Our oil spill hair boom program has the same goal and a new tactic. The idea came to us from some wonderful engineers at Texas Instruments who contacted us during our struggles with the BP oil spill. They said that solar panel technology came out in the 70s but not enough people wanted to buy it. So some smart salesmen came to Texas Instruments and said, “Could we put solar panels on your calculators that kids take to school?” Kids grew up putting their fingers over the solar panels and watching the calculator turn off and then lifting their fingers to see it turn on. And so did their parents. Twenty years later these kids got jobs in energy and construction companies and when people said, “Does solar work?” they knew it did, even in fog. And now, solar is widespread, arguably the most popular of “alternative energies.”
Teachers and students, meanwhile, were contacting us from all over the world about our oil spill demo. So, we have now made handouts, lesson plans and demo videos for classrooms, science fair projects, Boys & Girls Clubs, Scouts, after school programs, University shop classes and research projects… Click on the links below and please send us feedback of what else you’d like. team@matteroftrust.org If you haven’t already done so, please sign up on our Excess Access database for news and updates. It shouldn’t take twenty years. We really expect oil companies to shift quickly to using the renewable, plentiful, natural, non-toxic waste fibers instead of continuing to drill oil, to make oil-based products used specifically to clean up oil spills. That is just the most annoying cycle we have come across.
According to the EPA, 50% of the oil spilled in our waterways every year comes from motor oil run-off. Booms are oil catchers, and can be made from natural waste fibers such as hair clippings from salons, fur clippings from groomers and waste fleece from alpaca, llama and other fleece farmers. Our kits are for schools to use to show how these abundant, renewable fibers soak up oil before kids’ very eyes in science labs and shop classes. This is a fun tool for those who want a project to raise recycling and clean oceans awareness. We have how-to-make instructions in PDF and demonstration videos posted on YouTube. (See below)
We are always reaching out to harbormasters, mechanics and manufacturing companies as end users who need booms. Oil companies are not as accessible. We enjoy working with local small businesses because the feedback is immediate. As these students graduate and some may want to create green businesses to help pay for college, we hope to have a database of willing end users for their natural fiber booms!
Teacher/Student Oil Spill Clean Up Handout
How To Do A Classroom Fake Oil Spill Demo
You can, of course, use real used motor oil but it’s toxic and smells bad, so do demo outside.
YouTube on How Hair Collects Oil
YouTube on Hair Boom Soaks Up Oil
