Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, one of the largest and oldest lakes in the world, is seriously polluted by crude oil. This ecological crisis is so big that it can be seen from space. According to reports, the body of water is covered in iridescent stains and neon green algae blooms. Despite the seriousness of the situation, limited efforts have been made to resolve it. Now Selene Estrach, a 28-year-old environmental activist, has taken it upon herself to clean up Lake Maracaibo.
Lake Maracaibo in San Francisco, Venezuela, covered in iridescent spots and neon green algae blooms. (AP)
The activist founded Proyecto Sirena, a national network of activists dedicated to saving the lake, and is asking people to donate hair. According to the Washington Post, the activist came across the idea in July while searching the internet for simple, economical and sustainable ways to clean up Lake Maracaibo. “It seemed like a crazy idea, but I always like to think that anything is possible,” Estrach told The Washington Post.
Since her appeal, many people have donated their hair for this cause. Some brought their dogs to the hair donation event. Her car has since been filled with bags of donated human and pet hair, the paper further reported.
The activist and her team will use the donated hair to weave pantyhose-like nets that will be strategically placed in Lake Maracaibo. They will surround oil slicks to prevent them from spreading or separating. In addition, the team created mat-like devices designed to clean the shoreline. These innovative tools will undergo testing next week. According to the activist, two kilograms of hair can absorb between 11 and 17 kilograms of oil, making this a cost-effective and sustainable way to solve the environmental crisis.
To ensure the sustainability of this initiative, Estrach and her team are also researching environmentally responsible methods for safely disposing of the oil absorbed by their devices. “It will be our contribution to the growing field of research into this technique,” she told The Washington Post.
In 1989, Philip McCrory, a hairdresser from Alabama, first devised a net filled with hair for use after an oil spill. NASA later tested this ingenious approach and proved it to be effective.
Hair has been used for years to clean up oil spills in different parts of the world. This year, along with used clothing, it was used to remediate the oil spill caused by the sinking of the Princess Empress tanker in Pola, Eastern Mindoro.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn