ENGAGING YOUTH IN STEM EXPLORATION - FIRST® LEGO® League introduces STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to children ages 4-16 (varies by region) through fun, exciting hands-on learning. 

Participants gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program using LEGO® technology, helping today’s students, families, and educators build a better future together. 

FIRST LEGO League’s three divisions inspire youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills and showcase what they learned.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), global plastic production has now surged to 400 million metric tons annually, yet only 9% of plastic waste is effectively recycled worldwide. The rest—91%—ends up in landfills, incinerators, or natural environments, where it pollutes ecosystems, leaches toxins, and breaks down into harmful microplastics. North America, for instance, recycles just 5% of its plastic waste, while Europe leads globally at a still-low 15%. Without intervention, production is projected to rise 70% by 2040, worsening the crisis (OECD, 2022). According to UNCTAD, the volume of plastic exports grew from 218 million tons (MT) in 2005 to 344 MT in 2022. To illustrate, it would take 17.2 million trucks, each carrying 20 tons, to deliver the 2022 global plastics exports to their destination, if carried on road.

OCEAN AWARENESS & LOBBYING

Bluebird Marine's lobbying over a period of roughly five years elicited only negative replies. Rather surprisingly, Germany refused to believe the technology could work, even with proof of the concept on the table. An odd response from a nation of engineering excellence. Canada was the most positive in reply, from a Commonwealth perspective. Whereas, several private US concerns expressed an interest in operating the developed product.

From the replies received and following their initiatives, by their action (or inaction), the relatively high-level political lip service is achieving little. They simply will not to roll up their sleeves in earnest and get the job done. There are though events with a lot of talking and banter. In the words of Greta Thunberg: "blah, blah, blah." There are meetings, then more meetings to discuss what was said at previous meetings. And then more meetings along the same lines the following year, going on since 2015, now in the tenth year, since SeaVax was proposed as a date stamped marker in the sand.

But still plastic dumping in the sea is on the increase. Hence, all of the talking in the world is achieving very little. Demonstrably thus, just speaking about and acknowledging a problem is a waste of time; without physical action. Or, we would have seen a decrease in dumping of plastics into the ocean.

A better bet for would be entrepreneurs, might be corporate backing from philanthropic minded organizations. But test the water first. COF assembled a Dream-Team of engineers and experts from 2017 into 2022, only to be dashed against the rocks of time. An opportunity missed, but maybe repeatable by teams fresh to the challenge in the future.

Big thanks to Chris Close and all the volunteers and trustees who gave on their time freely, while they might.

The EagleTechTitans displaying their 'MicroBot' with informational boards about plastics in the ocean and the technological challenge.