Richie Sowa's Spiral Island is a floating island near the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. It's an island made of garbage. Most of the garbage that's used in the construction of the island consists of capped plastic bottles that are put into bags made of netting and then strapped together to form a floating structure.
My vision of green is a little different than Richie Sowa's vision. I would never consider bringing 200,000 plastic bottles together so that I could throw them into the ocean and try to live on them.
Richie isn't just making his floating Spiral Island with plastic bottles! Richie uses old carpets, plastic bags, netting and a whole slew of other garbage too.
Richie is an irresponsible ecology preservationist poser, and he's not calculated the risks involved in what he did when he built his island of garbage.
I admit though, that Richie's idea does have 'cool' appeal, which is probably why the potential for his idea to turn disastrous is overlooked by a lot of people. He gets his little bit of fame while risking an environmental disaster. Luck was on his side when his first floating garbage island was destroyed in a storm. He was able to recover the bottles he used to make his first island - but the second time he might not be so lucky.
The bottles that are used to make Richie's Spiral Island should be recycled and not brought down to the ocean along with the old carpets, plastic bags, pallets and other garbage. Richie should know that there's a difference between garbage in the ocean and garbage in a landfill. If there are no other options - garbage is better in a landfill than floating in the ocean.
Find out more about Richie Sowa's Spiral Island on his SpIral Island Social Network.
Submitted by geog-grad (not verified) on July 30, 2010 - 7:43pm.
But surely its better to reuse the plastic bottles than recycle them? Think of the waste hierarchy - reduce, reuse, recycle.
Submitted by John Pollard (not verified) on July 30, 2010 - 3:29am.
It sounds like the Author has some ego problem with Mr Sowa here. I do not see the problem with this at all....why do you not bleat about the Pacific Garbage Dump (100 million tons of plastic 8 times the size of the U.K) floating in the ocean).
Mr Sowa's (unlike your site) is not claiming toMake A Beter World. He is just a simple recluse who wastes no water, grows plants and picks up garbage that otherwise would probably make its way out to see anyway (after it is dumped there).
But if you really want an idea on what better to do with Garbage in the Oceans (whether it is brought there or dumped there) then read this http://nicolasrk.blogspot.com/
As for your site....it seems to me (and this is my first and last visit) that you are just another site driven by adverts for run of the mill Green Technology poducts.
Get real.
John
P.s About 60 million tonnes of the Pacific Garbage Dump is from the US.
Submitted by Devin (not verified) on April 4, 2010 - 9:21am.
I'm sorry I I don't think you have any idea what your talking about
Submitted by Kelley (not verified) on May 19, 2010 - 5:35pm.
I see no validity in the criticism of this article. I see an incredible amount of inexperience with the reality of the world and unabashed envy. Do you presume your car will blow up everyday you turn the key? Are your expectations of utopia existing anywhere in the light of day?
Improvements in the right direction far outweigh the accusations you've leveled. Worst case scenario for Spiral Yland it does break up into discrete units that are retrievable. Worst case scenario for all other government promoted ventures? One failed BOP in one oil rig results in what? Pick your battles better young man. This one is far too ridiculous to fight.
Submitted by cactii on May 19, 2010 - 9:11pm.
Kelly, if it were up to me there would be no drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, but it's not and that subject has nothing to do with Richie's Spiral Island.
Let's say Richie "inspires" just 1,000 people to build their own Spiral Island - that'd mean there'd be TWO BILLION PET bottles and a whole other load of garbage floating around in the ocean because of some crazy idea that Richie decided to try.
Submitted by cactii on April 5, 2010 - 12:32am.
That's fine, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and I have voiced mine.
Maybe you can tell me what the real benefit of the spiral island is.
Maybe you can tell me how making an island of garbage in the ocean (to supposedly create new land) is better than trying to use the land that we already have.
Maybe you can tell me how Richie has secured all the garbage he's used (to built an artificial island) against the danger of something wiping it out and destroying it and carrying all that garbage out to sea.
Maybe you can give me some reasons why you think that I don't know what I'm talking about.
Submitted by shy-but-green on February 9, 2010 - 6:30pm.
Sounds to me like Richie is an ecological psychopath who's able to hypnotize an audience with his "green" bull.
Submitted by shy-but-green on February 9, 2010 - 5:47pm.
You're a dumbass
Submitted by shy-but-green on February 9, 2010 - 11:22am.
interesting post. do you know where i can get any crack?
Submitted by Steve (not verified) on July 27, 2010 - 5:47pm.
Looking for crack?
Reach behind yourself and follow your left thumb...it's stuffed right up deep in the the middle of it.
Post new comment