The Museum actively participates in numerous key partnerships, including with six of the nation's leading science museums, seven children's museums, and the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
SEA ‘N’ RECYCLE: IN HONOR OF PLASTIKI
BRINGS CURRENT SCIENCE TO FORT WORTH
ENVIRONMENTAL INSTALLATION PAYS HOMAGE TO PLASTIKI
The Museum of Science and History brings current, international science to the forefront as it pays homage to the historic voyage of the Plastiki, a unique catamaran currently sailing across the Pacific Ocean.
Sea ‘n’ Recycle: In Honor of Plastiki, an environmental installation created from 8,000 repurposed plastic bottles and other plastic materials, opened in the Museum atrium on Saturday April 10, 2010. The sculptural installation, which measures 12’ W x 24’ L x 9’ T, will be on view throughout the Plastiki’s 100-day adventure, which began March 22, 2010.
In addition, the Museum’s atrium media screen features statistics from Plastiki’s voyage, and the atrium video wall airs portions of the Plastiki web site, shows animation of what the catamaran looks like in 3-Dimensions, and broadcasts time delayed feeds from the catamaran’s venture.
Adventure Ecology founder and environmentalist David de Rothschild and his intrepid crew set sail aboard the Plastiki – a 60-foot catamaran engineered from approximately 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles and srPET, a fully-recyclable material. An ‘off-the-grid’ vessel relying primarily on renewable energy systems, the Plastiki and its crew will journey more than 11,000 nautical miles drawing attention to the health of our oceans, in particular the colossal amounts of plastic debris, by showcasing waste as a resource and demonstrating real world solutions through the design and construction of the Plastiki. Rothschild wants to raise awareness of the four items that contribute to most of the pollution in the ocean: plastic bags; Styrofoam; plastic soda and water bottles; and the lids and tops from the soda and water bottles.
“I conceived this installation in honor of the important voyage being made to call attention to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” said Museum Concept Designer Amy Romans. “Most of the plastic bottles are from a ‘chandelier’ that was created to enhance last year’s annual fund-raiser – Mad Scientist Ball – so this is the third usage for them.
“Our goal is for Museum guests to walk through the Sea ‘n’ Recycle tunnel to experience in some way the environment underneath the Garbage Patch that is now more than 100 feet deep into the Pacific Ocean and twice the size of Texas,” Romans added. “It is important for humans to feel the darkness and claustrophobia caused by the Patch and to think about its impact on sea life. Hopefully after experiencing this immersive visual environment, our guests will be more inclined to recycle.”
“This issue is not just relevant to some remote part of the world,” said Museum Curator of Science Dr. Aaron Pan. “It is important right here in our backyard. The Trinity River is one of the most polluted rivers in Texas. It’s always good to highlight these issues to increase awareness.”
“The installation of Sea n Recycle is about this museum responding to current science and historic events – to react to and engage our guests in what’s happening here and now,” said Museum of Science and History President Van A. Romans. “Our Plastiki-based project is a ‘tip of the hat’ to those that work in the environmental sciences.
“By creating a walk-through tunnel, our design team brings awareness of this important environmental issue to our guests of all ages. As visitors experience this installation, they will better understand the impact plastic waste is making on all of us,” Van Romans added. “It is also very exciting to have the technology in place to broadcast statistics and images from the actual voyage of the Plastiki in the Museum atrium.”
For more information about Plastiki, visit its Web site at www.theplastiki.com
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