LISTEN UP: Over a dozen #PlasticSucks radio stories

Huge news yesterday! The UK may ban plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton swabs (by Laurel Wamsley). To me, this indicates that there is an understanding that it’s not just because our planet looks disgusting with all of the plastic littered about, but that governments are getting the full picture that plastics are also deteriorating our health and well-being –  potentially, for generations to come. It’s not just an aesthetic issue – it’s a serious concern worth investigating.

Maybe reading about the many reasons plastic sucks is not something you consider a valuable use of your time. I get it – it can be depressing. So, I ‘ collected a new way to get the news across (for you to share the message with friends and family). Since January 2017, National Public Radio has found the subject of plastics and how it affects the world valuable enough to create these ten stories. There may even be more stories at the member station level. Feel free to share in the comments section if you find one.

Another place plastics are turning up: Organic fertilizer from food waste (April, 2018) by Christopher Joyce
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is much bigger than previously thought (March, 2018) by Christopher Joyce
UK lawmakers want to battle waste with a latte levy on disposable cups (January, 2018) by Samantha Raphelson
Plastic pollution is killing coral reefs: 4-year study finds (January, 2018) by Christopher Joyce
Recycling chaos in the U.S. as China bans foreign waste (December, 2017) by Cassandra Profita and Jes Burns
Guess what is showing up in our shellfish? One word: Plastics (September, 2017) by Ken Christensen
Warriors against waste: These restaurants and bars are aiming for zero (September, 2017) by Maanvi Singh
Using plastic bags is now illegal and punishable by jail time in Kenya (August, 2017) by Eyder Peralta
Plastic is everywhere and recycling isn’t the end of it (July, 2017) by Christopher Joyce
Are we eating our fleece jackets? Microfibers and migrating into field and food (February, 2017) by Jessica Boddy

5 more stories on plastic (check out the gap in 2016!)

8 million tons of plastic clutter our seas (February, 2015) by Christopher Joyce
Coffee horror parody pokes at environmental absurdity of k cups (January, 2015) by Maria Godoy
Plastics don’t disappear but they do end up in sea birds bellies (June, 2014) by NPR Staff
Why those tiny microbeads in soap may pose a problem for Great Lakes (May, 2014) by Cheryl Corley
How plastic in the ocean is contaminating your seafood (December, 2013) by Eliza Barclay

Not sure how to start and say “no, thank you” to a straw? Check out “How to say ‘no, thank you’ to a straw” bingo. Also, here are some tips to change behavioral norms at the household level: kitchen, bath/laundry, garden/garage. If you’re interested in learning more on how to create collective action in your community around plastics, check out the collective action project mentoring program. One way you can help is my asking establishments that use straws frequently to “Suck the Straws Out” and sign this pledge from the Inland Ocean Coalition.

Hey, can someone planning an environmental education conference have Christopher Joyce as a keynote speaker?

My new land-to-sea connection

Even if you don’t live by the ocean you should care about it and issues associated with its health. Yes, the ocean ecosystem is unhealthy. Industry, industry, and more industry popped up in the last century and brought with it increased emissions into the atmosphere causing climate change. The ocean is the largest ecosystem on the planet and is taking the hardest hit.

It’s out of sight and out of mind for most people and that’s understandable. I’ve shared reason why we should care about the ocean here, here, here, here, here, and …. I could go on and on. But, it’s truly going to be a personal connection that’s going to make anyone have an impact on actions that can restore the health of the ocean. But, are we really close to the sea even if’s we live in … say, the Midwest? I just moved to Oak Park, IL right outside of Chicago so that was a question I struggled with as I made the move. How can I leave the ocean? Well, I’m not actually. We are all connected!

Illustrating proximity to the sea is a starting point to recognizing this connection. I’m so grateful for the Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum
The Great Lakes Ecosystem
for these illustrations for my new home (I took the illustrations and made a quick gif below).

It’s no longer the acronym HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) for me. Now to accurately follow the path of water from the top point of the Great Lakes Flow to the Atlantic Ocean it’s SMHEO (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario). Eeeeekkk … SMHEO isn’t as neatly sounding.

The movement of creating awareness to the ocean even though you’re living far from it is known as “land-to-sea” stewardship. I’ve lived along the Atlantic coast my entire life so this Midwest vibe is so new and exciting that I’m officially having to give a name to my connection to the sea now. One organization that I’ve stumbled upon doing great work in Colorado is the Inland Ocean Coalition, a project of the Ocean Foundation. Can’t wait to be a part of how they expand to the Great Lakes region!

My favorite part about the land-to-sea movement is that even if you didn’t grow up near the ocean it causes a reason to learn about it and understand it’s importance to the larger ecosystem.

Don’t be blue!

The annual BLUE Film Festival was held from August 24-29 in beautiful Monterrey, CA. The event is sponsored by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and has recently become more and more mainstream attracting many high profile ocean community celebrities. The winner of the festival last year, The Cove, even won an Oscar for best documentary!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rick MacPherson’s overview of his time there this year as he recounted how Julie Packard, Executive Director of Monterrey Bay Aquarium, challenged the highly talented and knowledgeable audience on how to engage the public to “care enough to do something about it”. Sometimes it seems as though we try and try and still make no headway.

Of course, in the past thirty years the movement to create a public that cares certainly has taken some giant leaps forward. We’ve been made aware of the bountiful wonders of the ocean and there is a collective knowledge that the ocean is in peril. But, that is only the beginning. Attitudes, skills and participation must be challenged as well. How that happens and where it begins is a perplexing question and unique to each individual.

For instance, not too long ago, I asked some colleagues to see how they got a foothold into the environmental education field and mostly the answers did revolve around wanting to teach others about what we love: woods, mountains or oceans.

With me it has been the sense of place. People have linked a strong sense of place as a child to advocacy efforts in adulthood. For instance, would I be as interested in the ocean and fishing communities if I did not grow up in Cape May County, New Jersey? (In 2009, Cape May County was the fourth largest valuable fishing port in the United States.)

Maybe how we, the ocean advocacy community, begin to think about challenging attitudes, skills and participation levels is to remain optimistic. However, this is more often than not a very difficult task (I am about to have my first child so I am all about remaining optimistic and hopeful for the future).

But, in an effort not to let ourselves get too blue, here is a list of accomplishments that would not have occurred without such a dedicated ocean community:

This is only a fraction of what has been accomplished! Have another success story? Please add it in the comments to keep the momentum going strong. Thanks!

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