[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.32,0:00:14.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Once there was a Stone Age, \Na Bronze Age
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.47,0:00:18.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and now we are in the middle \Nof the Plastic Age.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.07,0:00:23.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because every year we produce \Nabout 300,000,000 tons of plastic
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.18,0:00:29.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and fraction of that enters rivers, \Nwater ways and eventually the oceans.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.53,0:00:33.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you want to eat a biscuit nowadays
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.22,0:00:36.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we have to buy a biscuit \Nwithin a plastic wrapper,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.42,0:00:39.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,within a plastic tray, \Nwithin a cardboard box,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.34,0:00:42.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,within a plastic foil, \Nwithin a plastic bag.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.36,0:00:46.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not hazardous nuclear waste -- \Nit's a biscuit.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.26,0:00:53.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this is me. I love diving
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.34,0:00:57.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just taking you through \Nmy holiday slides here.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.80,0:01:04.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is at the pristine Azores Islands \Nand this is how their beaches look.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.71,0:01:09.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Covered with plastic fragments.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.07,0:01:12.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Due to sun and waves over the years
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.38,0:01:18.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the garbage breaks down \Ninto ever smaller pieces, but remains plastic.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.78,0:01:28.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And, well interestingly, you don't see \Na lot of red particles in here
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.41,0:01:31.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because those look like food
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.98,0:01:35.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to birds more than any other color.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.55,0:01:39.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this is the result.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.47,0:01:46.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And well, the debris primarily collects \Nat these 5 rotating currents
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.32,0:01:50.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called the gyres, where it doesn't only \Ndirectly kills sea life,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.78,0:01:57.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but due to the absorption of PCBs and DDTs, \Nalso poisons the food chain.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.04,0:02:01.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A food chain that includes us -- humans.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.98,0:02:05.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And while diving in Greece
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.11,0:02:11.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I came across more plastic bags than fish
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.28,0:02:14.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and astounded by the depressing sights
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.88,0:02:19.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,my Scottish dive buddy turned to me and said,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.33,0:02:23.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"A lot of jellyfish is here, dear. \NSeen about a thousand."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.91,0:02:26.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There were no jellyfish.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.71,0:02:31.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I won't talk about\Nenvironmental issues in general.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.06,0:02:34.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think the common response is,\Nwell that's a long way off.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.26,0:02:36.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's for our children to worry about.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.36,0:02:39.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So hello, here I am.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.26,0:02:44.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Why don't we just clean it up?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.31,0:02:45.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are a multiple reasons why
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.95,0:02:50.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,current plastic pollution researchers \Nbelieve we should focus on prevention,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.41,0:02:55.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for example through education, \Nrather than attempting a cleanup operation.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.92,0:03:01.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because we would need to deal \Nwith 5 colossal areas -- each moving around.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.12,0:03:09.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Plastic sizes ranging from these massive ghost nets \Nto molecules -- bycatches and emissions.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.34,0:03:12.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Furthermore we would need to get \Nall the plastic back to land.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.97,0:03:16.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It would need to be financially realistic and
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.23,0:03:24.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in fact the total amount of plastic \Nwithin the gyres [is] unknown.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.09,0:03:28.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But about a year ago, when I was \Non my way to the hairdresser's
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.85,0:03:36.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I must admit I don't go there often \Nbut I had this little epiphany.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.64,0:03:39.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I saw even old people throwing \Nrubbish in the water
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.08,0:03:44.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I thought, well some people \Nwill just never learn, will they?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:44.55,0:03:48.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We'll need the combination of both roads
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.47,0:03:51.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we'll need them soon.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.24,0:03:53.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So then I simply used this list of concerns
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.61,0:03:58.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as challenges, and in fact a week later \Nas a school assignment,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.69,0:04:01.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I had a chance to spend a lot of time
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.24,0:04:05.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on a subject of choice together \Nwith a friend of mine.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.44,0:04:07.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this gave me the perfect opportunity
Dialogue: 0,0:04:07.62,0:04:12.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to do new and fundamental research \Nregarding plastic pollution.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.41,0:04:16.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I then went on a holiday to Greece \Ntaking this manta trawl with me,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.91,0:04:20.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is the common device \Nfor sampling plastic,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.10,0:04:24.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and so I had to leave home all my clothes
Dialogue: 0,0:04:24.05,0:04:27.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,due to low cost airlines weight limit policies.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.31,0:04:32.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, the trawl we built, however,\Nis 15 times finer
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.80,0:04:36.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than the regular one. \NAnd what we discovered was
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.54,0:04:42.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the count of those minute particles \Nis in fact 40 times higher
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.01,0:04:46.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than the larger particles.\NSo we have to take these small plastics out,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.71,0:04:52.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but then we wouldn't want to take \Nthe important plankton out as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.18,0:04:57.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Luckily these could simply be separated \Nusing centrifugal forces.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.98,0:05:02.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, nobody knew how much G forces\Ncommon zoo-plankton could survive.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:02.75,0:05:11.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we took the trawl out again,\Nand we didn't have a boat,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.05,0:05:16.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so and we tested it, and in fact they can survive \Nover 50 Gs, which is more than enough
Dialogue: 0,0:05:16.47,0:05:20.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for successful separation.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.47,0:05:24.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then in order to know up to which depth \Nthe ocean surface should be cleaned,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.54,0:05:28.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we designed and built something \Nthat I call the multilevel trawl.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.33,0:05:33.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We basically stuck ten trawls \Non top of each other.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:33.29,0:05:36.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here you can see us testing that \Non the North Sea,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:36.15,0:05:39.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I thought it was a great day -- \NI was the only one who didn't get sick
Dialogue: 0,0:05:39.97,0:05:47.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but then the so perfectly working trawl \Nbroke and
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.55,0:05:52.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of course we didn't quit there,\Nbecause I believe you can't clean up something
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.73,0:05:55.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you don't know the size of.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:55.78,0:06:00.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I've heard the estimations ranging \Nfrom several hundred thousand tons
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.81,0:06:05.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all the way to a hundred million tons.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.89,0:06:11.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I knew we really need a better estimate \N-- some scientific data.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.07,0:06:15.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So then I simply contacted \Nsome professors from the universities
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.51,0:06:20.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Delft, Utrecht and Hawaii -- \Nwho then actually helped us in determining
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.91,0:06:24.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how much plastic there is \Nin the top layers of the gyres.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:24.68,0:06:35.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The result -- a whopping 7.25 million tons \Nof extractable plastic in 2020.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.72,0:06:42.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's the weight of 1,000 Eiffel towers \Nfloating in the gyres.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:42.92,0:06:47.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, researcher and effect discoverer \Nof the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Charles Moore
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.89,0:06:55.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,estimates it would take \N79,000 years to remediate that.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.24,0:07:00.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, I believe the Great Pacific \NGarbage Patch
Dialogue: 0,0:07:00.32,0:07:05.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can completely clean itself in just 5 years.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:05.99,0:07:12.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that is a difference of 78,995 years.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:14.59,0:07:18.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, of course, this is the conventional idea \Nof extracting litter,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:18.73,0:07:23.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so you have a vessel and a net \Nfishing for plastic.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.09,0:07:27.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course multiple vessels could be used \Nto cover a larger area,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.17,0:07:30.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but by spanning booms between \Nthose vessels,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:30.90,0:07:33.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,suddenly a much larger area \Nwould be covered,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:33.51,0:07:37.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because the essence is not to \Ncatch the debris, but divert it.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.54,0:07:43.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because there is no mesh size,\Nwe can even get out the smallest particles,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:43.70,0:07:47.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and since all organisms can simply move \Nunder the booms,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:47.74,0:07:54.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we'll be able to eliminate \Nbycatches by 99.98%.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.18,0:08:00.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, if we want to do something different
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.04,0:08:03.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shouldn't we also have to think differently.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:03.87,0:08:11.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example then: the absorption of PCBs \Nby plastic is not such a bad thing,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:11.77,0:08:14.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's a good thing.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:14.47,0:08:19.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Get all the plastic out and simultaneously \Nremove tons and tons
Dialogue: 0,0:08:19.23,0:08:24.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of persistent organic pollutants \Nfrom the marine environment.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:24.29,0:08:31.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But how would we minimize environmental, \Nfinancial and transportation cost then?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.69,0:08:34.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's use our enemy \Nto our advantage, OK?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:34.95,0:08:41.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The oceanic currents moving around \Nis not an obstacle -- it's a solution.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:41.19,0:08:49.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Why move through the oceans \Nif the oceans can move through you?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:49.53,0:08:54.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By fixing the "ships" to the seabed \Nand letting the rotating currents
Dialogue: 0,0:08:54.06,0:09:01.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,do their work -- vast amounts of funds, \Nmanpower and emissions will be saved.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:01.34,0:09:05.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The platforms will, of course, be \Ncompletely self-supportive
Dialogue: 0,0:09:05.33,0:09:09.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,receiving their energy from sun, \Ncurrents and waves.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:09.02,0:09:14.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And inspired by my diving at the Azores,\NIt now actually seems
Dialogue: 0,0:09:14.37,0:09:18.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the best shape for these platforms \Nis that of a Manta Ray,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:18.86,0:09:22.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by letting its wings sway \Nlike a real manta,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:22.86,0:09:26.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we can assure contact of the inlet\Nwith the surface
Dialogue: 0,0:09:26.53,0:09:30.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,even in the roughest weather.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:30.80,0:09:41.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, imagine a zigzag array of just 24 \Nof these platforms cleaning an entire ocean.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:41.53,0:09:45.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's make a comparison, OK?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:45.36,0:09:48.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These are the beaches of Hong Kong,\Nearlier this year.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:48.03,0:09:53.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The largest plastic spill in history.\NAnd this is their source,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:53.56,0:09:56.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just 6 containers.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:56.60,0:09:59.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How much could we get out?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:59.51,0:10:05.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over 55 of these containers per day.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:05.17,0:10:16.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Not only is plastic directly responsible \Nfor over a billion USD in vessel damages a year,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.08,0:10:19.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,no, the awesome surprise for me was that
Dialogue: 0,0:10:19.61,0:10:28.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we sell the plastics retrieved from the 5 gyres \Nwe'd make over $500,000,000
Dialogue: 0,0:10:28.31,0:10:33.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and this is in fact more than \Nthe plan would cost to execute.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:33.10,0:10:36.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In other words -- it's profitable.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:36.82,0:10:41.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I believe that the key thing is that
Dialogue: 0,0:10:41.79,0:10:48.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,only if we realize change is more important \Nthan money, money will come.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:48.49,0:10:58.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And yes, it will be one of the largest environmental\Nrescue operations yet, but we created this mess.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:58.44,0:11:05.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Heck, we even invented this new material first \Nbefore we made this mess,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:05.65,0:11:12.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so please don't tell me \Nwe can't clean this up together.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:12.41,0:11:14.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you very much.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:14.86,0:11:17.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)