Assertion Not checkable as stated
Slat: Modern per-capita environmental impact is smaller than hunter-gatherers'
“So I think per capita, our environmental impact today is actually smaller than the hunter gatherers.”
Insight
Slat: Stop ocean pollution by targeting ocean-bound plastic over total production
“It's our view that if you want to quickly stop plastic from polluting the ocean, you should probably first focus on that 0.1% rather than the whole thing.”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Slat: Ocean Cleanup needs 10 systems over 10 years for Pacific patch
“For the Great Pacific Garbage Patch if we get to nominal performance, you know, which is the goal for the next nine months with our current system, we would need about 10 of those systems to get the job done in 10 years.”
Prediction Partly held up
Slat: Ocean Cleanup technology will be ready to scale by late 2024
“And yeah, I think in about nine months time, we should be at the point that we can say, Hey, we're ready. We're ready for this. The technology is ready. Now it's just up to the willingness of the world to make this happen and make it scale.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Slat: The Ocean Cleanup has faced bribe requests from local officials
“Oh, well, without mentioning names, of course, but we've definitely been in situations where you're being asked for you know, for bribes and things like that.”
Opinion
Slat: Permitting delays have left hundreds of tons of plastic in oceans
“So you can argue that it's like hundreds of tons of plastic in the ocean today because of environmental lawyers.”
Opinion
Slat: Nonprofit critics of The Ocean Cleanup oppose big machines, not cleanup
“Even people who run nonprofits that clean plastic by hand off beaches, like they are at times like very critical about what we do. So it's like, okay, clearly it's not about the cleanup part. You're not against removing plastic from the environment. You're jus…”
Assertion Partly supported
Slat: Only about 0.1% of annual plastic production reaches the oceans
“Looking at the latest data, so roughly four hundred million tons of plastic is being produced every year. And of that, it's only in the order of a few 100,000 tons that makes it to the ocean. So it's like zero upon one percent.”
Assertion Partly supported
Slat: Ocean Cleanup lost $10M when first 2018 system broke
“So back in 2018, you know, of course we had done hundreds of scale model tests, lab tests, et cetera, but then we said, okay, let's just build the full scale thing in one go. It was this big launch in San Francisco, took the thing out. It was you know, we were…”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Slat: Ocean plastic cleanup requires a few hundred million dollars annually
“To solve the, you know, the global inflow and to clean up the legacy pollution. If we want to do that over the next 10 years, you're talking about a few hundred million per year for the whole.”
Insight
Slat: Climate change is a product of inferior technology
“Climate change, CO two is, is definitely a product of inferior technology. And we, you know, I truly believe that through, you know, innovation and you know, new, better technology, we can Live lives that are even more prosperous than today, while at the same …”
Assertion Partly supported
Slat: Ocean Cleanup bycatch rate averages roughly 0.1%
“Regular fisheries usually has a bycatch rate of around, you know, 10, 15% on average. I mean, arguably a hundred percent because the thing they do is catch sealant. But yeah, we have average roughly 0.1%.”
Assertion Supported
Slat: 1% of rivers produce roughly 80% of global river plastic emissions
“And what we found is that just one percent of the world's rivers do, you know, roughly 80% of all the plastic emissions. So it's very concentrated, and mostly in, indeed, these, you know, big coastal cities in, in middle-income countries.”
Opinion
Slat: Permitting bureaucracy is the main obstacle for deploying river interceptors
“I think the main hurdle is just that it's new, it's different. There's not a you know, a certain category of permit for Interceptors, you know, plastic interceptors. So so I think that's the main issue. It's not a question of, you know, are they unwilling to s…”
Insight
Slat: University is a means to an end and not for everyone
“University is, is kind of a means to an end. I think, you know, I employ a lot of people that do have engineering degrees. Of course we need those. But I don't think it's necessarily the right path for everyone. And, you know, if you can reach your goals witho…”
Assertion Supported
Slat: Great Pacific Garbage Patch holds roughly 250 million pounds of plastic
“So there are five areas in the world where the plastic, once it's in the ocean, converges and concentrates. The largest one is this Great Pacific Garbage Patch between Hawaii and California. And yeah, there's roughly two hundred and fifty million pounds of pla…”
Assertion Partly supported
Slat: Ocean Cleanup system is largest self-propelled ocean system at 1.5 miles
“It's the largest self-propelled system ever deployed on the ocean. It's a mile and a half long, approximately.”
Assertion Supported
Slat: Ocean Cleanup sweeps a football field of ocean every five seconds
“It sweeps an area of ocean clean the size of a football field every five seconds.”
Disclosure
Slat: Benioff, Gebbia, Maersk, and Kia are major Ocean Cleanup backers
“Up to, you know, like a big gifts from people like Mark Benioff Joe Gebbia as well as some companies. So, you know, Maersk, the shipping company is, is a big backer. Kia, the car company.”
Assertion Supported
Slat: A Malaysian real estate developer funds local Ocean Cleanup operations
“So for example, Malaysia there, it's a local real estate developer that is our boots on the ground. You know, they, Want to develop real estate along the river, but their problem is that it's one of the most polluting rivers in the world. So by supporting us, …”
Disclosure
Slat: The Ocean Cleanup's budget is around $50M per year
“Our budget right now is, is around fifty million a year.”
