David Levy – Small Beginnings – Oct 21
The much heralded ‘EarthShots’came and went last night on television, in competition with the Antiques Roadshow it has to be said. Although I applaud the endeavours of those who started this decade long project what was crystal clear to me was how far we have to go.
The highlight of the evening was the Costa Rican reforesting, being both a joint community involvement and a country-led project it was able to demonstrate a nation taking environmental collapse seriously. Where were the other global political leaders?
In the audience maybe, but not there supporting real time projects.
When I reflect on the abysmal way the Conservative Government has fought the sewage storm overflow amendment (Wellington /Marinet) placed on the Environment Bill, you can clearly see what problems face the EarthShot promoters as they try to come up with projects that can make huge changes for our planet.
The problem is and will continue to be the politicians. They do the will of industry, and it has to be said that they and the Civil Service in this country are very resistant to change.
Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, made a good stab at launching this concept last night. However it also has to be said that £5million seemed such a paltry sum weighed against the phenomena arrayed against them.
Where did this money come from, and why was so little gathered for the launch?
I do not wish to decry these efforts but far more is required to overcome the task in front of us to deliver the goal that Prince William has laid before us — A Future for Global Future Generations.
So, to make my contribution:
My concept is to modify a 10,000 tonne tanker with onboard scale-sized pyrolysis plants (8 in number) and to send it to the floating plastic islands in the oceans. It gathers and then gasifies/pyrolysises the plastics in situ (at sea). This would reduce the plastic islands in volume, and produce oils and waxes which could be reused as fuel to run the tanker.
Not perfect, but the end result is a reduction of plastic in the oceans and a resource that could be sent to Pacific Rim countries who have plastic in and around their estuaries.
Your thoughts always welcome.
David Levy
One Response to “David Levy – Small Beginnings – Oct 21”
Carole Jacob
I like the idea of capturing the plastic and finding new ways of repurposing the properties. I feel ashamed of what is shipped out to developing countries only to find the environmental catastrophe heaped upon them.