making it even more important to start protecting our environment to reduce the amount of damage we cause. If everyone neglects the oceans and the Earth, the Earth will become uninhabitable at a quicker pace. I think that Wilson is a good solution to the current ocean pollution and plastic problem, especially since it can take out 90% of the plastic in the oceans. Taking out the majority of plastic from oceans would help to restore the ocean ecosystem, leading to a more balanced food chain and food web. Although Wilson, can be an effective solution to the current ocean pollution issue, we need to take precautions to prevent the oceans from being polluted again since it would be unrealistic to constantly use Wilson every time humans cause too much plastic to accumulate in oceans.
ReplyDeleteI think that the environment should be protected at all costs, like Noah mentioned in the article, this is our only planet so we should take care out it. There are already a lot of environmental regulations in place; however, many corporations and groups are able to side step these laws. Countries' governments should work harder to enforce these regulations, and if they are still being avoided then consequences should be strengthened to keep people in line. I think Wilson will be effective in cleaning the ocean. While it cannot clean all the trash, it is a start to a cleaner environment. Additionally, the media attention of the project provides coverage on issues like climate change and environmental pollution. The more expansive coverage can influence people to take part in/be more aware of their trash and effects on the environment.
ReplyDeleteWhile the extent of environmental protection is a subject of contention, the individuals who harm the environment the most do not see themselves as sacrificing the well-being of the ecosystems for profit. Perhaps due to a lack of education in environmental sciences or intentional ignorance, combined with consumer demands, large corporations are able to justify their exploitation of the environment. Regulations can be effective in limiting the effect of industry and pollutants, but the most efficient way to minimize environmental damage is through individual actions. Corporations will only keep polluting for profit as long as there is demand for their products. If more and more individuals decide to stop consuming beef, buying cars when they don't need to, switch to cleaner energy sources, etc., corporations will follow the trend. If consumers were to boycott companies that do the most damage, then those corporations will lose profit and become incentivized to adopt cleaner production methods. Perhaps the best way to address this issue will have to be a combination of government regulations and individual actions.
ReplyDeleteI think the environment definitely need protection. There are a lot of regulations in place like sophie said, but many times these are not enforced. I think a big part of this problem is also that people are unaware of how big this problem is and how it can effect them. People think it is not going to affect them to litter, or throw that semi-empty yogurt cup into the recycling. These small things add up and while working to solve the problem of having a giant trash island in the middle of the ocean, but the other aspect is to try and prevent this from happening again. I think it is extremely important to protect the ocean as well because everything in the ecosystem is connected, the ocean is used for shelter (for sea animals), food, transportation, any disrupt of the ecosystem will affect everything around it. If knowing that the environment and animals around us are getting hurt by this is not enough, these impacts will directly impact humans and resources that we have.
ReplyDeleteProtecting the environment is very important since humans and environment are intertwined. Humans rely on the environment and we can't just trash it and move somewhere else since it currently isn't possible. In order for both humans to survive we must protect the environment instead of just doing everything for self interest. There are many regulations that should be put in place, not only put in place but also strictly enforced. I think education is also very important, people knowing their impact will probably help get people to take initiative and protect their environment as it basically is the same thing as protecting the human population.
ReplyDeleteAs an environmental activist myself, it excites me to see the action people have taken to clean up the oceans because the plastic garbage patch is greatly damaging our marine ecosystems. Marine animals are constantly being killed or harmed from the waste in the oceans whether that's directly through choking or suffocation or indirectly through the degrading plastic toxins in the garbage. Moreover, this pollution is harmful to humans because when the sea animals consume plastic toxins from the waste and we then consume those creatures like fish or seafood, we are intaking the toxins. That is just one reason why it is important to protect the environment. However, one of my concerns about Wilson is that while it will get rid of the trash in the oceans, where does it go from there? With heaps and heaps of trash, where will all that waste go to?
ReplyDeleteI believe that this is a big step in the right direction, as I do not remember the last time such a direct action was taken to counteract the issue of the garbage patch. Despite the problems mentioned in the article, I think that Wilson will play a pivotal role in increasing the action taken against pollution by private corporations.
ReplyDeleteThe environment should be protected because it is the source of many resources which are essential to our survival. All the fish saved by this project will go to good use in the food industry one day and maybe even help out the United States economy. People should be allowed to use the ocean for their own needs, but under certain rules and restrictions. These rules should have the purpose of keeping the ocean from becoming polluted but still allow for extraction of its resources. I think Wilson will be very effective in solving the problem as long as everything goes well. This shows good initiative on the part of this start up and that people can actually get things done that will have a significant impact on many more other people. Overall, restrictions are key to preventing future problems.
ReplyDeleteWilson is definitely a step in the right direction. It's not the end-all be-all in terms of environmental protection, however. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the debris in the ocean comes in the form of microscopic bits of plastic, and there are valid concerns over whether this pipe can capture debris that small. Additionally, people might see Wilson as a solution to the issue, when in reality Wilson is addressing a symptom, not a cause, of the environmental issues plaguing our world today. In order to truly solve these problems, we need to also focus on educating the public about the repercussions of their actions and encouraging them to make more environmentally-conscious choices.
ReplyDeleteLike many of the above comments, I think that Wilson is definitely a good start to solving the ocean pollution problem. Even if it cannot collect all of the garbage released into to the ocean, it can capture enough to hopefully make a size-able difference. I think that the amount it collects should be shown or taught to people as a way to prove the huge amounts of garbage thrown in the waters, and to create a push for more change. As people already commented, I think one of the main reason that people are so quick to pollute the planet is because they do not truly understand the impacts this waste has on our environment. Educating people about the effects and the amount of pollution can be another way to start to put an end to it.
ReplyDeleteThe environment is definitely something that should be protected as it is such an important part of our everyday life even though we might not realize it. The environment gives us thousands of different resources which many are unaware of, which is why many struggle to grasp the reality of the importance of the environment. I believe that the general society is taking a step in the right direction regarding the reduce of plastic and the continued encouragement regarding recycling and knowing the effect that different products have on the environment. I do believe that the Wilson will be effective, however in order for Wilson to reach it's full potential, there has to be a huge decrease regarding the garbage going into the ocean because if that does not happen, all the work made by Wilson will have gone to waste.
ReplyDeleteAs stated before by others such as Noah, this is or only planet. We must protect it at all cost and people must understand that profit isn't the only thing in life. Our environment is very impactful to our survival and we must understand that. The Wilson will definitely help us with protecting our environment, as although it won't clean up all of the waste, it will help and clean up most of it. The second part of improving and protecting our environment is solely dependent on us. We must reduce our waste and make sure that it does not end in the ocean.
ReplyDeleteWe can definitely hope that Wilson can have a big impact on the pollutants in the ocean, but it won't take care of everything. I also share Emma's concern that people will see this as "enough." Trash is a big problem in the Ocean, but we also need to combat ocean acidification as well. The plants in the ocean greatly aid us in the fight against climate change, but I believe that the ocean acidification is happening faster than the plants and the earth are combatting it. There need to be a lost more restrictions to help solve all of this, but it won't realistically happen due to politics.
ReplyDeleteI think that this sounds too good to be true. I machine that could clean up the ocean being put out now seems like of ridiculous. It begs the question about why this was not done earlier. I think that it is incredibly important that we do take steps to clean up the ocean and if does it then that would be great, but this sounds too good to be true.
ReplyDeleteWhile this endeavor is well intentioned, I agree with Stefan that this new invention does not look promising. However, I think that most people agree that something must be done about the abundance of trash and waste in the ocean, just not this. If the trash continues to accumulate in the environment, the issue will only become more severe.
ReplyDeleteThe environment should definitely be a higher priority for governments around the world. Like many others have already mentioned, the environment is the basis of a lot of other world problems and is the biggest global issue that has the harshest consequences, yet most politicians and authoritative figures fail to recognize that. At this point, the only way to effectively fight environmental issues today is to pass harsher regulations and create devices with bigger impact. Wilson does not seem very promising honestly because it doesn’t have a great enough potential for solving the ocean waste problem. Optimistically it will be a great help in cleaning the ocean’s waste, but until that point there is still a pressing need for greater regulations. Big corporations and greedy individuals are the main cause of the amount of waste that is being leaked into the oceans and so the only course of action that will counter their acts is to restrict their actions and put forward larger clean up acts.
ReplyDeleteBased on what Noah describes, if Wilson can successfully clean up to 90% of the 150 million tons of garbage in our oceans, then Wilson will be very effective in solving the ocean pollution problem. If one 2000 ft long pipe can clean so much, then utilizing even more cleaning solutions can clean a vast majority of the trash in the Pacific Ocean. I assume that Wilson can also be used to clean up trash in other oceans such as the Atlantic and be equally effective. The oceans are among Earth's most valuable resources and should certainly be protected. However, Noah does not exactly describe how Wilson functions to clean the garbage in the ocean, so my optimism is a speculation based on the projected success of Wilson. Wilson is definitely indicative of a great trend though.
ReplyDeleteI think Wilson is a step in the right direction. It is great to hear that we are finally taking care of the garbage patch as I know its been a big problem for many many years. I think we need to continue to improve the environment because we share this world with all the other organisms on the planet, and it is not fair for us to ruin the environment and not try to fix it. I understand that the economy is extremely important, but we need to fix the environment first.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Wilson appears to be a great temporary solution it does not resolve the cultural disregard for pollution of all kinds within the US and throughout the world. Even if a majority of the trash from the world's oceans are collected, all that waste will still have to be transferred somewhere else. Ideally, federal laws would be passed to make recycling mandatory for neighborhoods and all institutions, companies, organizations, and any properties that produce waste. Placing limitations on packaging materials and how much can be used based on the product sold should also be implemented and incentives for waste reducing policies in companies should be encouraged by governments. Although many claim it is too late to save the earth and the course for gradual has already been set, it is possible to reduce human produced waste and emissions and make an effort rather than succumbing to the damage human-kind has done.
ReplyDeleteEnvironment protection should be one of the top priorities of governments today. With the ocean being the greatest area of photosynthesis, producing roughly 70% of the oxygen in the atmosphere, ensuring the cleanliness and health of the ocean would be crucial to supporting our current generation and future generations to come. I think Wilson is a great and effective method to remove pollution, but while we must solve the current problems at hand, we must also remember to pass regulations to prevent future instances of pollution. One possible regulation could be to fine those companies that recklessly dump waste into the ocean or put a cap onto the amount of waste that companies could discard each year.
ReplyDeleteI think the environment should be protected because if there is no government action, the environment will just continue to get worse. Regulation which would be effective in stopping environmental degradation on land and in the sea would be limiting the amount of plastic a company which uses lot of plastic for their goods. This way the companies will be forced to find new ways of reducing the amount of plastic they use or eliminate it altogether. This is a simple way to start and set these companies on a good path towards helping to protect the environment. I think Wilson would be effective in solving the ocean pollution problem, because in order to make a difference you have to start small and I think his efforts can be developed and over time make a big difference.
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