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Plastic Bottle Raft Sails from California to Hawaii

Junk_Raft_Plastic_Trash_Sails_to_Hawaii.jpgWe’ve talked before about the devastating problem of plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways. And it’s only getting worse.

That’s why Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal are attempting to raise awareness of this problem, and its deadly implications for sea life, in a most unique way – they’re sailing from California to Hawaii on a raft made of 15,000 plastic bottles, a Cessna 310 fuselage, and assorted plastic trash.

The trip, organized and sponsored by The Algalita Marine Foundation, is meant to call attention to the Pacific Garbage Patch – an area (twice the size of the U.S. according to Algalita) of plastic trash floating in the middle of the ocean. Algalita is known for its dedication to marine research and has conducted numerous in-depth studies about the problem of plastic in the ocean.

Dr. Eriksen, Director of Research at Algalita, reports on CNN that the trip is going smoothly. The JUNK raft has been sailing nicely (about 50 miles per day) since its launch from Long Beach, CA on June 1, 2008, no one has gotten seasick and the two-man crew has been feasting on Mahi Mahi filets and fresh fish jerky. They hope to land in Hawaii by the end of August, depending on the wind and ocean currents.

For updates on the journey, check out the JUNK blog, where Eriksen and Paschal are posting regularly. It’s an interesting read to say the least. If you have a few minutes, watch the video they made before setting sail on their raft of trash… and don’t forget to reduce, reuse and recycle any and all plastic in your life.

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