Beach cleaning machine - GIF

[Jon]

Beach cleaning machine.



Previously:

Trash interceptor - GIF, patent, photo
The 1935 Dempster-Dumpster, the first dumpster - photos and patent
Beach mat for amphibious deployment - GIF and photos

[Moby Duck]

Had something similar to this at beaches near where I live about 40 years ago and it was very successful for many years. Mostly picking up sea weed after storms back then, not plastic. Then along came the eco-nazis and had it stopped because rotting sea weed is part of the cycle of nature and contributes to beach biodiversity. Now after a big storm it lies there festering and rotting in the sun for months before it slowly disappears.

[olderdan]

I live in a sea side town and the local authorities are using a beach cleaning machine just like that, it is not used for seaweed cleanup but for the litter that people leave behind. It is not a problem in the off season but summer visitors foul it up on a daily basis, littering is a big problem in the UK and we seem to have lost respect for our surroundings.

[Frank S]

Yeah what ever happened to pack out your trash when leaving?

[PJs]

Yeah what ever happened to pack out your trash when leaving?

I agree. Years ago when I used to back pack a lot I was up on the outskirts of Tuolomne Meadows (Yosemite @ ~10k ft) and found a beautiful pristine meadow to set up camp for the night. When I got to the spot I wanted I found 3 empty propane bottles. Carried them out and didn't go back to Yosemite for 10 years...Turons! Look at that cute Marmot Fred...lets give him some Cheetos, he looks hungry. True story up on the overlook to Lake Tenaya...I kept waiting but he was pretty civil.

Don't get out to the beach much anymore (10 mi away) for the same reason, but if a machine like this keeps the plastic and human debri out of the ocean, I'm all for it.

Was messing around making Icons for my wife's website awhile back and came up with this for myself;



PJ

[Jon]

Why clean up when a machine will do it for you?

Kidding, of course. But it is interesting to note the rise of machines that complete basic human tasks vs. the decrease of humans performing those tasks themselves. Perfectly acceptable for mundane tasks; troubling for tasks that comprise an integral part of the social contract, like picking up after yourself.

[Frank S]

I have almost 2800 ft of road frontage. being out in the the county there is not a lot of traffic but every once in a while there will be a convoy of terrorist I mean tourist pass through on their way to nowhere. It will be a sure bet that after they pass through somewhere along the 50 ft wide section between my fence and the road there will be a wide assortment of trash that I guarantee didn't happen by blowing out of the back of some farmer's pickup. Because there is not a starbucks or whataburger with in 75 miles of here.

[PJs]

Why clean up when a machine will do it for you?

Kidding, of course. But it is interesting to note the rise of machines that complete basic human tasks vs. the decrease of humans performing those tasks themselves. Perfectly acceptable for mundane tasks; troubling for tasks that comprise an integral part of the social contract, like picking up after yourself.

If by "Social Contract" you mean honor, integrity and common decency, I'm with you! However reading comments on YT or other social sites (and their owners buying and selling attention) gives the real clue to how and where things are going and the ADHD involved. I wrote this the other day in a comment on YT; "Discernment is not an option it's an imperative".

Seems to me at some level, Machines completing common task is a great idea just badly implemented and just gives them more time to use <144 characters to communicate, waste more resources and build Big Data, AI so they don't have to think or behave anymore...or...something?

Frank S, I hear you too. Just in the "News" last night they showed a video of a pickup with a tilt bed dumping about a yard and a half of concrete scrap in front of someones house in Oakland which is a big problem there. The Mayor has now hired 3 more Trash Police (actually "Trash Forensic Specialist") to sort through it an determines "who done-it", Plus a 311 Phone line, then more police to track them down and fine them. So now we have expensive high tech equipment and people to solve such mysterys and attach a $1k fine...are you kid'n me? How about we catch the Smuck(s) (with the TFS's, I guess), make them pick it up, fine them $1k plus hauling/dump fees, and assign them 6 mo. of pickup duty as "Community Service"...second offense, $5k fine and take away their DL for 5 years.

It's a more Systemic Problem, me thinks...

PJ

[NortonDommi]

As more and more people move to where I live the rubbish builds and the beaches are where it shows the most. I hate litterbugs with a passion. Another problem that has come with more people is the whingers complaining about seaweed on the beaches and it took years of uphill battle to get the council to stop removing it,(very well connected these whingers),seaweed rotting on a beach is a vital part of the ecosystem. A lot of small life forms ranging from fungi to a plethora of insects rely on it and in turn small fish rely on them. Pretty dumb removing a fundamental part of the food chain just for someones aesthetic values.

[PJs]

Ran across this today and thought about this post. I had seen the devastating environmental issues in India before but this was inspiring.
Some good articles on it in the Guardian and The Global Citizen. It's been going on now for about 2 years and seems the word is out and being taken to the locals for further help.

Perhaps humans as machines can be recursive...

Vid is only about 3 minutes.