Oct

Adventure Sports Travel: How the Plastiki expedition made eco-waves

Mark Pawlak Category

21st Century Challenges, Adventure Sports, David de Rothschild, everest, nature, plastiki, pollution, recycling, Richard Thompson, Royal Geographical Society, Travel, waste

We’ve all seen the images: piles of plastic bottles and expedition detritus dumped at Everest’s base camp. In another moment it would be an art installation, drawing our attention to the problem, but it’s not. It’s the everyday neglect and complacency that is spoiling what the Nepalese call the ‘goddess of the sky’.

Recently, an expedition led by David de Rothschild aboard the Plastiki raised awareness of the threat plastic bottles has on marine life. The Plastiki, a catamaran made almost entirely from plastic bottles, sailed 15,000km across the Pacific Ocean.

Plymouth University’s Professor Richard Thompson notes that most plastics are made to be thrown away: “We now find plastic debris widespread in the oceans, at the sea surface, down to the seabed; from the poles through to the equator.”

And even despite a concerted effort to improve recycling we still produce far more plastic packaging than is needed, and idiots among us prefer to dump it than carry it back from their travels.

The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) has devised a series of talks on ’21st Century Challenges’. In the first of these, Professor Thompson is joining with David and other international experts to suggest solutions and practical steps to reduce plastic waste reaching our oceans.

If you consider yourself a practitioner of adventure sports, a dedicated traveller, or just someone whose trekking or mountainbiking takes them closer to nature, then the video snippets which accompany the RGS talks are for you.

Bookmark the 21st Century Challenges page; use Google reader to follow this blog, voice your opinion below and let’s work together on this.

Here’s David’s advice on how we can reconnect to nature.

For more information about the fantastic journey of the Plastiki.

About the author

Mark Pawlak wrote 194 articles on this blog.

Editor at Adventure Sports Holidays, Mark's love affair with travel and the challenges of adventure sports continues... "You could save all year for a two-week, all-inclusive, doss by the pool, booze and buffet binge. Or, with a little planning and some good equipment, get off your arse and plan an adventure!"

Mark Pawlak October 15, 2010 at 11:22 am
Always find it difficult trying to drink 2 litres of water each day, knowing that the plastic bottles are going off to re-cycling. Seems like a waste of resources.

There’s one step to take which is making the effort to have your bottle recycled, however the better thing to do is buy one aluminum bottle (Sigg make excellent ones) and fill it from the tap. Simple.

And if you need the minerals, you can always take a multi-vitamin.
Jonathan Tait September 30, 2011 at 10:16 am
One of my favourite short films, and a great illustration of the effects of plastic waste on the planet.

If you need to buy drinks, in lots of countries glass bottles are sold providing you return them, then they are instantly recycled, I think. As in, washed out and reused, coca-cola and beer for sure, the two most hydrating beverages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDBtCb61Sd4

Adventure Sports Travel: How the Plastiki expedition made eco-waves

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