I have an idea that may help some with the trash vortex problem out in our oceans. At the very least it may help others start thinking of their own ideas.
I’ve been reading about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_tower">solar power towers</a> and happened to have read about the <a href="http://moonseeds.wordpress.com/2007/12/10/the-north-pacific-gyre-the-plastic-vortex-the-8th-continent/">plastics clogging our oceans</a>. I started to think that if a solar tower were set up on something like an old oil rig, with some sort of net or dredging device to scoop the plastic it would be a self powered way to at least start to clean out the plastic. The only thing I was having issues with was what to do with all of the plastic that gets scooped.

I started looking at different things that are done with plastics to recycle them. It’s not easy to take unsorted plastic from the ocean and make it usable for consumers again. That’s when I stumbled across <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_depolymerization">Thermal depolymerization</a>.

From Wikipedia:

Thermal depolymerization (TDP) is a process using hydrous pyrolysis for the reduction of complex organic materials (usually waste products of various sorts, often known as biomass and plastic) into light crude oil. It mimics the natural geological processes thought to be involved in the production of fossil fuels. Under pressure and heat, long chain polymers of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon decompose into short-chain petroleum hydrocarbons with a maximum length of around 18 carbons.

It’s oil, that we can get for free, floating on the ocean. Environmentally friendly and profitable.

The only downside I can think of is, are there fish & ocean mammals swimming in that stuff? How could the plastic be harvested without harming wildlife?

(crossposted on <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/6/19/10515/0446/656/538348>kos</a>)