 ThinkTek Hawaii. Civil engagement lives here. You've done some great shows. Good afternoon, Howard Wigg, Code Green, ThinkTek Hawaii. My guest today has a vision of the future, a much cleaner future for our oceans. Most of you know about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that the size of Texas lies between here and the northwest, and it is filled with plastic, plastic, plastic, and it turns out that worldwide that is just now one of approximately six plastic gyres worldwide. What in the world do we do with this huge, huge, huge problem? To solve that and many other problems of the world, I am pleased to have with me today Captain Jeff Shattuck, CEO of Oceanematica, and he has a new technology designed to clean up this plastic, harvest it, and then do something useful with it. So welcome to the program, Captain. Thank you, Howard. Very, very, very honored to have you here today. And while I remember disclaimer, the captain will be promoting a certain technology for ocean cleanup, neither I nor the state of Hawaii, nor ThinkTek Hawaii endorse this project or product. It is here strictly as an educational tool to bring our awareness up as to this very, very serious problem. So welcome, Captain, to the program. Thank you. Let's start first with our first slide, and then you can use that as a statement as to just how important or how serious this problem is. You feel it's one of the most serious problems on the face of the earth today. Yeah, it really is. So removing ocean plastics with waste management methodologies is really a different approach that we're taking to ocean plastics and removing those ocean plastics, and as you said, repurposing back to industry in a closed-loop manner. So if we'll show the next slide, we'll see that this is really an issue, as you mentioned. Even a few days ago, Sir David Attenborough, a conservationist, a well-known conservationist, mentioned that the human race will regret it if we don't act on plastic now and in the emphasis on now. And really the frustration that many in the industries, conservationists primarily, scientists, et cetera, are really concerned that no one is actively out there doing anything. There are some companies out there that have worked on various programs, but no one actually out there recovering plastics. Precisely, yep. And I incidentally, in past lives, I have done some things about this. I've worked with the fishing industry here in Honolulu out of Pier 38, and what they do, oh, they go out to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and they fish there because fish like hanging around et cetera things that are accumulated, and when they see stray net, they will harvest it up or bring it up, put it on their bow and bring it back to Pier 38 where it's recycled, but that is such a manini, teeny, teeny, teeny little partial, partial solution there. Especially when you look at, if we show the next slide, the 1.6 million pounds of plastic that are being introduced to the environment each and every day into the ocean. So these are coming from harbors, bays, rivers, but there are also some, like you said, some contributions from fishing and commerce that is out there on the ocean. However, the real impact is from large events like Fukushima, the tsunami in Japan, the tsunamis in South Asia. So all those have really made a dramatic contribution to that plastic issue and this waste issue that's on the oceans. So in looking out, we really feel the impetus to get moving quickly and put together a program. We can change it later, even if it might be, it probably will be. We expect that we'll have progress to be made. This isn't the final solution to get all the plastic out. It's such a huge, huge problem. Exactly. So making this effort and with this design of actually having a mentality of that closed-loop waste management, kind of no different than the trash truck that comes down the street. They're picking up just bin after bin after bin of rubbish, but it's a little bit by little bit and that accumulation of that effort, that's what really will get the results that we're looking for. So looking at the next slide that we have, we're really trying to get the message out that we want people to understand that for every ton of ocean microplastics has the potential to kill one human. And that's you, me, anyone in your family, every person out there. So if we could pull out one ton of plastic, which is a large amount of plastic for a plastic, that's a lot of plastic, we can pull out one ton of plastic, then we save a person. And as we show in the next slide, what exactly that means for other parts of the environment, other parts of the ecosystem. So this 400,000 number of seabirds is actually outdated, the new number is 700,000. So in fact, that's what On Point mentioned today on NPR. And just hundreds of thousands of animals, well over a million animals every year are being killed through various pieces of plastic. And one of the real issues about plastics is that this plastic kills over and over again. So like in our Northwest Hawaiian Islands, in NWHI, it's been long recorded for a number of many, many decades now, the plastics are being eaten by seabirds, the shorebirds, and their bodies decay on the beach, but then those plastics go right back into the ocean. So they kill again. So that multiple kill factor really imparts a huge drive we've got to get this plastic extracted out of the ecosystem. And that's really when you see the other examples in the next slide of not just shorebirds, but the other animals that are affected all over the world. And like you mentioned, the different gyres that are out there, there's flotsam lines between the connectives gyres. They're just convergence lines between the ocean cycles and ocean currents and wind currents. So as those grow and develop, the points in red are those concentrated patches that will actually take our operating unit of our base ship and all the Roomba-like vessels that are operated remotely, take them to that site, process the plastics there, capture the plastics, process it on ship, and then return that plastic to industry. And that I think is a little bit different than any other program out there that is being worked on. A gentleman by the name of Pierre Eves Cousteau, the first grandson of Jacques Cousteau, gave me a call and he said, you're the only company out there that has a program and a worldwide effort that he really could agree with and get behind. And it's because of that solution of going to the site, processing the plastics, and getting those returned back to industry. This field has grown so much. I was very active in this field maybe 12, 14 years ago. And all we knew about back then was the North Pacific Garbage Patch. And we suspected that there were other gyres, but nobody had really done any work on it. And look at it now. This is just in the last 10, 12 years. And this graph is actually outdated because they've just announced one in the Antarctic. As you mentioned, there's actually six. This graph from a French conservation group, there's actually six one now. So as you said, it's an exponential problem. It's just increasing so rapidly that we've really got to get on top of this problem. So in the next slide, we see how we're approaching the issue is to really create that closed loop effort. So we go in, the consumer has a product. As you see, the manufacturer makes it, sells it to consumer. The consumer discards it. So it's that point of being discarded at the bays in the mouth of the harbors and bays that we want to concentrate on. But also as it collects in the gyre, in the middle of those gyres, those concentrated red patches that were on the graph. So we go to that spot and we use a sorter, a robotic sorter. We use a microwave technology that reduces those bulk plastics back down to the plastic pellets. It's actually acceptable to the industry. And now, is this on board? This is on board the base ship, exactly. So as we see the next slide, the base ship is a base of operations, but it has other vessels that are remote operated from the base ship. They're actually using a rubbish bin that gets filled with plastic brought to the base ship, processed on that ship, and then returns. It's just like a Roomba, basically kind of like a Roomba, they're a remote controlled robotic and operated with a program path to go through the ocean and pick up plastics. It's a rather dispersed, you know, the gyres aren't like a big carpet that's out there floating on the ocean. They're a bit dispersed. We can go to the concentrated point, but even that is still very dispersed. So that's why it takes such an operation as this to go. This is a very, you know, somewhat of a mechanical approach, but again, it goes back to that waste management, thinking and methodology of where this approach is just as waste management effort. Now I see that you're estimating is this one fleet of vehicles that would recover 55 million pounds of plastic and cover well over 3,000 square miles? Yeah, so Big Island is just over four. So it's about three-quarters of the size of Big Island. But that's correct. So, and the real key of that is being able to take this operational unit. So everything packs up. This whole operational unit is moved to another point. So we know by satellite and by radar where these concentrated patches are. So we go directly to that point and then we can recover all the plastics there. You know, this could be yet another use for drones. Absolutely. You could have a drone right on board there. So on the ship, we've designed drone landing pads rather than a helicopter pad. We have drone landing pads, exactly. So the drones go out and as newer drones have very capable drones that can reach up to miles away from them. So sometimes the distance between those concentrations are 10, 15, 20 miles. So they have to have that range. Yeah, and again, the purpose of the drones, as I understand it, would be to focus on those areas of the greatest concentration. Because in many parts of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch it's really, really, really dilute. Exactly. So you go from one concentration to the next, those red dots that you were showing on the map. Yeah, absolutely. And get the biggest bang for the buck. Yeah, the operational features of the plan is quite a bit to have a lot of solar driven, all the little service vessels that are out there, they're all driven by solar power, electric motor, electric jets, electric powered jets. So we're using a lot of electricity. So we're trying to keep our costs down low. And one of the other things about those remote vessels is that they're all unmanned. So designing a vessel like that is a very simplistic type of aluminum construction. And there's no life safety systems on it. There's no onboard helm. There's no onboard waste systems. It really cuts down the cost of that. Yeah, those darn humans really get complicated. They do. That's right. We want food and clothing and shelter. Yeah, and we want to be safe. And at sea in sometimes turbulent conditions, yeah. Well, on that very, very cheery note, we need to take a break. Code green. Think Takawaii, Captain Jeff Shattuck, CEO of Ocean America. And when we get back, we're going to get down into the real operating procedures for these marvelous vessels here. Back in a moment. Hello, everyone. I'm DeSoto Brown, the co-host of Human Humane Architecture, which is seen on Think Takawaii every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. And with the show's host, Martin Despeng, we discuss architecture here in the Hawaiian Islands and how it not only affects the way we live, but other aspects of our life, not only here in Hawaii, but internationally as well. So join us for Human Humane Architecture every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. on Think Takawaii. Hey, aloha, Stanley Energyman here on Think Takawaii, where community matters. This is the place to come to think about all things energy. We talk about energy for the grid, energy for vehicles, energy and transportation, energy and maritime, energy and aviation. We have all kinds of things on our show, but we always focus on hydrogen here in Hawaii, because it's my favorite thing. That's what I like to do. But we talk about things that make a difference here in Hawaii, things that should be a big changer for Hawaii. And we hope that you'll join us every Friday at noon on Stanley Energyman. And take a look with us at new technologies and new thoughts on how we can get clean and green in Hawaii. Aloha. Welcome back, Howard Wigg, Code Green Hawaii. My honorable guest today is Captain Jeff Shaddick, CEO of Ocean America. And we are talking about a revolutionary new technology that will address a revolutionary problem, namely the millions and millions of tons of plastic that is just accumulating, accumulating, not just in the North Pacific, but worldwide. And it's creating a major, major hazard. Captain, one statistic that I saw is that there is as much plastic added to the ocean every year as there is tuna harvested from the ocean. We're talking millions and millions of pounds of stuff here. And one thing about those plastics is they stay in the ocean. So that's a really disturbing statistic. I think that's something that people can start to relate to. If they realize how many fish are actually being consumed on a daily basis or a yearly basis, then they realize for every pound of tuna, which is even a physical size of 5 pound tuna, a lot of people know 5 or 10 pound tuna, 10 pounds of plastic is a much bigger area. Yeah, in volume because it's so much less dense. Any protein is a very, very dense subject. Yeah, it creates its own issues. So yeah, a really great statistic for people to be aware of when they're using plastic if they can possibly try to refuse or reduce or recycle. Well, I know we have a couple more slides here where I think you're going to get into the basis of this proposed technology here. So part of what makes our program different is the ability that we have designed into the system to go and remove microplastics. If we go back to the previous slide, you'll see two kind of unusual looking diamond shaped platforms. Those are actually floating, graphics aren't the best, but those are floating platforms that actually have a microplastic capturing device in them. They are running those microplastic capturing devices are running at 10 to 15 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees below that vessel. We better define microplastics. So microplastics are the big pieces of plastic floating on the ocean. Those are the visible ones you see. The microplastics are the ones that have broken down to 25 to 10 millimeter sizes. So those big pieces of plastic degrading quality and they finally start to break up and they start to sink. And they'll be in the three to four meter right below the surface of the ocean. And so that's where they're floating. And those microplastics are what is primarily primarily be taken up by the animals in the ocean. That's what's being mistaken for food or the animals are just hungry and they're looking for food to fill their stomach. So those microplastics are such a serious issue and concern because of their viability to kill animals. So the big pieces of plastic aren't being eaten that much. It's the microplastics and the floating bags that are subsurface. And that's what our program is a little bit different in that we're able to get those out. It does take a while but it's a very mechanical process but it's a sure process to retrieve those pieces of plastic. Okay, and you mentioned a few millimeters. What about what I would call the micro microplastics that go out in the virtually invisible range and then get into our fatty tissue and muscle tissue? So you bring up a very good question. So those are sub-micro to nanoplastics and those pieces of plastic, we really don't have the viable technology to get. And that's one thing that we really need to be looking at more even using maybe possibly even electronic current to attract those pieces of plastic. But unfortunately those pieces of plastic which are very lethal in the environment and to humans is really serious concern but no one currently has any plan to get those plastics. Well the good news is that the microplastics which this technology would harvest, since they're harvested they will not be around to get the UV rays and break down into the nanoplastics. You're removing the cause right there. Yeah, absolutely. And that's part of our point is we need to get to work now to start removing those plastics and take them out of the ecosystem before it gets worse and unfortunately. So one of the things that comes up often and I know you mentioned it as a concern is the biomass that gets captured along with capturing those microplastics. And one of the parts in our design is using an aperture that allows most of the biomass as much as possible to go back out of the environment. So the aperture that we've been working on is 10 to 12 millimeters. It's basically in that area of the opening that would allow phytoplankton, juvenile, everything from juvenile jellyfish to other animals to be able to escape back out of that. Now would that be separated by weight or what would the separation process be? So as the bins are being filled and the bottom of those bins is that same corrugated opening that has a 10 to 12 millimeter opening in sheets there in the base, the bottom of that bin. And as it run up into the back of the base ship for processing all that thing gets drained at that point. So that's the last opportunity for any of that biomass to be ejected out of the bin. And even if it's killed, at least it's organic material, somebody's going to eat it. It's still in the food chain now. Exactly. And another thing, a solid argument. So we will capture some biomass. Unfortunately, there will be that loss of that biomass. However, the sum or the gain of that is taking those microplastics out of the ecosystem so that they don't kill over and over and over again. So even though we may capture some of those, and some scientists have stated that and according to their research, some of that biomass is so contaminated by toxins living on that plastic or living in proximity to that plastic that it's better to go ahead and remove that biomass as well. Yeah, because this has been their environment, right? Again, because marine life accumulates under anything that provides shade. Yeah, absolutely. So they've been feeding on all the algae that grows on the plastic and they start picking up those toxins that are in close proximity to it. And then, like you said, those bigger species that are in those layers below that gyre, they're picking up all those toxins in concentrated water. So do we have any more slides? Yeah, I think we have a couple more. And this is one of the things that we really are trying to get in front of people that they have a choice to refuse, reduce, and recycle. And this is kind of a mentality. This is an effort to recover plastics, but this is a very expensive expenditure at this point. The cheapest way to go for humankind and the benefit to humankind is to reduce our plastic use. And we'll never get rid of plastics. We need plastics. We need everything from the health industry to automotive, et cetera. So we need plastics. But to manage that use, can you say no to a straw? Can you ask for a wax paper straw? Do you need a reusable cup? Do you need a one-time use, a single-use plastic? The biggest contributor to ocean plastics is single-use plastic bottles. So just reducing your plastic bottle use will take care of that. And one of the things that it really becomes a worry and a problem as far as the ecology goes is as so many species are already under great, great pressure, the fish stocks have been lowered so dramatically. They've been emptying the oceans. Pinnipeds have seen a reduction about 50% since 1970. No, a pinniped is... Oh, sorry, so monk seals like our beloved native Hawaiian monk seal. Those pinniped populations are being affected by plastics because they eat plastics as well. So those populations are decreasing dramatically. But as those populations collapse, they take out huge portions of the ecosystem that affect humans, have a direct effect upon humans. So that's why we're confident in saying, and in our studies, our research shows that those plastics are directly affecting humans. So if we take those plastics out or reduce our use, we're saving human lives. Now one very cheery note that we can introduce to this is the fact that the Hawaii State Legislature just passed a law, I believe imposing a 15-cent fee on virtually any single-use type of bag. Are you familiar with that piece of legislation? No, is that what Senator Bryan was proposing? Oh, this is locally. Locally, Hawaii, a little old Hawaii. Oh, nice. Now, as of July 1, it's going to charge 15 cents for each single-use bag in the supermarket. Wow. Well, that's excellent news. And this will, you know, we have all kinds of cloth bags, or now we have those reusable plastic bags, as long as we've got them. Might as well reuse them, reuse them, reuse them. There was a lot of protests. This legislation stalled year after year after year after year, but I think partially thanks to people like you raising our awareness, people finally said, yes, this is a real, live problem, and yes, it's not much of a hardship to carry a cloth bag into a supermarket to get my groceries or even two cloth bags. Well, certainly proud of Hawaii, and it's proud of being in Hawaii to be here and see a state taking those leading steps in the nation of reducing plastic bag use and really promoting not using those plastic bags. A recent well that was in Indonesia, they took 61 pounds, I'm sorry, 16 pounds of plastic bags out of a stomach. That's what killed the animal. So those plastic bags, that's a huge effort that's been made by so many people here, and that's one positive thing that we really need to highlight. There's been so many people that have worked very, very hard over the past few years to get legislation in front of our Senate and get some laws on the books, make those changes. They have worked very hard tirelessly behind the scenes, finally to get some movement made and get that awareness, public awareness up. So they really are to be commended. I mean, we just have such a heartfelt gratitude for those people. Yeah, and just speaking of volunteers, one of the most polluted beaches in the world, you think third-world country, no. It's the south point of the Big Island where you have two tides converging on that south point. And with all kinds of debris accumulating there, that's the not good news. The good news is that you have people, volunteers and pickup trucks hauling this stuff away and it ends up on this island and goes to H-Power, gets burned and becomes fuel. So we've got less than a minute. Any parting words of wisdom for us, Captain? Well, just the encouragement to everyone to reduce, refuse their plastic if they can, reduce and recycle. And if you can contribute to those wonderful people, those awesome people that are out there trying to make a difference, clean up the beaches, get those plastics out of the environment, whatever we can do to get that to happen. It'll lighten our load and make us even more successful in removing the plastics out of the ecosystem. And just on a final note, with your separation technology, you have these different types of plastic. We can make all kinds of use of old plastic. Absolutely. For one thing, patching potholes or adding to asphalt, roofing tiles, all kinds of use for these things. And then that catches the attention of industry. Hey, there's a value to this stuff. Now it's justified for us to recapture this. Yeah. So, thank you. Thank you so much, Captain Jeff Shaddick, CEO of OceanMedica. Hopefully this is a glimpse of the future where we will begin to see these vessels out on the high seas in the next few years, harvesting this. Well, thank you for having me on the show. Thank you for giving us a voice and to be able to communicate this as well. Yeah. Great pleasure. Till next time, Howard Wiig, Codes Green, Tech Hawaii. Thank you very much.