Describe the critical need your solution addresses.

The cumulative global magnitude of the "TrashPatch" phenomenon is comparable to a continent or larger. This project will raise the awareness of the plastic debris on our oceans’ surfaces, particularly in the North Pacific Gyre, and to encourage a paradigm shift relative to the global use of plastic.

Explain your initiative in more depth and its stage of development.

Every square mile of ocean contains at least 46,000 pieces of floating plastic. The Central Pacific Gyre appears to have a particularly high density of plastic debris: here, a “trash-patch” of about 3.5 million tons has formed, 99% of which is composed of plastic. In the spirit of R. Buckminster Fuller's ideals to educate the public on global issues integrating design and sciences, we are proposing a platform related to the “TrashPatch” phenomenon: (i)- building a network of key stakeholders through a coordinated advocacy role within the University; (ii)- exploration of the strategic remediation strategies through deployment of a joint graduate Architecture and Engineering research studio; (iii)- public outreach through distribution of information and outcomes of the process. This initiative will be led by three core research teams from Columbia University: (1) Urban Design Lab at the Earth Institute (UDL); (2) Education Center for Sustainable Engineering, (3) Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory.

How does your strategy and approach respond creatively and comprehensively to key issues?

This project proposes a method for defining this global challenge. The term "plastic" connotes a material capable of being formed into any shape; its adaptability has made it one of the most ubiquitous modern materials. Its low cost has also made it globally abundant causing a mind-shift that takes this material for granted. Plastic has breached the barriers of solid waste systems and landfills and made its way into our oceans. Drawn by water currents and pulled by wind, floating plastics have formed a new oceanographic geography. These ocean-scapes, are formed primarily by a thick layer of small plastic particles at the surface level or “TrashPatches”, that are minimally understood, but there is growing evidence that the smallest plastic particles are entering the base of our food chain and can alter the carbon dioxide exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere.

The ecological impact of the “TrashPatch” and its micro-climate is to significantly alter the marine environment. The global challenge will be to evaluate its contribution to the environmental changes in ecology weather and climate. The environmental impacts of “TrashPatches” is unquantified and sets an unprecedented territory for investigation.