Hair Booms

I read an article in the Joplin Globe about using human hair stuffed into pantyhose to help soak up the spilled oil in the Gulf Coast. I think it is a great idea. Something has to be done with all the spilled oil anyway. People also have to get a haircut, so why not send your hair to help clean up the mess. There was also a link in the Joplin Globe for Matter of Trust, the nonprofit charity group who is collecting the hair and nylons to make the booms. They are accepting hair, fur, and nylons from anyone who would like to donate. That means if you do not want to go somewhere to get your hair cut you could cut it yourself and still send in the clippings.

A hair dresser from Madison, Alabama named Phillip McCrory is the person who came up with using hair to soak up oil spills. He got the idea from watching how hard it was to clean oil from the fur of animals after a spill. After testing the idea for a while he was able to get a patent for it. Now his idea is used to make what is called an OttiMat, a brick made up almost completely of hair. Isn't it amazing what we normally throw in the trash could be used for. Maybe more people should donate to this cause so that the oil Companies will be ready for the next time there is a spill.