Plastic pollution seems a strange topic to talk about in a mobile tech blog, but here is how I use mobile tech to help me in my fight against marine plastic pollution.
I am in the very fortunate position of having two things in my life that I'm hugely passionate about, the first is my job as Community Manager for EE and the other is being an environmental campaigner.
I've been heavily involved in voluntary work over the last five years in the fields of research and marine mammal rescue, working with marine life and in the marine environment. The things I encountered along the way made me decide to set up the Scottish Coastal Clean-Up Project. The main purpose of this project was to raise awareness of the scale and consequences of marine plastic pollution and to document my journey in removing marine plastics from the environment.
You may think these two fields of work are very separate, however there is one thing that joins them together quite nicely, mobile technology.
In August 2017 I set off on a solo trip around the coastline of Scotland to carry out beach surveys and cleans. The terrain was often extremely difficult, the areas remote and the task seemingly impossible. But the job was made a lot easier and safer with a few handy apps and bits of kit.
As the sea commands a great deal of respect, one of my go-to apps for safety is Tide Times. The app allows me to accurately track the tide times to make sure I will never be in a situation where I am cut off from land by an incoming tide. It gives the times of both high and low tides, the expected height and you can check future dates and locations too which helps with planning ahead.
The battle against marine plastic pollution is being fought from many angles and mobile apps themselves are helping too. One such app is the Litterati app, this app lets you take a quick snap of the items that you find, be it on the beach, in the countryside or in your town. You can then geotag it, label it and submit it to the Litterati team. The data is then used to pinpoint trouble spots around the world and to work with manufacturers to find suitable packaging alternatives.
When on my travels I need to be able to assess remote, hard to access areas to see the impact of marine plastics and make plans to remove them. I currently use a drone linked to my mobile phone by WiFi. I can safely view the area up-close from the screen, control the drone via its own app and view access routes to and from the site without putting myself in any danger. It has made the task so much easier than it used to be and I don't have to endanger myself in the process. I can also upload the video and stills straight away if I need to.
By far the simplest, but I'd have to say the most important benefit of mobile tech in my journey so far has been the ability to get my message across on social media in real-time. I have been able to update my social channels with videos, pictures and updates and showcase the amazing work of others all at the click of a button.
Mobile tech has allowed me to meet worldwide campaigners, get involved with huge projects and kept me in touch with home all at the same time. My journey so far has seen me speaking with Scottish Cabinet Ministers. It's taken me to Norway to meet government representatives there and I've taken part in conferences and campaigns both at home and abroad.
It's helped connect me to inspirational, passionate people all over the world who are all working on a better future. I've now removed over two tons of marine plastics from Scotland's coastline (still rising) and some from Norway's too. Who knows where my journey will take me next, but one thing is for sure, I will have a pocket full of mobile tech to help me along.
What weird and wonderful apps do you use to help you with your day-to-day, work and hobbies? Tap 'Reply' below to let us know.
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