Audio producer, photographer, traveler, musician, activist, parent & lox lover. A collection of sights, sounds & texts.
www.benarnow.net
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A 6 year old’s solution for cleaning the oceans
So, last week my 6 year old turns to me and proceeds to tell me about a new idea that he came up with for cleaning all of the garbage out of the ocean. My son is very interested in nature. Everything including birds, forests, insects, life cycles, dinosaurs, pollination, worms, minerals, sloths and, of course, ocean life. In order to clean up the ocean waters he said: “We could build a boat and attach a giant net to the back of it which would collect all the garbage floating around in the water. The boat could go all over the ocean catching all of the garbage floating around. Then once the net is full it would be lifted by a big crane and taken away to be thrown out”.
I looked at him and thought for a second. This is a GREAT idea. So simple, so logical. Something that a child’s open, imaginative and nimble mind is so likely to come up with. I told him that we could try to build a little prototype this Fall. Give it a test run. The boat, the net, the crane, the whole thing.
Then, yesterday I receive my daily email from Good and lo and behold, right there in front of me on my computer screen is my son’s invention! The same exact concept. Described in detail with color computer renditions of the ocean cleaning marine drone. The vessel uses a net. And it is lifted out of the ocean with a giant barge crane. Incredible. These are the types of inventions that just might save us all. Ocean cleaning drones. Carbon catching windmills. I showed these pictures to my son and his face lit up. He had come up with the same idea as the “crew of big-thinking designers” behind this wonderfully creative solution to a growing environmental problem.
I hope my son comes up with more ideas like this. We sure could use them. I hope we all start thinking more like this. This Fall we are going to work on our little prototype model and my son can give it a test run. First in the bathtub. Then maybe the lake. Someday, maybe, he’ll make it to the ocean.
(more pictures here!)
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ISS Video: NASA Releases 'Up The East Coast Of North America' (Time-Lapse VIDEO)
“This is what North America looks like from about 220 miles above the Earth’s surface.
The video, composed of a series of pictures taken aboard the International Space Station in January, begins as the ISS travels over the Gulf of Mexico, according to NASA. As it makes its way along the Gulf coast, lights from New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. can be seen before the Florida panhandle becomes visible.
As the ISS continues up the East Coast of the U.S., Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York City and the Massachusetts coastline come into view. An amazing aurora borealis display becomes visible as the video comes to a close near Newfoundland, Canada.”
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Turn On the Server. It’s Cold Inside.
Great idea!
Some researchers propose installing data centers in homes so they can do double duty as furnaces.
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Jugaad Urbanism. Jugaad means “put things together”. These strategies and solutions, like the solar rickshaw, are all really creative, innovative and most important, replicable. Check this PBS clip all about the exhibition.
“From solar-powered rickshaws to plastic-bottle chandeliers, innovative solutions to basic problems in India are inspiring urban designers in an exhibit called Jugaad Urbanism. Need to Know visited an exhibit in Manhattan that showcases these designs-for-change”
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NOVA | Power Surge
Watched NOVA’s Power Surge last night. Highly recommended! Really well done, and offers some new ideas about possible solutions. One technology will not solve the problem, but a combination of conservation and several technologies might just do the trick. Check it out. -
Gulf Oil Spill Anniversary: Resilience Amid Unknowns
One year ago today. Satellite pictures of the Gulf oil spill’s evolution and more…
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The Greenest » Blog Archive » 2010 NYC Urban Agriculture Roundup
“2010 was a major year for urban agriculture”! Glad to hear it. And doesn’t all that green look nice against the grey urban landscape? I do. While I was familiar with a few of these projects including BK Farmyards (which has been so wonderful to follow), I am pleasantly surprised to see how many rooftops, schoolyards and empty spaces in NYC are now going green. Wonderful news. Read the entire year end roundup here.
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