The cleanup of the April 20th BP oil spill is getting desperate. Shrimp boats are collecting as much oil as they can, but the prospect of 5,000 barrels a day continuing to spill into the Gulf is becoming overwhelming. The National Guard is setting up a plastic fence along the entire coast. Some individuals are even sacrificing their fashion: they’re stuffing pantyhose with human hair in an effort to absorb oil approaching the shore.
The residents sacrificing their hair may be elated to hear that technology exists to spare their 'dos. A company called AbTech sells sponges specifically designed to clean up oil spills. They’re called Smart Sponges and they absorb oil while repelling water. Even when they’re saturated with oil, the sponges float for easy retrieval. After retrieval, they can be safely transported to waste-to-energy power plants and burned to generate electricity.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Oil Sponges to Clean the Gulf : Greentech Media
Author: Galen Sanford