In recent news, increased oil spills in Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela have led to the lake's pollution becoming visible from outer space itself. To combat the pollution of one of the largest and oldest lakes in the world, 28-year-old Selene Estrach came up with a rather unconventional solution- hair.
Estrach, the founder of Proyecto Sirena, has been reaching out to people across the world, asking them to donate their hair so that the material can be used to fight off the pollution in the lake.
Who Is Selene Estrach?
Selene Estrach is an environmental activist and the founder of Proyecto Sirena, a Venezuelan network of activists committed to cleaning the lake by collecting hair samples to "weave pantyhose-like nets that will be strategically placed in Lake Maracaibo," according to the Hindustan Times.
Estrach came across the idea of using hair to reduce the lake's pollution whilst researching how to combat Lake Maracaibo's in an easy, economical, and sustainable fashion; coming across the work of San-Francisco-based nonprofit Matter of Trust, according to The Washington Post.
Proyecto Sirena
Since the foundation of Proyecto Sirena, thousands of people (and their dogs!), mainly hairstylists in Venezuela, have sent in samples of their hair to help save Lake Maracaibo. According to reports in the Hindustan Times, the lake "is coated with iridescent slicks and neon green algae blooms." The pollution in the lake will be soaked by the pantyhose hair net, to prevent the oil slicks from spreading out and reaching other areas in the lake.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Estrach said that she and her team were "using hair to create furry, mat-like devices that can be used to clean up the shore." The hairy devices are yet to be tested out, but the results look promising. As Estrach stated, "It seemed like a crazy idea, but I always like to think that everything's possible."
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