David de Rothschild: Saving the world, one adventure at a time 9

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1. 

   Tyler Durden Posted 10:37 pm
   07 Jul 2009

   Environmental Issues:1. “We’re looking at the Plastiki not to vilify the material but to
   understand it. A big part of this project is to use technology to
   innovate new plastics, innovate new uses."Too bad.  Plastic is very environmentally destructive, from its creation to its disposal.  The idea that the only thing wrong with plastic is that instead of reusing it people throw it away is as fallacious as the idea that nuclear power will be good for the Earth because switching to it from coal will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (which, BTW is not even true).  In order to create plastic you have to drill and refine oil, two very destructive processes.  Once created, all plastics constantly "out-gas," polluting the air.2. What's unusual about this boat is that its hulls are being made of recycled plastic, not that it's being made of plastic.  Boats used to be made of wood, but as of 30-40 years ago they're almost all made of plastic; it's called fiberglass and seems to be very similar to the srPET material that these people are developing, judging by their description.  (There are a few boats made of ferrocement and steel, but they're pretty rare.)Sailing Issues1. They're called "hulls," not "pontoons."  You don't want people to think you're a landlubber, do you?2. If they're going to avoid the hurricane season in the South Pacific, they'd better hurry.  The correct time to leave from SF for Australia would be May or June.  I definitely wouldn't leave any later than early September, and even that's taking a significant chance.3. Sorry to kill anyone's sailing fantasies, but all modern sailboats have diesel engines, with literally a handful of extremely rare exceptions.  What will provide the auxiliary power for this boat?  A company named Lagoon has been selling hybrid boats for a few years.  They have electric engines instead of diesel ones and a diesel generator for when the batteries need charging.  This is a much less environmentally harmful alternative.4. Re No. 3, what will be Mr. de Rothschild's and his skipper's commitment to only motoring when absolutely necessary.  Motoring with electric engines uses more electricity than anything else on a boat, which in turn causes the diesel generator to come on, consuming fuel and polluting the air and water.  Many modern so-called sailors motor at least half the time, because they refuse to wait out calms and/or don't want or know how to sail upwind properly.

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2. 

   Moondancermom Posted 9:28 am
   08 Jul 2009

   A Rothschild, saving the world one adventure at a time????? What a great big load of stinky doodoo!! It is his central bankster family that is fomenting invasions/occupations, killing the world and robbing the people of food, freedom, and resources. So, instead of this fake campaign to save the world, why doesn't he and his bankster crime syndicate family give up all their ill gotten money and power, because that would save us all.

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3. 

   windermere Posted 10:38 am
   08 Jul 2009

   Don't get me wrong--I love Grist, and you guys run some important stuff. But trust fund baby rides the ocean in boat made of plastic bottles? How's he gonna "save the world"--by picking up debris along the way? Oh right, by Twittering. Come on guys, be funny, by all means, but don't be dumb. If you must focus on this "piercing-eyed" dude, please skewer him--don't give him a heavily featured puff piece.

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4. 

   Moondancermom Posted 10:46 am
   08 Jul 2009

    If he REALLY wanted to help, he could influence his family who controls the banks who loan the money to the oil companies that provide the means to produce those plastic bottles. His family also owns the controlling shares of more than half of those global oil companies. They are behind Monsanto and many of the global manufacturers of those plastic bottles, and the corporations such as Nestle, Coca Cola, Pepsi, etc. who use them. I'd say that he can do more good by cutting off the head of the problem within his own family.This looks to be nothing more than a great big feel good campaign to make their crimes more palatable, providing another use for their poisonous plastic.

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5. 

   rational exuberance Posted 11:36 am
   08 Jul 2009

   Glad to see increased attention to this issue, but de Rothschild is not the first (perhaps to Sidney, but not to Hawaii).  See: http://junkraft.blogspot.com/2007/05/who.html

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6. 

   rational exuberance Posted 4:07 pm
   08 Jul 2009

   That's Sydney, arrrgggghhhh!

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7. 

   grygy Posted 5:41 pm
   14 Jul 2009

   Tyler: I agree with some of your points, but you are wrong about the auxiliary engines.  This is not a typical charter-cat crew, they have some serious sailors on board, and serious sailors do not like to motor. Remember Lynn and Larry Purdey (sp?), who have been sailing sans engine for literally hundreds of thousands of miles? This boat will have two electric motors with 2 hrs running time in their batteries, for low-speed manoevering and harbor entry. Having tried an electric motor (Torqueedo) on my 22-foot sailboat, I agree they use a lot of juice. So they will sailing virtually all the time, just like other hard-core sailors do.As for the Lagoon cats you mention, rumor has it most of them have had so many problems they are being converted back to regular motors. You can be slmost as efficient by just using one of your two engines in a big cat. See http://www.latitude38.com/letters/200901.html and http://www.latitude38.com/letters/200902.html (search for hybrid in these letters and responses in the Bay Area's sailing mag)As for nuclear plants generating as much GHGs as coal - show me a reference, I think you are way off on that one too.

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