Cryptic Moth in Flight

The Moth Has Landed

2007-01-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

Well rested from the holidays, Cryptic Moth has begun the momentus task of shotlisting and transcribing 300+ hours of video. It is an overwhelming endeavor. Thankfully, many kindred spirits have come forward to help.

In the meantime, Cryptic Moth needs some help from our readers. If anyone has pictures, video, news or anecdotes about plastic pollution or cool solutions to that pollution, please send them to crypticmoth@gmail.com. You will be credited fondly.

Out.

I+G

Passing The Rupee

2006-12-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

The overnight 3rd class sleeper (including 65kg of gear) from Goa to Mumbai didn’t slow us down.

After a quick shower and Chai at the hotel, we met up with Mr. Gokhole of the Indian Chemical Council. He was our point man to the plastic industry’s people, organizations, and businesses. After a quick meet and greet, powerpoint presentations and a lunch of club sandwiches (veg) we settled on three interviews…the following day.

So we took in some sights.

On Thursday, Mr. Gokhole, 3 of the team and a driver piled into a miniature Fiat taxi and headed to the posh headquarters of PlastIndia – the apex organization of 7 different industry organizations that promote the benefits of all things plastic.

Mr. Mehta is the big-boss. He graciously agreed to a 30+ minute interview and took the environmentally-slanted line of questioning in stride. As he sees it, plastics create jobs, save trees and consume less energy in the manufacturing and transportation than other materials. Drip-irrigation plastic pipes are also modernizing Indian agriculture.

But the stats that industry repeat is how Indians are low per capita consumers of plastic (4kg v.s 15+ for USA) as well as one of the best recyclers (over 60%). That – according to Mr. Gandhi, plastic manufacturer for the auto industry – is because Indians don’t waste a thing.

Broken plastic chair? There are tradesmen to melt it back together.

Deepak from the Organization of Plastic Producers (one of the seven org’s under PlastIndia and our 3rd interview) re-iterated these points as well as how only .4% of all plastic waste is litter.

And yet plastic packaging still lines the streets and rivers or smolder in small piles for warmth. For industry, that is a consumer awareness and government waste handling issue. Mr. Mehta also admitted that it’s also about economics. The industry is seeing “exploding growth” (15% a year) so more plastic is on the way to feed the billion+ population.

The next day, with Mr. Gokhole as our escort, we got to see it for ourselves.

Daman is an industrial town about 200km north of Mumbai. Of the 1500 of so factories in operation, 1200 are plastic-related. We visited Cello, one of the largest producers of household plastic goods like pens (3 million/day), chairs (10,000/day) and toothbrushes (50,000/day).

Cello’s Director, Mr. Sharma, showed Cryptic Moth his impressive operations which included an army of women who assemble, package and perform quality control tests on the 18 pens that are produced every 32 seconds.

The next morning we had to say goodbye to our wide-eyed “handlers” Nandu and Kanta. They were a joy to have on the team and we will miss them very much.

Boom.

Fittingly, our last scheduled shoot with industry – and for the India trip – promoted a solution. Earthsoul is India’s only bioplastic company and manufacture 100% compostable bags made from Novomont’s corn and vegetable oil mix.

Perses, the company’s founder, owned his first plastic company at age 21 and now runs several companies from beer to bottled water. This latest venture is clearly an environmental passion as his bioplastics haven’t yet become viable – catering only to 5-star hotels.

That said, Perses wants to devote more – if not all – his time towards cradle-to-cradle business practices and is already developing food containers for the burgeoning fast-food industry and wants to build a larger manufacturing operation using local feedstocks as the raw material and renewable energy to power the whole operation. If anyone could do it in India, our bets are on Perses.

And that wrap’s up Cryptic Moth in Flight…for now. We expect a few trips to the USA as well as posting the trials and tribulations of editing 300+ hours of footage. Thanks to all those who popped in to read about our travels and who emailed words of encouragement. Most of all, thanks to all of the willing participants who stepped in front of the camera and shared their thoughts, feelings, plans and solutions towards a world becoming more and more plasticized.

Quite a trip…

Namaste.

Out.

I+G

Goa Goodness

2006-12-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

The 600km overnight drive from Bangalore to the Portugese settlement of Goa was estimated to take about 10 hours, on the good road. While asleep, our anti-social driver, Raju, decided to go for the road less traveled, which included dodging trucks and elephant-sized potholes for at least 40kms.

After 15+ hours, we arrived at the Wednesday Goa flea market in Anjuna. It was a good opportunity to stretch our legs and get some broll of the colourful bazaars that Goa has become famous for…that and the beaches, hippies, Israelis, Russians, Canadians…etc.

We spent the next day getting some much needed rest in the beachside village of Arambol. Andrew hooked us up with rooms in a house of a family he knows as well as scooters to explore the coast.

And so we did.

By Friday, it was back to business. On good advice but no appointment, we drove to meet Elvis, Chief Municipal Officer for the famous port city of Vasco (aka da Gama). 2 years ago Vasco banned plastic bags. And not just the thinner bags, ALL plastic bags.

Once again, Cryptic Moth got lucky. We found his office, waited 20 nervous minutes and presto, we're interviewing him on a courtyard balcony.

Elvis had as much positive enthusiasm as frustration. He told us that the plastic industry challenged the ban by lobbying the government to define the term “bag.” The definition turned out to be any bag with handles.

Can you see where this is going?

That’s right, a new square plastic “sack” was born and another attempt at municipal enforcement squashed. Still, the “bag” ban has reduced the amount of visible litter in Vasco and one of the first plastic bottle return systems in India began in Goa (more on that later).

As is Indian tradition, Elvis graciously provided Cryptic Moth with a gift: jute bags, a city-made alternative to plastic bags. This material is locally made, long-lasting and 100% biodegradable. Unfortunately, the jute industry cannot compete with the cheap convenience of disposable plastic.

The next day we had an appointment with Claude, a 30+ year activist and current President of The Goa Foundation. The group made headlines years ago when they dumped trucks of empty plastic bottles at the gates of one of the major mineral water bottlers and instantly got a bottle-return system implemented.

On this day, Claude took us to the local garbage dump of Mapusa. It was a smaller scale dump to Delhi but this time, it was on fire.

Of course, feral cows were moseying around and feeding while families scavenged for various materials. We interviewed Claude amid the dioxin clouds from burning plastic while slapping away a constant assault of flies. And he was a trooper.

After almost an hour interview – covering everything from the health hazards we were standing in to the failures of government, the pressure of industry and the ease at which all of this could be fixed. His solution: establish a government-funded operation that separates all materials at source. Then one can easily compost the organic waste, recycle the materials that can be recycled and stockpile the other plastic waste for a rainy day.

Claude definitely made the journey worthwhile and provided the team many insights before our upcoming meetings with the plastic industry in Mumbai.

Cryptic Moth also had to say goodbye to Andrew. We can’t thank him enough for the inside info, the inside prices and for showing us his India. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Cryptic Moth will spend the next couple of days gathering scenic shots before taking the overnight train to Mumbai. Luckily, Nandu and his wife, Kanta, are continuing on with the team.

Out.

G+I

High-Tech Plastic Waste

2006-12-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, the Cryptic Moth team said goodbye to Tewari and jumped a flight from Delhi to Bangalore.

It was Nandu’s first time on an airplane and – for once – Ian wasn’t the most anxious flier of the crew.

We arrived quite late to our room at the Ivory Tower Hotel – a wonderful 12th floor suite overlooking India’s most high-tech and “cosmopolitan” cities.

We spent Sunday filming the low-tech sides of Bangalore like botanical gardens and the Nandi Temple. It was interesting how plastic bags were a common conveyance for offerings.

Thanks to a family friend, we met up with one of our local contacts, Partha, who has been a great ally on this trip. Partha greeted us at his office with the customary Masala chai and biscuits. Within minutes we realized how dedicated and influential he is to the greening of India. In a nutshell, he worked in film, the government, NGO’s and all the while pushing for corporate responsibility and government enforcement.

But Partha didn’t want to hog the spotlight. Instead, he offered up a young prodigee, Dr. Yellappa, a fiery environment minister who wasn’t afraid to voice his dissatisfaction with the powers that be.

Originally a forestry expert, Yellappa has seen how plastic pollution can infiltrate the soil, the water, the animals and now humans. To show us one example, he brought us to the outskirts of Bangalore where illegal dumping occurred. It wasn’t hard to spot the piles just off the road but Yellappa had one in mind.

This was medical waste.

Closer inspection revealed a literal pick-up-sticks of syringes, razors, plastic tubing, IV bags, and lots of packaging. To his credit, Yellappa climbed into the pit for a stand-up interview as locals looked on with mild curiosity.

Perhaps to lift the mood, our host drove us to see his friend at Bangalore University who teaches mechanical engineering.

Dr. Amarnath’s most recent research has been in the viability of waste plastic as alternative filler for concrete.

On site testing has shown the material to be quite denser and road trials have shown it almost impervious to cracks.

The following day we visited Bineesha at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. She deals mainly with e-waste and was more than happy to accommodate us at the last minute.

She brought us to Syed’s recycling shop where one entered through a small opening and into massive warehouse of yesteryear’s mainframes, monitors, keyboards, printers and even floppy disks are salvaged for just about every knob, circuit and screw that can be sold on the second-hand market.

Unlike the scenes witnessed in Delhi, Syed’s operation was legit and obviously flourishing.

On the other hand, much of the plastic housing is still sent to landfill and one has to wonder how such operations can keep up with the obsolescence of high-tech crap from both inside India or shipped as “aid” from western nations. What’s more, the bulk of Syed’s workforce was barely in their teens.

Once many pictures were taken – of us – Cryptic Moth sped off to meet some Canadian friends and friends-of-friends for dinner and drinks. Then, to save some money on hotels and cover some kilometers, we rented a car for the overnight drive to Goa. Palm trees, papayas and, yes, plastics await us.

Out.

G+I

Mt. Plastic

2006-11-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

On the drive back into Delhi, Cryptic Moth spotted several large hills that, upon closer inspection, turned out to be landfills – dumps that largely consisted of plastic waste.

Thanks to Ashley, our kick-ass production coordinator, we would be one of the first film crews to actually climb these plastic mountains.

Parvinder works for Toxics Links (toxicslink.org), a local NGO committed to bringing awareness to everything from water quality to electronic waste.

Plastic is also on their radar and Parvinder agreed to show us recycling, India-style.

We chose a location on the backside of the landfill in order not to attract attention. We then hiked in a few hundred meters up the mountain where “ragpickers” as they are known actually live and work.

Different materials – like cloth, metal and plastic bags – are sorted by hand into large enough piles that are weighed and then sold as scrap for just a few rupees. The mixture of feces, rotting corpses, food waste and other garbage made our throats sting and eyes water.

We interviewed Parvinder amid the devastation. He spoke eloquently about how “ragpicking” is an illegal profession in India but the system relies on these families to deal with the ever-increasing throwaway packaging. And while recovering these materials is necessary, the toxic working conditions make sites like this a crime.

And we felt it.

After filming some walk-and-talk broll with Parvinder, Gad started to notice small pools of toxic sludge with hatching insects. It was time to move on.

We drove around to the entrance of the landfill. Tewari weaved the car through a train of garbage trucks to about half way up the mountain. It was as far as he – and most of the crew – would go. Ian spent 20 minutes filming alone on the topside and those details will be saved for the film. Suffice it to say, this was the most testing Cryptic Moth shoot to date. And we were shaken.

Parvinder still had another location for us – an area outside Delhi where computer equipment; monitors and circuit boards are salvaged – by hand – for various parts and metals. After only 5 minutes of shooting, the crowd that had gathered forced us back to the car.

On the way home, we stopped on the banks of the Yamuna river – a heavily-polluted waterway where children were collecting trash from a plastic raft and a woman washed her hair.

According to Parvinder, most Hindus believe that rivers will take the litter away to God but somehow don’t realize how much it is accumulating. Just as he was explaining that, a car on the overpass threw a plastic bag of trash from the bridge that let out a great SPLOOSH when it hit the water.

After another interview in the setting sun, Cryptic Moth dropped Parvinder at his office and planned to meet for dinner later in the week. We can’t thank him enough for giving us an inside look into Delhi’s plastic pollution. The city is lucky to have him.

After many showers, excellent food and a sound-sleep, Cryptic Moth had an appointment across town with Conserve – a small business that transform plastic bags into designer hand bags, shoes, jewelry and other accessories (conserveindia.org).

Anita and her husband founded the company a couple years ago and it has now grown to over 300 employees with buyers around the world.

Anita showed us where they make new designs, where they pack finished products and we interviewed her in the Conserve showroom.

But as Anita explained, she’s taking a lot of risks. Many of these people are illegally living on government land and performing an illegal act - once packaging hits the ground in India it becomes government property.

Anita took us back to the “slums” to show us her operation. Plastic bags are collected from all over Delhi. Some locations – like high-end hotels – become part of a daily routine for the collectors. Then the bags are washed, hung to dry and sorted according to colour.

This one location can process about 5,000 plastic bags a day.

The bags are then sent to be blended with other fabrics to make their basic material – one that is labor-intensive as well as proprietary…hence no photos.

Our hats come off for Anita, Conserve, and all those artists/business people out there who are making profit - and jobs - from waste.

Later that night, Gad and I experienced our first rickshaw ride to have dinner with Angad and Tara – friends of Ashley.

Word to the wise: if you’re ever down or had a rough day, a rickshaw ride through Delhi is the near-death, exhilarating ride for you. We highly recommend it.

The next day, we were again in he capable hands of Tewari, hauling-butt to Agra, home of the Taj Majal. The plan was to get some iconic images of India and we were told by reliable sources that we would see elephants, monkeys and snake charmers.

Well, we did see some monkeys…but the Taj did not let our cameras inside even though they did take our money. Lesson learned. We hiked around the backside of the Taj and managed to get some nice shots, as well as garbage lining the riverbank. We also got some far shots from the Red Fort.

Cryptic Moth then spent our last day in Delhi shooting various landmarks like Paharganj (the main Bazaar), the New Delhi train station, and the gates of India.

Quite a week…next we’re off to Bangalore to speak with more government officials on plastic bag bans and hopefully get a deeper look into e-waste recycling.

Out.

G+I

Synthetics of the Subcontinent

2006-11-22T13:56:00.000-08:00

Cryptic Moth left the Esperanza and her crew in San Diego with heavy hearts. We wish them nothing but success in their defense of our oceans.

We remain awed.
Thank you.

We hit stable land for only 5 hours before taking the red eye back to Toronto…for only 50 hours. We then had to catch a 20-hour flight to India for 3 weeks of shooting waste management in India.

So you can imagine, we arrived in New Delhi physically-drained, emotionally-raw and completely disoriented. Not a great combo on your first trip to India.

Luckily, Cryptic Moth is well-trained and well-connected. We were met/saved at the airport by Canadian entrepreneur and good friend, Andrew, who has been visiting India for more than a decade.

Cryptic Moth was thrilled to have Andrew’s expertise, like the car he rented – with driver, Tewari...

to take us immediately from the airport to the Himalayas.

Ian, however, was not thrilled to ride shotgun for the 6-hour nighttime OMYGODLOOKOUT gauntlet of cows, buses, trucks, cows, bicycles, tractors, mules, dogs, bulls, cows, motorcycles…

You think you get the picture…

…but you have no idea.

Somehow, we arrived in Chandigarh, the last major city before heading into the mountains.

The plan was to take a few days of rest in the Banjar Valley with a family that Andrew knows well.

Baldev and his family turned out to be truly great hosts. Not only were there scenic shots of forests and snow-capped mountains but Baldev set up interviews with the local magistrate on the effectiveness of recent bans on polyethylene plastic – locally called polythene – that are less than 70 microns (whatever that means?).

The big wig was P.R, a stoic man with a gentle thoroughness, able to administer streams of requests of everything from drivers’ licenses to land disputes.

Once we covered the major points of the interview over a cup of chai, Cryptic Moth chose a venue above P.R’s home, over a fence, and into a once used basketball court.

Perhaps happy with the interview, P.R. insisted we speak with another local government representative – one who oversees agricultural affairs. Vijay spoke soberly about eliminating plastic waste from remote mountain communities. “Bury it or burn it,” was the attitude.

Happily, it turns out the plastic ban exceeded expectations – only 6 people have been charged with selling bags that are too thin and replacements like newspaper are widely accepted. Locals also agreed that the “visual pollution” had been dramatic.

And yet, later that day we drove to a 2000m Jallorie Pass with epic backdrops filled with monkeys and feral cows – again – juxtaposed with a small dumpsite consisting mainly of plastic.

The following day, the Cryptic Moth team (which now included Andrew’s good friend and CMP interpreter, Nandu)...

...drove further north to spend a night at 3000m in Manali.

We arrived after dark and eventually found a great deal at the highest point overlooking “old Manali.”

The next morning we shot broll footage of scenic vistas and local market action and then as fast as we arrived, we were heading back…

Until Andrew suggested we visit a friend who lived nearby…just to say hi…

Now we have seen some hairy roads in India so far but this road – hand built – made even Tewari nervous.
Yes, it made for a great shot.

A quick hello/goodbye and we were gone. Coming down the mountain, we learned a thing or two about Indian driving. For instance, downshifting is frowned upon. Tewari basically rode the brake pads until they smoked, passing trucks on blind corners in 5th gear. Terrifying and yet oddly addictive.

Such beauty…such chaos…and the faces…and eyes…and smiles…and smells. We can't wait to see what's next.

Out.

I+G

Plastic Vortex

2006-11-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

Cryptic Moth has now spent 10 days at sea. And although it took just a couple days to adjust, our sea legs are strong and our appetite, stronger.

Life on the ship is governed by a strict routine. We are awoken at 7:30 and have until 8 to finish breakfast. Then there are cleaning chores until 9 where all are expected to participate.

The crew then goes to work on various jobs like chipping rust off the deck, painting and general maintenance on the ship. Lunch is from 1200-1300 and there are 30-minute breaks – called smokoes – that occur at 10 and 1500. Work stops at 1700 and dinner is served at 1800 sharp.

Amid this routine, Greenpeace must also continue their ongoing campaign to defend the oceans from whaling ships, illegal tuna fishing, long-lining, shark-finning and most recently the impact of plastic debris on marine habitats.

To find the largest accumulation of plastic, Greenpeace ventured about 500 miles northeast of Hawaii to an area called the North Pacific Central Gyre – also dubbed the trash vortex or eastern garbage patch.

Many loyal readers already know how atmosphere and ocean currents collect debris from thousands of miles away in a swirling toilet bowl estimated to be about twice the size of Texas.

Unfortunately, a large storm developed to the North almost exactly where we planned to go and sample. This slowed our progress and almost pooched the mission. I don’t know if we’d call it luck but we began to spot plastic debris in previously pristine waters.

One of the methods used onboard is a trawl affectionately dubbed “the yellow thing.”

The bulky contraption is towed along the surface of the water collecting anything greater than 1/3rd of a millimeter in diameter.

Two 30-minute trawls a day revealed a soup of marine organisms, plastic fishing line, rope, fragments and pre-production plastic pellets called nurdles.

Even Charlie collected his own samples and was happy to play up to the cameras.

We also went hunting for plastic. One of the zodiac’s (The African Queen) is deployed via a crane and then meets up with the team at the pilot door.

This is where things get a little tricky. The ocean swells can be quite large and so one has to time their dismount carefully.

Once aboard The African Queen, spotters on the bridge would radio the position of a piece of debris for us to scoop up in nets.

If large enough, scuba divers are deployed to photograph the debris under water.

Some of our findings included a plastic crate that had become a home for fish, fishing nets, hard hats and a slew of land-based products that made for great photo-ops.

We even met up with an old acquaintance – a solar powered satellite tracking buoy that Charlie attached to a ghost net and released last summer. This research is to help understand complex ocean currents and how they transport plastics. And that research continues. Charlie attached a brand new buoy to the tangled mass and it is already transmitting data.

Cryptic Moth has developed great contacts here on the Esperanza as well as good friends. We pass the evenings by playing darts, chess, Risk, poker and sometimes watch movies on the heli-deck.

Sadly, we have now changed course for San Diego. While the team has managed to collect a fair amount of debris, we never reached the area of highest concentration. So have we failed?

Consider this: we are a small vessel cutting a tiny sliver on an enormous ocean and yet every trawl sample shows plastic debris and everyday trash floats by. This cannot be coincidence. Our oceans are literally filling with plastic. That plastic, as it breaks down, becomes food for marine animals. The plastic also absorbs oils and nasty chemicals that can be passed up the food chain…ultimately to humans.

And more research is needed – especially when it comes to microscopic particles. Greenpeace should be commended for taking on pelagic plastic and bringing it the additional attention it requires. Have we failed? Hell no. Media outlets are now clambering for the story.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/11/06/plastic.trash.vortex.reut/index.html

What a surprise...

Cryptic Moth will spend the next week conducting follow-up interviews with Charlie and the onboard scientists. We will be sad to leave this home away from home but it’s time to focus yet again on solutions.

Out.

I+G

Yaaaarrrrrr, Hippies!

2006-11-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

Cryptic Moth took a short flight to Honolulu with Charlie and Adam to hook-up with the Greenpeace vessel, Esperanza (Spanish for hope).

The 74-meter ex-firefighting vessel is an impressive ship outfitted with 4 zodiacs (also called ribs), a helicopter, a working crew of 18 and 13 various campaigners and media.

We spent the first day filming Greenpeace’s press conference on the heli-deck where Charlie stole the show, making 2 major networks that night.

The ship also held open-houses to the public and a soiree for friends and donors where Gad showed off his exceptional bartending skills.

(Not the actual bar...or beer.)

Although our departure was delayed by a day, Cryptic Moth took advantage by getting scenic shots of Honolulu, boarding sequences with Charlie, profiles of Adam and stocking up on various supplies.

On the morning of the 26th, a small group from the ship drove to the north shore of Oahu, a surfing Mecca with stunning beaches.

We were there to clean-up the litter on one of the beaches next to a public golf course. While it wasn’t as bad as what we saw on the big island, two hours of collection yielded about a ton of plastic debris.

And what a photo-op it made.

Beyond fishing nets and floats,

Greenpeace gathered dozens of toothbrushes, plates, cups, lighters and shoes.

Charlie even uncovered a honey hole of golf balls in a reef 20 yards offshore. To his credit, Charlie fought the current to bring back all 410 golf balls and returned them to the manager of the club house.

The manager was equally appalled and agreed to put them on display as a warning to future golfers.

After lunch in a small surfer town, Cryptic Moth climbed aboard one of Greenpeace’s famous zodiac boats. A local group of rowers even made the trek out to wish us well.

The plan is to motor northeast towards the eastern garbage patch and document the dangers of plastic debris in the ocean.

The enormity of the North Pacific lies before us and we are ready.

Out.

I+G

Cryptic Voyage #3 - Plastic In Paradise

2006-10-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

As difficult as it is to leave the Canadian winter behind, Cryptic Moth accepted an invitation to board a Greenpeace vessel in Hawaii and sample for plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean. They are following up on the fine work done by Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation (see Alphabet Soup post) who has been documenting how plastics accumulate in our oceans and how they can impact marine animals.

We arrived on the big island of Hawaii a few days before our departure to visit with the Captain. Unfortunately, Charlie spent the first day busy repairing broken windows and cracked cement pillars as a result of the recent earthquake. We took the opportunity to drive around the island filming various scenic spots with Greenpeace scientist, Adam.

But we were not there simply as tourists. The following day we awoke at 4am to visit Camillo Beach – one of the dirtiest beaches in the world. Getting to the south side of the island, however, required serious off-road vehicles called Unimogs. The three-hour drive was loud, bumpy and muddy. Needless to say, Gad loved every single moment of it.

As you might expect, this was not your ordinary day at a Hawaiin beach. Because of prevailing winds and ocean currents, Camillo beach collects a ton of this crap - everything from bottles to floats to toothbrushes, lighters etc. Surprisingly, the group who showed us around (Ron, Noni, Dayton and Jen) helped clean this very beach only 5 months earlier! In one particularly bad area, the litter piled 3-feet high and 3-feet deep. It was as if plastic was taking the place of sand. Yum.

It was a long, hot day of shooting but well worth the trek.

Tomorrow we fly to the island of Oahu to board the Esperanza, a Greenpeace vessel sailing the globe in defense of our oceans.

Out.

I+G

Cryptic Update

2006-10-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Due to the technical limitations onboard the Greenpeace vessel, Esparanza, Cryptic Moth has been unable to upload blog posts. As soon as said bugs are worked out we will give you full updates from the last week.

In the meantime, please visit http://oceans.greenpeace.org and click the tab on the left that says "the expedition." This way you can at least track our whereabouts.

Kinds regards from the Pacific.

Out.

I+G

USA Road Trip: The Lost Notes

2006-09-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

(Cryptic Moth apologizes for such a long delay between blog posts but as many know we have been busy editing footage and prepping for the next trip.)

In the final days of our USA road trip, Cryptic Moth finally got to see some biodegradable materials get made into product. Cortec became a world leader in using plastic as a corrosion protectant but has now branched off to packaging materials - mainly bags - that are 100% compostable. But according to Cliff, Cortec's Technical Sales Manager, their Eco Film line of products are not 100% biobased.

You see, in order to increase the strength and durability of their products, Cortec uses 70% corn-based plastic from BASF and blend it with 30% petroleum plastics. Cortec's material is still certified 100% compostable, and therefore 100% biodegradable...in the right conditions. Welcome to the confusing world of bioplastics.

At Cortec's world headquarters outside Minneapolis, the resin mixture is fed into an extruder, heated and then blown into a giant bubble that stretches to the ceiling. The plastic then returns to the production floor through a series of rolls, printed and coverted to bags or sheeting.

What's amazing is how the production process is identical to making non-degradable bags. Tim showed us around the operation, explaining the years of fine-tuning it took to produce stronger PLA films.

Cryptic Moth conducted its final shoot of the trip with the world's leading producer and inventor of PLA biopolymer resin. And it was well worth the vist.

NatureWorks' PLA resin is not only turned into disposable packaging (cups, cutlery, sandwich triangles) but also a line of fabric called Ingeo that can be made into carpet, clothing or diapers. Steve, NatureWorks' Global Marketing Manager, explained in the interview how recent hurricanes, wars and the price of oil make biopolymers an affordable, renewable alternative. Big name customers like Wal-Mart agree.

In the future, NatureWorks hope their products will be recyclable as well as compostable and are looking at alternative sources for starch to make different biopolymers. When asked about GMO corn used in their products, Steve assured me that if a producer - like many in Europe - prefer non-GMO corn, they can accomodate that by buying from appropriate growers and sanitizing the production plant from contamination.

After 20,000 kilometers, Cryptic Moth would like to thank all our American hosts for allowing us through their doors to point cameras at them. Most of all, thank you for fighting plastic pollution and for inventing next generation polymers.

Au Revoir.

G+I

Could Plastic be the Next Tobacco?

2006-09-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

On good advice, Cryptic Moth headed south from Nebraska to the University of Missouri-Columbia. We wanted to interview Dr. Frederick vom Saal, a leading researcher in developmental biology. His most recent - and controversial - research has been on the biological impact of synthetic hormones like Bisphenol A (BPA) used in many plastic products - think CD's, eyeglasses, dental sealants and many polycarbonate baby products. When heated or exposed to detergents, BPA can leech from the plastic.

What has made his findings so alarming, however, is the fact that only a miniscule amount - only a trillionth of a gram - can alter the development of the brain, the liver and reproductive organs. His tests on mice were quickly refuted by industry-funded studies as non-replacable but vom Saal insists there are some 20 peer-reviewed scientific studies that duplicated his findings (endocrinedisruptors.missouri.edu).

More than 6 billion pounds of BPA is produced every year. Since polycarbonate isn't recycled, much of that BPA threatens to contaminate groundwater. And because no technology exists to remove BPA from our waterways, we end up absorbing most of this chemical through bathing. Recent government studies already show most us have significant levels of BPA, the greatest at risk being developing fetuses.

Vom Saal also told us how a plastic company practically bribed him if he changed his findings and how 2 network news shows shelved in-depth interviews with him. Sound familiar?

After spending 3 hours with vom Saal, Cryptic Moth headed to Minneapolis for the weekend. We thought a ballgame might lift our spirits.

Out.

I+G

Notes From The Road

2006-09-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Cryptic Moth took its time traveling from Oregon to Nebraska. And we are glad we did.

Some of the scenic broll from Idaho included scorched forests, deep chasms, and desolate roads.

When we hit the Rockies in southern Wyoming, we decided to hole up in a mountain cabin and get some much needed rest. (Amazing how taxing sitting in a car can be!)

We spent the first day visiting Old Faithful and other tourist hotspots.

Then Cryptic Moth humped the camera gear 10 miles into the bear-infested mountains.

While we didn't take many scenics, the exercise alone made the hike worth it.

By Monday (Labor Day) we were on the straightaways of the Nebraska prairie.

The plan was to visit the largest PLA bioplastic manufacturing plant in the world. Months of preparation with the Dow Cargill company, NatureWorks, fell apart only days before the assumed shoot. Without proper approval, Cryptic Moth were only able to get exteriors of the impressive operation.

Taking it all in stride, we reached a compromise to visit the NatureWorks offices in Minneapolis the following week and interview a spokesperson on the viability on bio-based resins. Not only that, Captain Moore of Alphabet Soup fame just happened to call around the same time and suggested a good replacement story in Missouri.

Nothing left to do but wash the car and - again - head south.

Out.

I+G

Plastic Bag Man: A Retrospect

2006-09-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

(Due to a rather frenetic schedule, Cryptic Moth blog posts are usually delayed by a week or so. In the melee, we failed to post a shoot that was by no means forgettable.)

On good advice, we headed to Oroville, CA to meet Robert, President of Roplast Industries.

They manufacture plastic bags of all kinds – mainly thicker, reusable ones – and are tinkering with bioplastic resins.

We wanted to speak about the responsibility that industry was taking in regards to pellet loss.

For the uninitiated, most plastic manufacturers receive their raw materials as small pellets shipped on trucks or trains. They are then vacuum-sucked into the factory to be melted and blown into bags or molded into shapes.

Unfortunately, many plants – when disconnecting the hoses – lose a considerable amount of pellets. During heavy rains, those pellets mimic food for some animals as they make it to open water.

Robert is determined to eliminate that.

He personally gave us a tour of the tracks where the materials arrive. Collection buckets were present...as were pellets.

But the yard was definitely cleaner than most. Case in point - the storm drain that runs off the property showed only a few pellets. Still, Robert knows that more can be done.

During the interview Robert voiced his frustration towards those in industry ignorant to change and how enforcement of “voluntary” initiatives is virtually non-existent. Robert also doubted the viabilty of bio resins replacing petroleum bags, citing recycling as a better solution.

Cryptic Moth thanks Robert for his candor and corporate responsibilities that go beyond the bottom line.

On a somber note, Celine Baekeland Roll Karraker recently passed. Cryptic Moth was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with Celine, the grand daughter of Bakelite's inventor (see blog post Plastics 101). We extend our heatfelt wishes to Hugh and his family.

Out.

G+I

Farming Plastic from Farmers

2006-09-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Our shoot on Wednesday was just down the road in Salem.

Agri-Plas recycles millions of pounds of plastic every year, making it the state’s largest recycler...of agricultural plastic.

Yes, agricultural plastic.

From the twine that wraps hay bales…

…to the film that covers feed…

…to flower pots…

…farmers use a huge amount of plastic.

Allen showed us how Agri-Plas collect the materials from all over the state, then sort, clean and grind the plastic into raw materials for the auto industry and other plastic molders.

And business is good.

In the 4 or 5 hours we were there, deliveries included a flatbed of used plastic twine, a truckload of flower pots, a truckload of various household plastic, and boxes of old toys.

The only plastic Agri-Plas won’t touch: PVC.

Cryptic Moth would like to thank Allen for letting us roam freely around a very busy plant and for rigging a great jib-cam for the interview.

Gad finally got the forklift time he so richly deserved!

Unfortunately, the sun is now at our backs. Oregon is as far north – and west – as we go. Our next shoot isn’t for a week but it’s in Nebraska.

Stay tuned.

Out.

G+I

P.S.

Alphabet Soup is now on Google Video. Check it out!

Home Sweet Foam

2006-09-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

Our next shoot wasn’t until the following Tuesday in Salem, Oregon so Cryptic Moth headed back to the Californian coast.

On the way, we decided to play with Gad’s new Prius-Video contraption

Components include rope, a light stand, paper towel and a bunch of duct tape.

It worked out great and we played with different angles of POV traveling shots.

We holed-up in Eureka on Saturday to get some rest and do basic chores like laundry.

On Sunday we spent a long time visiting giants in the Redwood National Park.

As much as we attempted to capture their size on camera, nothing could come close to the awe of looking up from a mere 5 or 6 feet off the ground to a canopy hundreds of feet away.

We humbly hiked for hours through isolated trails until it was time to head north.

When the sea fog occasionally lifted, we saw how Oregon’s coast is just as stunning as California – and less populated.

By Monday evening we had reached Albany, Oregon. We were here to meet a man who – through the local newspaper and eventual blog pick-up – was discovered by Cryptic Moth researchers.

His name is Steve and he runs a spray-foam insulation company with his sons. 25 years ago, Steve recognized that the excess urethane foam was always sent to the dump and never recycled.

Being a lateral thinker and part-time artist, Steve began experimenting with foam as a building material. After a cave-in or two, he finally succeeded in building a foam volcano-esque canopy overtop a pre-existing concrete office building.

The foam home includes a 25-foot waterfall that feeds a pond and a front moat with fish like trout, bass and koi.

Locals are encouraged to feed the fish

But are warned of Steve’s surveillance cameras that discourage local drunks.

There’s even a grotto under the peak of the mountain that would make Hef jealous. Through narrow tunnels and up a few stairs, Steve unveiled a full-sized swimming pool, 6 feet deep, and wired with lights and music.

All over the property one can find foam sculpture – from boulders to animals to boats. Even the garden’s soil contained foam pieces to repel pests and absorb moisture. Steve swears it has made it crops healthier than ever.

After the tour, Cryptic Moth interviewed Steve outside his home while his giant pit bull, Sam, circled the camera suspiciously.

Steve then graciously posed in different areas of the foam mountain – including taking a paddle in his foam raft.

By his own words, Steve is no treehugger.

That said, he hates waste and knows that recycling solutions do exist for plastics whether it’s as a fuel or an artistic statement.

Out.

G+I