The Ocean Cleanup
Imagine being in school and thinking of an idea which could change the world and make the Earth a better place. That’s exactly what happened to Boyan Slat when he was just 16 years old! After scuba diving in Greece with his family, he saw so much plastic floating around in the water, that he wondered “Why we can’t we just clean this up?”.
Plastic is harmful to the ocean ecosystem as it does not biodegrade and instead breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces which can enter food chains and poison the animals which live there. Ocean plastic rubbish has formed huge swirling gyres* that have been named the Pacific Garbage Patches. These are so large that you could fit the UK into them 6 times or more!
In just 8 years, using cutting edge technology, Boyan and his team have designed 2 methods for cleaning up ocean plastic. Firstly, 2 huge boats pull a large but shallow net behind them slowly through the water and funnel the plastic into the back of it. The second way that they clear up plastic is by collecting it as it moves down rivers. This stops the plastic from entering the oceans in the first place. They use floating machines called interceptors which are fully automated using robot and AI technology. Even better, the plastic that they collect is then recycled!
Have a look at their website and watch one or more of their amazing videos!
TALKING POINT
Does anyone have any ideas for a machine or technology that could make our planet a better place to live? Maybe you could be like Boyan and make your idea a reality!
*gyre - a spiral or vortex.
Find out more about The Ocean Cleanup here
Hydrosphere
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Hydrosphere II
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Tags: H2, H25, Ocean garbage patches, The Ocean Cleanup, Blog, Solutions
Meet worldwide change-makers
Discover worldwide change-makers who care for our planet and whose work improves lives, globally.
We hope that these change-makers will inspire future generations of change-makers, working towards a more socially equal and sustainable tomorrow.
Inspiring People
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Animals
Fauna, Flora and Funga
Discover our animals featured in the eco card games.
Cryosphere
DIVERSITY DECK® Cryosphere The ultimate game for everyone that are fascinated by everything frozen and want to learn more about the Arctic and Antarctic! Did you know that the Cryosphere is actually a subset of the hydrosphere that represents all the ice on Earth: snow, glaciers, ice caps, ice floes and icebergs? Did you know that ..
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King Penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus Antarctic sea bird Habitat Sub-Antarctic regions of the South Atlantic and South Indian Oceans Life span up to 30 years Reproduction 1 every 2-3 years Sub-speciesA. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli Adaptations for living in the Antarctic Penguins must maintain high body tempe..
Red Ruffed Lemur
Varecia rubra A primate only found on the island of Madagascar The Red Ruffed Lemur is a primate from the family Lemuridae of which there are 111 species. These unique primates are found solely on the island of Madagascar, an island with some of the most diverse and unique animals on the planet. It is thought that 90% of these species are..
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Tundra The Artic Ocean is surrounded by the Tundra, a vast biome that comprises of 5 countires, the USA, Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland) and Norway. Tundra is mainly flat permafrost but is teeming with life. During the short summer, which begins in June, many different plants flourish creating colourful scenes with lichens, mosses, shrub..
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Plants use seeds to produce new plants Plants cannot move like animals do, so in order to produce new plants far away from the parent plant, they have to use other things to move their seeds. All plants use different methods of seed dispersal which they have adapted to their environment. These include the wind, animals, and flowing water. Because..
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Sustainability STEAM card games
To reinforce learning, our DIVERSITY DECK® collection provide a parallel learning experience. 16 decks cover many topics from the Earth's 7 spheres to Inspiring People, Endangered Animals and even friendly Bacteria. Our cards use classic games to support different levels of learning and conversations around sustainability.
They are great for lesson starters, small group sessions, SEND groups, eco-clubs, school libraries and rainy playtimes.
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