The big problem is that it is all about money, profits. It has really good engineering qualities; it protects food very well. After the community complained to the government about the burning, the dumping stopped here. Soto, Tanya Leal (film producer). Dr. Mike SanClements, Staff Scientist, The National Ecological Observatory Network, Affiliate Faculty, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado-Boulder'Sun's documentary sends a clear and coherent message about one of the major environmental problems we face today. One of the sponsors was the American Chemistry Council. How much plastic will the US produce this year? In this independent documentary film, journalist/filmmaker Angela Sun travels on a personal journey of discovery to uncover this mysterious phenomenon. What's it like to look at a field this size and see it covered in plastic trash? 18 billion pounds of plastic waste end up in the ocean every year. We're covered in plastic-based gear from head to toe. Angela Sun is an award-winning journalist, sports caster, and filmmaker. See it and share it with others!' 'This is an issue of vast scales. The plastic industry had brought a demonstration project here in 1994. What would happen if the corals died off? A good substitute is a Swap Meet. They knew these problems existed, absolutely. At Plastic Paradise's conclusion, the viewer is left pondering that the amount of plastic in the world will increase by 400% by 2050. If the public thinks that recycling is working, then they're not going to be as concerned about the environment. That message is reinvigorating a backlash against plastic, the likes of which the industry hasnt seen for decades. There's nothing wrong with promoting recycling except when recycling sucks all the oxygen out of the room and we never do anything else. Plastic Paradise | Bullfrog Films: 1-800-543-3764: Environmental DVDs and Educational DVDs is a leading source of educational DVDs & videos, with a collection of over 700 titles in these main subject areas: Environment Globalization Sustainability Climate Change Social Justice Developing World Indigenous Peoples Earth Science Life Science So, it was up to us in the plastics industry to solve this problem so that they could continue to package their products in plastic. Highly recommended.' [Speaking Indonesian] It used to be only once a month, but now it can be two or three times a week. Buy the Official DVDBuy the Digital DownloadEducational Screenings. It's margarine tubs, clamshells, deli containers. How are those two things going to meet anywhere in the middle? That was one of the comments early, that it implied that those products were being recycled. We said go to a square. All Rights Reserved.Graphics by. Forty years on, despite a plastic crisis thats been getting worse, the industrys future seems bright. They wanted raw material. What does coral treat? We wanted to see for ourselves what was happening to the plastic coming here. "Greatly harming our oceans, and killing and injuring countless marine creatures and seabirds. It's hard to have faith in the plastics industry when it got out of its crisis in the '90s by telling Americans to recycle, even though they knew it was not economically viable. Along the way she meets scientists, researchers, influencers, and volunteers who shed light on the effects of our rabid plastic consumption and learns the problem is more insidious than we could have ever imagined. Industry wouldnt even consider, say, no triangle, or a circle, or. Not a good idea for the Earth. The Boston Globe, Best of Fest Award, Docuwest Film FestivalGrand Jury Award, Wild and Scenic Film FestivalBest Medium Length Documentary, FICMA, Barcelona International Environmental Film FestivalBest Educational Film, Blue Ocean Film FestivalBest Documentary, Philadelphia Asian Film FestivalGold Award Winner, California Film AwardsBroadcast Award, American Conservation Film FestivalBest Environmental Film, San Francisco Ocean Film FestivalIsla Conservation Award, Catalina Film FestivalHawaii International Film FestivalSonoma Film Festival International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula, MTSan Francisco Green Film FestivalBig Bear International Film FestivalSan Diego Asian International Film FestivalHonolulu World Oceans Day Festival Waimea Ocean Film FestivalLos Angeles Asian American Film Festival Boston Film Festival Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival Sonoma International Film Festival Irvine International Film Festival Richmond Environmental Film Festival Marda Loop Justice Film Festivals I Imagine Film Festival Festival TransAmeriques Montreal Gray's Reef Ocean Film Festival Miami and the Beaches Environmental Film Festival Reel Change Sustainability Film Festival, Sun, Angela (screenwriter) When they were running the advertising on television, they were not about how plastics can be recycled but all the wonderful things that plastics bring to us. The start of construction on that multibillion-dollar plastics plant. based on Indonesian customs documents wed obtained. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. And the next thing you know, all of the plastic containers have these symbols on them. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Is this recyclable? No, this is about all of us understanding that we each have a role to play in making the system that we have better and achieving the goals thatI think everybody would have to say we cannot continue with business as usual. RONALD LIESEMER, Council for Solid Waste Solutions, 1988-2001: They wanted to know, was I interested in being the guy who actually made recycling happen across the U.S.? In what may be part of a national trend, the City Council of St. Paul, Minnesota, voted to outlaw the use of polystyrene plastics. Oh, man! Ask students to predict what might happen if turtles or seabirds become less common in a coral reef ecosystem. COY SMITH, Former board member, National Recycling Coalition: During that time, the plastics industry, they went around to states and they convinced those states to pass lawsand they did this very quietlythey passed laws that required that symbol with the number on it be put on plastic containers sold in that state. This is the same kind of thinking that ran in the '90s. Dr. Sherri A. Mason, Professor of Chemistry, Environmental Sciences Program Coordinator, SUNY at Fredonia'We are all familiar with trash, but most of us likely are unaware of indestructible plastic trash that pollutes the oceans, contaminates our seafood, kills birds, fish, and marine mammals as well as carrying toxic substances into the environment and our bodies. ThermaSet is the future. Directed by Angela Sun And when it comes to understanding and reducing the environmental impacts of materials, including packaging, consumers have the lowest amount of leverage. David Allaway is a senior policy analyst with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. It is ultimately getting recycled. Can we come in and look? We could ship scrap and hope that it is being recycled in the way it should be, or the other way is come here, see how serious he is about doing it the right way. Web Site Copyright 1995-2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. What is the problem? Plastic Paradise "Sun offers a fresh, new voice for her generation and has made a film that can appeal to the masses" - Honolulu Pulse "Chilling film.journalist Angela Sun offers valuable new insights." --The Hollywood Reporter "Thoughtful new documentary by @sunnyangela examines the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Plastics will never go away as long as the consumer demands it. What are the toxics emissions? Do your part, save the Earth, recycle. And the numberthere's some words; it says, "1 PETE." Plastic Paradise engages students by illustrating how their everyday interactions with plastic are connected to pollution at the farthest, most exotic corners of the world. You can see from that corner to the end of that valley over there. Not a good idea for your wallet. They cause two problems. Will Posegate is the chief operating officer of Garten. First,. Plastic Paradise is another documentary on the topic of plastic waste and our oceans. Responding to pressure from states and environmentalists to better identify the many types of plastic, it created a code to tell them apart. My college age son thinks it is 'right on.' Please inquire if you are with a K-12 district or school or with a public library. Planetsave'Sun offers a fresh, new voice for her generation and has made a film that can appeal to the masses.' STEVE RUSSELL, VP, American Chemistry Council, 1995-2020: The thing that made them unique was the ability to do more with just a little bit of material; to make things that we used lighter and more efficient. So, if somebody throws their Tide bottle into their bin, thats a win, but what youre saying is youre seeing more and more of this stuff. Angela Sun provides an excellent model of how one curious person can use her talents to follow her interests, speak from the heart, and contribute to improving the world. How did it get there?The trash survey was conducted on a beach. They created the Council for Solid Waste Solutions, drawn from their ranks of big oil and petrochemical companies that made plastic, like Amoco, Chevron, Dow and Exxon. Lets make more single-use plastics"dont buy into that. According to the filmmaker, plastic debris collects in this fashion because a combination of gyres (large systems of rotating ocean currents) serve as catchment basins, and debris that would. I would say that their conclusions in 1973, you say, are still true. Eventually, the reality of what was happening in China became clear. Literally me. Over the past year, weve been investigating the plastic crisis and found that many of the problems we face today were set in motion decades ago, by the very companies who make plastic in the first place. he was actually Italian, dressed up like an Indian [Laughs]but the fake crying Indian, the most famous one, ends with this very dramatic sentence where they say. To the best of my knowledge there has been no life cycle analysis of plastic. to tout the virtues of plastics as a way of heading off the criticism the industry was experiencing. Dr. Joel Baker, Director, UW Puget Sound Institute, Professor and Port of Tacoma Chair in Environmental Science, University of Washington Tacoma'Angela Sun has found a way to present the imminent dangers of plastics pollution in a jarringly visual and inquisitive formatSignificant take-home messages include a misconception of just how few plastic products are recyclable, and that plastics production will continue to increase as long as the demand for plastic products remains. The film's haunting message highlights the importance of society transitioning to the existing truly biodegradable polymers wherever possible and as soon as possible.' Are we damaging the environment more in the name of recycling?". Great Pacific Garbage Patch - National Geographic Society Then what? General Information . A year? Let's do right by our future. Her documentary, Plastic Paradise, reveals the devastating truths around single-use plastics and the reality of what they are doing to our oceans & marine life on a massive and rapid scale. 'This is an issue of vast scales. 57 min. Docuseek | Plastic Paradise Plastic Paradise - YouTube Once in the ocean there is really no way to get it out, other than hope that it washes up on a shore and is collected. And yet it's become ground zero for The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, syphoning plastics from three distant continents. "The code is being misused.". Plastic Paradise is an excellent, accessible, and troubling documentary that reveals these issues. Stuck with plastics they couldnt sell, Smith and other recyclers met with representatives from the plastic industry. Ive got a couple of newspaper articles I want to show you from the past. Existing customers, please log in to view this film. ", And this document was candid: There is serious doubt widespread plastic recycling can ever be made viable on an economic basis.. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. I mean what is the carbon footprint? Its very confusing to a lot of people. Others, like Colgate-Palmolive, saw a need for better education. A brief history of plastic | TED-Ed He was checking out a recycling company that he sells his plastic to. Currently, we support online registration for anyone affiliated with a higher education institution. How much water was withdrawn to produce this product? Now the country is trying to clean up its image. But even as Liesemer and his colleagues were publicly promoting recycling, privately, the industry had long expressed doubt it was ever going to happen on a broad scale. Amazing work!' Looking back, do you think putting the banner on the Mobro was a mistake? My college age son thinks it is 'right on.' Much more education needs to happen on how to recycle. That turtle video certainly did have an impact. ; "Plastic Paradise"; Bullfrog Films. Plastic Paradise is an excellent, accessible, and troubling documentary that reveals these issues. Back in Oregon, I found one of these new technologies. A dead seal or sea lion? Melati and Isabel Wijsen are on a mission to stop plastic bags from suffocating their beautiful island home of Bali. Well, you would imagine that when you take a garment off the rack and take it to the checkout counter, then this should go back. I strongly recommend this film as an instructional tool to connect ecology, communication, and global service. Reveals the history and worldwide scope of plastics pollution, investigates its toxicity and explores solutions. Freemans boss at the time, Larry Thomas, the head of the Society of the Plastics Industry, was blunt about it. By 1987, a wandering barge called the Mobro became an emblem of the growing crisis. I mean, it says "sorts out the problems.". Modern-day miracles that were made with the help of petrochemicals. He now heads a local environmental coalition, but he remembers a pivotal board meeting in the late '80s, when the industry was worried about its public image. Dr. Joel Baker, Director, UW Puget Sound Institute, Professor and Port of Tacoma Chair in Environmental Science, University of Washington Tacoma'Angela Sun has found a way to present the imminent dangers of plastics pollution in a jarringly visual and inquisitive formatSignificant take-home messages include a misconception of just how few plastic products are recyclable, and that plastics production will continue to increase as long as the demand for plastic products remains. I had no staff. It was a critical moment. Dr. Patricia Corcoran, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario'Angela Sun spoke with all the right people and even went to places she wasn't supposed to go in order to present the full story on plastic pollution. For decades, the national response to the growing plastic waste problem has focused on one solution: recycling. Eighty plastic bags found inside the whale. Starring Angela Sun Wallace J. Nichols. I think the chemical industry, and the plastics industry specifically, need to take very seriously this reaction thats going on. That code was a numbering system put inside the well-known symbol for recyclingthe chasing arrows. I mean, for most states they did it in, recyclers didnt even know it happened. Carl F. Cranor, Professor of Philosophy, Faculty of Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, University of California-Riverside'Plastic Paradise warns that the environment is everyone's responsibility, and that humanity cannot turn a blind eye to its own garbage forever. And we know that. I think its a transitional moment. But more importantly, we have to look at reuse models; using less where we can; developing new materials, which is the plastic maker's responsibility, that can be better recycled; and also really important that we deploy the technologies that are now available to us at scale. How do you get it to a place where 100% of this plastic getting recycledhow do you get there? Angela Sun reveals the effects of our rabid plastic consumption as she investigates The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The film is excellent--in its timeliness, its depth, and its presentation. Theres no one that would even take it if I paid them to take it." It currently covers roughly 1.6 million square . They said that the chasing arrows symbol was OK, as long as it was small and on the bottom of packaging. So, contaminated plastic trash is as big a problem for you guys as narcotics and drugs coming into the country. And in 2018, China stopped taking imported plastic waste. The producers know what the environmental impacts of these different formats are, but they don't disclose it. Plastic Paradise Documentary by Angela Sun on the Great - Inhabitat I dont think this kind of advertising is helpful to them at all. One study estimates that 60% of ocean plastic comes from Asia. Last fall, I met up with Bagaria there. Yeah, I mean, its bleeding already. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. The photography is a strong asset, and images from Midway Island are especially striking. Once again, the industry is pushing recycling. It really became a metaphor of, "We are bumping up against limits here. That wasnt the intent. All of a sudden, our own customers, they would bring it in and not only say it has the triangle, but it wouldthey would flat-out say, "It says its recyclable right on it." I think it is a big moment. The industry is not telling the public just to recycle. That kind of implies that thats where the responsibility lay. Documentary on the perfect invention of plastic, yet its durability has built up in oceans and is killing species that are full of its waste. ", Now youre getting more mixed plastics, like pouches andeverything comes in a clamshell now. Tejal Rao is the California restaurant critic for The Times . Looks like a lot of shipping containers. Yes, it would. Our campaign to ban plastic bags in Bali - TED Some, like Keurig, saw a need for better technology. Plastic enters the world's oceans, is broken into tiny bits, and ingested by marine life and birds. Made from readily available petroleum, plastic was the go-to material for the war machine. Devastating Plastic Paradise Documentary Shows How Our Trash Lands up in the Pacific Ocean (VIDEO) Environment. Drawing from the expertise of a diversity of scientists, activists and management practitioners in the field, this film introduces its audience to issues regarding plastic production and waste-management, plastic contamination in the ocean and the hazards of plastic and its chemical cocktail to humans and wildlife.' Recyclers and the plastic makers couldn't agree on how to change the code. We took a seat by the side of the road and she showed me pictures she'd collected of plastic that locals said had been dumped here. You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations. You also have to really build up the infrastructure for collection. Back then, one of the vice presidents at the Society of the Plastics Industry was Lew Freeman. In Washington last November, during America Recycles Week. The Midwest Book Review'Intriguing..chilling filmJournalist Angela Sun offers valuable new insights.' What does Chevron Phillips want to see happen? You know, I have looked at that picture and pondered that for decades. She is known for her stylized images of ordinary objects. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. They are everywhere around this area. We call it Plasticstown USA. Were a not-for-profit. The effect on the planet, the actual effect. And Liesemer found a solution. It includes a good history of the genesis of the plastics industry from materials shortages during World War II, and demonstrates that things put in the environment (such as a message in a bottle) can stick around for a long time and move great distances. Elizabeth A. Newell, Stephanie Hanus, Stevie Monteiro, Destiny Harbison, and James McTighe. Its a win-win situation. I believe with the proper infrastructure and the proper education and we all work together as a collective, we can. You get recycling going, that has its benefits and it improves the image of the material. childhood leukemia. This is a documentary that should be seen by educators, students, politicians, and environmentalists alike. Years later, we shut it down because there was no way to make money at it. I showed Ron Liesemer industry reports we found dating as far back as the 1970s. Plastic Paradise | Bullfrog Films: 1-800-543-3764: Environmental DVDs There's also an entire industry that's going to triple production by 2050. And if you turn this over, you see the chasing arrows. 08/08/2014. Conversely, plastics can also absorb pollutants, such as PCBs, from the seawater. JENNIFER BOADA-RODRIGUEZ, Senior technical associate, Colgate-Palmolive: So were here today to showcase our first-of-its-kind recyclable tube. Our system is woefully inadequate and it needs dramatic investment. What items were most common? Today the American Plastics Council unveiled the machine. When the recycling market in China went away, Bagaria and other brokers scrambled to find a new home for their plastic, and countries like Indonesia saw a business opportunity. Film Review: Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. These chemicals can then enter the food chain when consumed by marine life. And yet it's become ground zero for The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, syphoning plastics from three distant continents. At Hagley, we found a collection of internal plastic industry documents about this period of time when the industry was in the crosshairs of the environmental movement and plastics were under attack. Oh, poor baby, Im sorry. Many of them cannot be recycled anymore and are dirty. We have to show hard results. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. There was an attitude that if your product was not recycled, then it should not be in the marketplace. Because the average person saw the symbol, they know the symbol and said, "Well, its recyclable, right?". Here we are at our GDB South Brunswick facility. ", We never asked the question, "Are they doing it the right way? Coming up with ways to have their product perceived as more recyclable and more environmental makes their product look better. The most famous one, with the crying Indian. Documentary. and came up with a report identifying key problems with the numbering code. Because what it allows industry to do, is it allows industry to keep the conversation focused on recycling and never move the conversation on to the bigger issues, which are the full environmental impacts of all this stuff. In an underwater paradise, a plastic nightmare. I highly recommend checking this film out!' Plastic films, plastic bags, the plastic wrapping that comes around a lot of packaged goods, that all goes into the garbage. That all originates with us. Plastics in the ocean have been building up for decades. And few places have pursed recycling more aggressively than Oregon. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. The big problem is that it is all about money, profits. Kyoko Hamada is a photographer who was born in Tokyo and lives in Brooklyn. Dr. Kirk J. Havens, Director, Coastal Watersheds Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary'I believe that this film portrays the state of the plastic marine debris issue accurately. Angela Sun is an award-winning journalist, sports caster, and filmmaker. Reflection of the documentary Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Global Environmental Justice: Plastic Paradise Plastic Paradise looks to make difference with plastic consumption By Stephanie Shinno The Garden Island | Sunday, July 11, 2021, 12:05 a.m. Share this story Contributed by Abe Kowitz Abe. Were they misleading the public? The film is excellent--in its timeliness, its depth, and its presentation. To preview films or license them for streaming, you must register and login. There was never an enthusiastic belief that recycling was ultimately going to work in a significant way. Dr. Chelsea M. Rochman, Smith Fellow in Conservation Biology, Marine Ecologist/Ecotoxicologist, Aquatic Health Program, University of California Davis'Plastic Paradise offers new and sharpened perspectives on the problem of plastics in the environment. The Hollywood Reporter'The film everyone needs to see.' Every single piece of this has to be sorted in some way. Once in the ocean there is really no way to get it out, other than hope that it washes up on a shore and is collected. Let's put these away and let me show you another recycling label. It did a good job of doing what it was asked to do; it made life more efficient and easier. One hundred and ninety-one containers being held right now. For the oil and gas industry, the stakes are higher, too, because single-use plastic is their Plan B. Behind the lens, Angela directed and produced the award-winning feature documentary film "Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch" currently on the film festival circuit and set to release later this year. I mean, how big a problem do you think these kinds of dumping grounds are in Indonesia? Plastic Paradise - National Geographic Society
13829683d2d515d713bfb049f81ee3276f28 Judici Jackson County, Il,
Once Upon A Time In Anatolia Ending Explained,
Ct Sbac Results By Town 2021,
What Happened To Christina Park Of Fox News,
Unstake Zilliqa On Atomic Wallet,
Articles P