That of the Ocean water plastic crisis continues to grow each and every year within that of the entirety of the globe. Recently, scientists put a 2,000 foot rod in the Pacific Ocean to aid in the cleanup of this detrimental waste in our open waters. According to CNN, the pipe nicknamed ¨Wilson, was launched in its destination in the Pacific just on Tuesday, October 16.¨

After realizing that incentives and nationwide ocean clean ups aren’t necessarily getting the job done, scientists set out to see if this new semicircular shaped pipe could help grab plastic material off the top of the ocean and bring it to shore. According to CNN, the pipe is ¨shaped in a U form with a three meter deep net underneath, to trap floating plastic under the water’s surface.¨ Not only is the net equipped with a net underneath , but also a boat will return to the pipe each month to collect the debris in which it collected. In order for this new experiment to be enacted, President Trump signed the “Save our Seas act, that will keep the Marine debris Program running for at least five more years,” according to CNN.

Brooks Perry (11) loves the fact that “society is coming up with new experimentive ways to aid in that of our use of unnecessary plastic.” Although many critics of the experiment say that it may be ineffective in “catching small debris, and perhaps trapping animals inside of the rod,” the new rod, according to Eben Schwartz, the Marine debris program manager, “is hoping to draw attention to the project” in order to draw more attention to other ways of ocean cleanups.

Yes, that of placing a ginormous metal rod in the ocean may not entirely solve that of plastic waste in our oceans; however, it is a big step in the right direction in using outside of the box products to incorporate into everyday and annual projects. Sara Godfrey (12) knows how much “beach cleanups aid in collecting debris and plastic waste, but it is good that we are starting to cleanup plastic that has already made it into the ocean.”

Not only is this experiment one that is an inspiring step in the right direction towards plastic prevention, but it is also one, according to CNN, that is hoping to make the “future be better than the past,” and trying to achieve this goal, one plastic water bottle, cap, or even straw, at a time.