Wednesday 11 May 2011

Project Kaisei - Clearing the North Pacific

Project KaiseiThis is a little bit of a change to norm for the EWA blog but we have been asked by our fellow WPP agency Cohn & Wolfe to help by posting some information on Project Kaisei, an important initiative to stop the growing problem of plastic debris in the North Pacific.

Project Kaisei is a non-profit ocean clean-up initiative with a mission to stop the growing Plastic Vortex. The Plastic Vortex, otherwise known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is a huge accumulation of plastic debris in the North Pacific Gyre, containing large pieces of plastic and other rubbish.

This is a severe problem; previously referred to as the 8th continent and floating roughly one thousand miles off California’s coast, this plastic patch was estimated to be twice the size of Texas and growing.

Each year the Project Kaisei ship sets sail to research the Plastic Vortex and increase understanding of marine debris, its impact on our ocean environment and how we can introduce solutions for both prevention and cleanup. $2.7 million will be required to help cover the costs of the next voyage.

To help raise funds for the voyage, Cohn & Wolfe and Project Kaisei have created a 30 day campaign centred on a streaming video of Kai (pronounced Kī), a small goldfish involved in an epic battle against plastic pollution.

Via a 24-hour webcam consumers can follow Kai’s plight, living in an aquarium filled with plastic material, representing the Plastic Vortex. To “Save Kai” and remove plastic from his castle in the sea, participants can make donations via Facebook www.facebook.com/projectkaisei in as little as £5 increments from now through just after World Ocean’s Day on June 10.

As donations increase, the plastic debris in the aquarium decreases, creating a safe and plastic-free environment for Kai to enjoy. All proceeds from the campaign will go toward helping Project Kaisei fund scientific research and clean up expeditions.

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