“You never change something by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Buckminster Fuller
British banking heir and “environmental daredevil” David de Rothschild, otherwise known as “Eco Bruce Wayne” is challenging us to consider our waste as a resource. With 12,000 plastic bottles and some cashew glue, he’s built a catamaran he hopes to sail from San Francisco to Sydney, an 11,000 mile journey inspired by the 1947 journey of the primitive raft, Kon-Tiki. It’s a publicity stunt of gigantic proportions to attract attention to an enormous and growing problem out in the middle of our oceans.
His 60-foot eco-friendly craft, “Plastiki”, will be fully at the mercy of the winds out on the Pacific. It’s housed with solar panels and windmills, and the deck, sails, and cabin, complete with six bunks and a 2-burner stove, are made entirely of re-purposed plastic. Stationary bikes will provide exercise for the 5-member crew, and human waste will provide fertilizer for a small on board organic garden.
The entire project may seem “out there” to many, but de Rothschild was born to be wild. In a talk he gave at TED, he outlined his life formula: dreams ignite adventure which creates stories which inspire more dreams. A spark of curiosity is all you need to set your dreams on fire.
Plastiki won’t have the horsepower of a fossil-fueled speedboat, but it will have the power to challenge our perceptions and change the world – and that’s groovin’ with the woowoo~
Follow David “Bruce Eco-Dude to the Max” de Rothschild on his adventures from the comfort of your laptop on facebook & twitter fo sho!
What did you make with your waste today?
