Rising Tide of Innovation at Davos to Keep Plastic out of the Sea
Technology that could avoid the equivalent of 100 garbage bags of plastic waste being created per second received a funding boost at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. The five winners of the "Circular Materials Challenge", which focuses on the 30 percent of plastic packaging that is too small or complex to be recycled and often ends up in the ocean, will share the $1 million prize to develop their solutions, said the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and innovation network NineSigma.
Oceans Will Have More Plastic than Fish by 2050
The world’s oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050 if current business practices are continued, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Researchers warned 8 million metric tons of plastics currently find their way into the ocean every year - the equivalent of one truckload every minute. At current rates, this will worsen to four truckloads per minute in 2050 and outstrip native life to become the largest mass inhabiting the oceans. The report 'The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics' by the WEF and Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which urges more recycling and reduced waste, goes on to note that the production of plastic materials has increased twentyfold since 1964.
Immarsat FleetBroadband Supports Solo Circumnavigator
Guo's 40-ft yacht will be equipped with a FleetBroadband terminal provided by Inmarsat which will help him send back video and pictures and assist him in plotting a safe course as he attempts to cover 21,600 nautical miles in 130 days. For his latest challenge, Guo, the first Chinese to cross the Atlantic single-handed, in a 21ft (6.5m) yacht, will depart from his home city of Qingdao, China, in November, to head east to Cape Horn, South America. Inmarsat Executive Chairman, Andrew Sukawaty, commented: "We first met Guo Chuan as MCM on Green Dragon during the previous Volvo Ocean Race. We were all impressed by his courage and tenacity.
Communication Breakdown
A British sailor failed in a risky attempt to help a French solo rower who has been facing a communications breakdown in heavy south Pacific seas since the Iridium global mobile phone company went bankrupt. Ellen MacArthur, sailing in the region called the "screaming 50s," changed course to try to bring rower Jo Le Guen a replacement communication system, her sponsor Kingfisher Challenges said. MacArthur, 23, and her crew reached Le Guen's 29 ft. (9 m) craft Keep It Blue in harsh weather conditions with just over two hours of daylight left. Icy squalls with winds reaching 30 knots and turbulent seas made transferring a bag containing a portable Magellan e-mail unit extremely hazardous, the sponsor said.
