Oceans #3: Can We Really Clean Up Ocean Plastic? (Mythbusting)

What this episode covers

One main reason cleaning up the ocean is not going to work: so many of us underestimate the wrath of the sea. The many technical challenges are so much bigger than we realise, and while we all desperately wish the magic-bullet solutions will work…the cold hard facts tell a different story. That’s what oceanographer Kim Martini tells us in this episode. She’s one of the only people to do a scientific peer review of the Ocean Cleanup Project’s feasibility study. The results are very interesting. The main questions we ask her: what exactly are the challenges we’re facing? And is there any hope for cleaning up the ocean, or will we have to live with this plastic soup forever? Check out the Oceans series page for complementary resources & bonus materials. Produced by Camille Duran Published by Eleen Murphy Senior Editors Eleen Murphy & Camille Duran Music Credits: License by Ins. Green White Space. Picture credit: Plastic Oceans Foundation EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Camille Duran [CD]: Eleen are you ready I am launching the mythbusting machine. Eleen Murphy [EM]: Sure, go for it! CD: It may get loud. EM: Okay. [Voicemail]: Hello my name is Aimee and I would like to know Can we really cleanup the ocean? CD: Hi everyone! Today we are going to answer one important question: can we really cleanup the ocean? Is this really possible? Or how much of it can we clean? EM: Yes! Well done on the song adaptation by the way! I didn’t know you’re able to sing. CD: Really? Can’t you hear how much I fake it? Studio tricks baby that’s all! EM: Well,it works! CD: Good! EM: Camille has been squeezing researcher Kim Martini – or her knowledge, I should say. CD: Haha. EM: We introduced her in the last episode. CD: I have been challenging her, like everyone who comes on the show. EM: You’re the man for that alright! CD: We fight hard to bring you the truth, beloved listeners. EM: How’s about we jump right in? CD: Let’s do it. CD: Can we really cleanup the ocean? We said it’s more of a good-to-know question, really. For those who are just joining us: we believe the real answers to the ocean plastic problem are upstream but yes, we should also consider the feasibility of cleaning up what we can so here we are. EM: You have a disclaimer message? CD: I do. The following views can sound a little bit critical. I want to say that we praise the existing efforts of everyone involved in someway in environmental actions. It is important to mobilise engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs and anyone who is interested in giving a hand to find solutions and cleanup what we can of ocean plastic. EM: Those efforts are very important, keep it going. CD: What we are challenging with this myth busting episode is the fact that ocean cleanup has been occupying a large majority of the mainstream media space – mainly via the work of Boyan Slat and the Ocean Cleanup Project. This is sometimes steering the debate in the wrong direction, even in most specialised circles. Together we are going to find out what is possible today – and what we can expect for the years to come. Spoiler alert! You are probably going to get disappointed. EM: But! that’ll be productive for the investigation as a whole. CD: Actually, I’ll go ahead and save your time right now, because you’re busy: if you just want to know if we can cleanup the ocean, the answer is much closer to the no than to the yes – you guessed it. And things are not likely to change anytime soon. Why? because it’s not only a technology issue. EM: What a spoiler you are Camille. CD: It’s more productive,