UNPLASTIFY BLOG
Like a ship's log, we will share our adventure and findings in this blog and social media. Follow us to stay tuned!
Como la bitácora de un barco, vamos a compartir nuestra aventura en este blog y redes sociales. Seguínos!
A DESPLASTIFICAR: EL MAR NO ESCONDE SECRETOS
Este enero arribó a la costa uruguaya el velero Fanky, embarcación que impulsa el proyecto Unplastify.
por ReAcción en Acción para El Observador - 17 de ENERO de 2019
Besada aclara: “me parece importante destacar que si bien la mala gestión es parte del problema, igualmente lo es el uso excesivo de este material. Y en este punto todos somos responsables de cambiar la situación desde el consumo, para evitar la generación de residuos plásticos que puedan ser evitados.”
Nota completa en : https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/a-desplastificar-el-mar-no-esconde-secretos-2019116212445
HAY QUE CAMBIAR LA RELACIÓN CON EL PLÁSTICO
“Cruzó dos veces el océano Atlántico, es exploradora de National Geographic y quiere educar para cuidar el planeta”
por Mariana Malek para El País Uruguay - 14 de ENERO de 2019
“Cruzó dos veces el océano Atlántico, es exploradora de National Geographic y quiere educar para cuidar el planeta.”
Nota completa en : https://www.elpais.com.uy/vida-actual/hay-cambiar-relacion-plastico.html#
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
Estamos muy felices porque nuestra Capitana Agustina Besada (o Tati para los amigos) es ahora una Exploradora de National Geographic. // We are delighted that our Captain Agustina Besada (also known as Tati) is now a National Geographic Explorer.
Estamos muy felices porque nuestra Capitana Agustina Besada (o Tati para los amigos) es ahora una Exploradora de National Geographic.
Es un privilegio estar sumándonos a esta destacada comunidad global, de la que forman parte grandes exploradores admirados por nosotras como Jane Goodall, Jenna Jambeck y tantos otros.
Conoces la campaña de NatGeo Planeta o Plástico? Está buenísima y tiene mucha información. Imperdible.
Gracias National Geographic!
Agustina Besada, ahora Exploradora de National Geographic
We are delighted that our Captain Agustina Besada (also known as Tati) is now a National Geographic Explorer.
It is a privilege to be joining this outstanding global community. Some of our most admired explorers are part of it, such as Jane Goodall, Jenna Jambeck and many more.
Do you know the NatGeo campaign Plastic or Planet? It is great and has lots of information. Check it out.
Thank you, National Geographic!
LA ARGENTINA QUE CRUZO EL ATLÁNTICO EN VELERO PARA DESPLASTIFICAR LAS AGUAS
Agustina Besada viajó con su marido de Nueva York a Europa. La movieron dos pasiones: la náutica y la cruzada sustentable de registrar las altas concentraciones de plásticos en el océano.
por Carolina Amoroso en TN Todo Noticias - 9 de SEPTIEMBRE de 2018
“Con un conocimiento profundo sobre sustentabilidad y economía circular, Agustina hizo alianza con otras dos argentinas para conjugar su viaje con su motor de estudio y expertise profesional. Así nació Unplastify, la iniciativa con la que busca investigar y crear conciencia acerca del uso responsable de los plástico.”
Nota completa en: https://tn.com.ar/sociedad/la-argentina-que-cruzo-el-atlantico-en-velero-para-desplastificar-las-aguas_895643
ARGENTINA VIAJA POR EL ATLÁNTICO
Agustina Besada tiene 33 años y hace unos meses decidió emprender la mayor aventura de su vida: cruzar en velero el océano Atlántico de Estados Unidos a Gran Bretaña…
ARGENTINA VIAJA POR EL OCÉANO ATLÁNTICO PARA GENERAR CONCIENCIA
LA NACION | COMUNIDAD | MEDIO AMBIENTE
4 de junio de 2018
Agustina Besada tiene 33 años y hace unos meses decidió emprender la mayor aventura de su vida: cruzar en velero el océano Atlántico de Estados Unidos a Gran Bretaña.
El viaje es la primera etapa de Unplastify, un proyecto que tiene como principal objetivo generar conciencia sobre el uso ineficiente del plástico a través de la investigación, el mapeo y las entrevistas con expertos.
Durante el viaje, se encuentra además tomando muestras de plástico con un dispositivo aprobado por el Instituto 5Gyres, que será el responsable del posterior análisis de aquellas.
Agustina vivió más de cinco años en Nueva York, donde se desempeñó como directora ejecutiva del centro comunitario de reciclaje Sure We Can.
"Luego de varios años de trabajar con sistemas de gestión y reciclaje de residuos, encontré la oportunidad para dedicarme de lleno al tema de los plásticos en los océanos", cuenta la joven a LA NACION tras su primera parada, en Bermuda.
Nota completa en : https://www.lanacion.com.ar/2140575-en-velero-una-argentina-viaja-por-el-atlantico-para-generar-conciencia
EARTH INSTITUTE ABOARD FANKY
A few weeks back, The Earth Institute, represented by Sarah E. Fecht, visited us aboard Fanky in the shipyard. It was a very cold day, but I think she was able to capture, both my excitement and the challenges of the adventure - USA
On a cold, gray day in March, Agustina Besada climbs down into the belly of Fanky the 37-foot sailboat. It’s cozy inside, though a bit stoop-inducing in some places.
Starting in just a few weeks, Besada and a small crew will spend two months living in this boat as they sail from New York to Portugal. Over the next two months, their mission is to explore where plastic pollution comes from, where it ends up, and how our society can fix its broken relationship with this persistent polymer.
“I’ve always felt obsessed with plastic,” explains Besada. After graduating from Columbia University’s Sustainability Management (SUMA) program and the Columbia Business School, she has worked primarily in waste management and recycling. She says that seeing the massive amounts of plastic that people discard every day was one inspiration for the plastic pilgrimage, dubbed “UnPlastify.”
Along the journey, Besada will be collecting samples for research on plastic pollution for the 5Gyres Institute. She’ll also be blogging, interviewing experts, and contemplating many questions. How is it that humanity came to have this relationship with plastic? What are other people doing to fix it? What does plastic pollution in the ocean actually look like? Besada hopes others will submit their questions and participate in the exploration as well.
“I can read reports and make my conclusions,” she says, “but I really wanted to experience this and share my journey and my questions and my findings.”
Plastic, Plastic Everywhere
Besada isn’t advocating that we eradicate plastic from our lives. That would be extremely difficult. “But I do think we need to rethink this relationship with plastic,” she says. “It is too much. We are too dependent on each other. We need to take a break, and think about how can we have a healthier relationship?”
The first step, she says, is realizing that we have a problem. You may use a water bottle or a plastic straw for a few minutes, but these items linger in landfills and the environment for centuries. “Once you realize that, it’s very difficult to not do anything,” says Besada.
It isn’t enough to simply recycle. Many items—like straws and food wrappers—are very difficult to recycle. And a large portion of recyclable plastics get sent to landfills anyway. Plus, items made from recycled plastic are usually not recyclable themselves, so there’s a limit to how many times we can reuse them.
One of the biggest and easiest ways to help is to do your best to avoid single-use plastics. Some suggestions:
Fill up your reusable water bottle before leaving home
Carry a cloth shopping bag in your purse, car trunk, or backpack
Bring your own Tupperware for restaurant leftovers
Resist the urge to use plastic lids or straws with your beverages
Buy other items that have been made from recycled plastic, to increase demand for items that aren’t made from virgin plastic.
“There’s no to-do list that works for everyone. What plastic can you eliminate from your life?” Besada asks.
Over the long-term, she hopes to find ways to create a circular plastic economy.
Being Prepared
Besada’s training through the Earth Institute is helping her as she designs the framework for her Unplastify interviews, data collection, and analysis.
“Something you learn at SUMA is that you need to measure, you need to quantify, you need to understand what the problem is in order to do something,” she says. “Having this process in mind for the development of the project, and working with a scientific approach, that’s something that I definitely got from the program.”
She’s also had to pick up a few new skills.
“I’m getting to be an expert in plumbing,” she says, “and getting parts, fixing things.” At the stern of the ship, tools and washers are strewn about where she’s fixing the rudder. Then there are engine repairs—she’s the only one on the crew small enough to fit into the tiny engine room—and learning about safety, navigation, and the weather.
Despite the multitude of tasks to finish, the team is on track to set sail in mid-April. From New Jersey, they’ll sail to Virginia to meet up with a rally of other boats following the same passage across the Atlantic. In the coming weeks, they’ll stop in Bermuda and the Azores, before arriving in Portugal in mid-June.
Then, for Phase 2, they’ll sail through Europe, adapting and improving on their study design. The journey will come to an end in November, after which the team will present the results of their exploration.
You can follow their journey on the Unplastify blog, as well as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.