PLUMASORB

Oil spills anywhere, but especially in water. Since "Exxon-Valdez" the sight of the sea birds drenched in oil captivated my imagination. Why are the birds so vulnerable? The trick is their feathers, which are designed to hold oil, and will do so and NOT WATER. 

So when the Gulf of Mexico exploded, I designed a quilt covered by plastic vegetable netting and filled with chicken feathers from an abandoned bed pillow. Dragged through a manufactured oil spill, the quilt soaked up every drop of oil and no water. I weighted the ingredients to prove it, and the feathers gained the weight of all the oil, and did not gain water weight. 

Next, I designed a barge with two rollers on either end, one full of new quilting, the other designed to haul in the oil-soaked quilts and PRESS THE OIL OUT INTO THE TANK BELOW. Very simple, and feathers are organic, cheap and plentiful. Anyone can outfit a barge for the purpose. Obvious refinements, such as hauling motors etc, are also simple mechanical devices. 

I realize the suggestion is oblique to your intentions, but this solution is so simple and cheap, nobody seems to care that it's perfect, because nobody will make a fortune with it. Please pass it on to people who should know better. I will be happy to send graphics, very often mail is rejected if they are attached. 

So when the Gulf of Mexico exploded, I designed a quilt covered by plastic vegetable netting and filled with chicken feathers from an abandoned bed pillow. Dragged through a manufactured oil spill, the quilt soaked up every drop of oil and no water. I weighted the ingredients to prove it, and the feathers gained the weight of all the oil, and did not gain water weight. 

Next, I designed a barge with two rollers on either end, one full of new quilting, the other designed to haul in the oil-soaked quilts and PRESS THE OIL OUT INTO THE TANK BELOW. Very simple, and feathers are organic, cheap and plentiful. Anyone can outfit a barge for the purpose. Obvious refinements, such as hauling motors etc, are also simple mechanical devices. 

Everyone, and the fishes and other life in the Sea. 

I have not team; help yourself. 

I'm 80. I could raise a team in an hour, but I was hoping you'd see the light here and fly with this. 

The fact that poisons are not use to diffuse oil spill and leave a further problem to solve. The fact that a simple byproduct can be so valuable for oil spill cleanup simply because it is organic, cheap, plentiful, and DOES NOT ABSORB WATER.

I hope to see this simple, cheap solution to a chronic problem that destroys coastal industries like fishing and so far has only resorted to toxic chemicals which add to the pollution; when the oil in question can be recovered after removal and the feathers involved will not pollute anything. I hope to see it in use if I live that long; so far I'm beating the odds but you never know....born 1943. 

further, I would like to see all oil ships outfitted with these materials to immediately deal with spills, or they could be part of the Coast Guard Emergency Operations, here in the US. The technology has been in place since pillows were first stuffed with feathers, and washing machines had expressing rollers on top. The nifty plastic vegetable netting is relatively new, but netting itself has been there since large scale fishing boats were built.

I've had none at all, since the concept doesn't exactly fit the mold you or anyone else presents for competition. But I don't care if I make money; I want credit though, and I want to see the next oil spill cleaned up in a week, before it hits the coast; where I've observed the pitiful attempts of people dabbing at the oil with paper towels. 

It will solve the problem of coast-crippling oil spills for good. 

The Genius of Feathers. 

Anyone, anywhere, any time, preferably sooner than later.