Podcasts about gyres institute

Do you know there are millions of metric tons of plastic waste and microplastics floating in our oceans? This impacts both the fish and ultimately the food we consume. According to the EPA,  “Plastic particles are generally the most abundant type of debris encountered in the marine environment, with estimates suggesting that 60% to 80% of marine debris is plastic, and more than 90% of all floating debris particles are plastic.” Dr. Marcus Eriksen is on the show today to discuss the DVD “Our Synthetic Seas,” which covers the total issue about plastic and the garbage found in our seas and especially the problem of disappearing sea life as fish are now eating plastic, waste, debris, and more dangerous materials. Marcus is currently the Executive Director of the 5 Gyres Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Southern California in 2003, months before embarking on a 2000-mile, 5-month journey down the Mississippi River on a homemade raft of plastic bottles. His experience on the river led to a career studying the ecological impacts of plastic marine pollution, which has included 8 expeditions sailing 25,000 miles through all 5 subtropical gyres to discover new garbage patches of plastic pollution in the Southern Hemisphere and beyond. With an affinity for rafting, his most recent adventure sent him and a colleague across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii on a homemade raft floating on 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessna airplane fuselage as a cabin. The journey, 2,600 miles in 88 days, brought tremendous attention to the plastic pollution issue.   Info: Algalita.org and MarcusEriksen.com.

Mondays are now our throwback episodes and in this one we revisit Angie's interview with Dr. Lisa Erdle. from the 5 Gyres Institute as we are kicking off our Plastic Free July Campaign. You can join us in our Plastic Free July Challenge HERE Thank you for caring so much and helping us spread the word! On Wednesday we will be releasing a new species, and the hint is "Fish are Friends, not Food!" Which movie? ------------------------------------------------------- As we kick off our Plastic Free July Challenge, this week we welcome Dr. Lisa Erdle from the 5 Gyres Instiute. Dr. Erdle is the Director of Science & Innovation at the 5 Gyres Institute. She is a microplastics researcher, lifelong sailor, and is passionate about keeping waterways clean for wildlife and people. Lisa completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, where her research focused on the sources, fate, and effects of microfibers in the environment. Currently, Lisa lives in California and is continuing research on microfibers and plastic pollution. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Lisa grew up swimming and sailing on the Great Lakes and holds a deep love of the water.. You can learn more about 5 Gyres and their work in reducing plastics in our lives by visiting them HERE You can also lean more about 5 Gyres own Plastic Free Parks Trashblitz by going HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Lisa Erdle of the 5 Gyres Institute sits down with host Brooking Gatewood to talk about 5 Gyre's recent Better Alternatives 3.0 report, covering their latest research into how well “compostable” and “biodegradable” plastics break down in various environments, potential pitfalls, promising contenders, and the role of smart material science and composting infrastructure as we transition toward a reuse economy.Resources:Better Alternatives 3.0 ReportBAN List 2.0 

According to the World Economic Forum, between 75 and 199 million tons of plastic waste are floating in and polluting the world's oceans. The 5 Gyres Institute reports that the volume of plastic entering the seas doubles every six years. There are genuine efforts to develop circular, sustainable packaging amid waves of greenwashing claims. Meet Vanessa Coleman, CEO of Oceanworks, which collects ocean plastics for recycling that it sells to companies committed to using post-consumer recycled, or PCR, plastics in new products and packaging. Oceanworks has developed a network of partners that collect and recycle plastics found on beaches and in waterways around the world, which the Oceanworks Guaranteed label can identify — these programs' environmental, social, and recycling practices are reviewed regularly. Oceanworks can provide end-to-end audits of its plastics supply chain to inform packaging designers about where the materials they choose are collected, processed, and remanufactured.Oceanworks Guaranteed® certified recycled plastics are used in Glad to be Green products, Sperry Seacycled sneakers, Delta Faucets' Ocean Plastic Shower Head, and many other products. While shoppers can browse these products at Oceanworks' website, the real action happens in the company's online materials catalog. It sells recycled PET (#1), HDPE (#2), and Polypropylene (#5) plastics, as well as recycled yarns and fabrics, bottles, and zippers made from ocean plastics. Product designers and the teams responsible for packaging get access to a wide range of materials that contribute to a cleaner world as long as they continue to be recycled responsibly. We discuss the National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, the potential for “advanced recycling” technologies that promise to make plastic as recyclable as metals, and the environmental and recycling impacts of plastics and the additives they contain.You can learn more about Oceanworks at https://oceanworks.co/

Marcus Eriksen is the co-founder of Leap Lab, as well as the Research Director and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute. He studies the global distribution and ecological impacts of plastic marine pollution, which has included expeditions sailing through all 5 subtropical gyres, Bay of Bengal, Southern Ocean and inland lakes and rivers, recently publishing the first global estimate of all plastic of all sizes floating in the world's oceans, totaling 270,000 metric tons from 5.25 trillion particles.In 2013 he and colleagues published the discovery of microbeads in the Great Lakes, which became the cornerstone for a US-based campaign to eliminate plastic microbeads from cosmetics, resulting in the Microbead-Free Waters Act, which became US federal law in 2015.   Years earlier, in 2000, he traveled to Midway Atoll, finding hundreds of Laysan Albatross with plastic pouring out of their stomachs, and that experience narrowed his focus to plastics. He received his Ph.D. in Science Education from University of Southern California in 2003, months before embarking on a 2000-mile, 5-month journey down the Mississippi River on a homemade raft of plastic bottles to bring attention to this issue. Again in 2008, he rafted across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii on JUNK, floating on 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessina airplane fuselage as a cabin (junkraft.com). The journey, 2,600 miles in 88 days, brought attention to the work of the 5 Gyres Institute, the organization he co-founded with his wife Anna Cummins.His first book, titled “My River Home” (Beacon Press, 2007) chronicled his Mississippi River experience paralleled with his tour as a Marine in the 1991 Gulf War. His second book, titled "JUNK RAFT: An oceanic voyage and the rising tide of activism to fight plastic pollution" (Beacon Press, 2017) tells the story of how plastic pollution at sea was discovered, the impact on people and the planet, and the growing movement to solve the problem through zero waste initiatives in the largest cities worldwide.

This week, a federal court judge in Toronto heard arguments from a plastics lobby group and the federal government, in a challenge to a ban on single-use plastics like bags, straws and stir sticks that was introduced last year. On today's episode, Lisa Erdle, microplastics researcher and the director of science and innovation at the U.S.-based 5 Gyres Institute, describes what's at stake in the court hearing, the impact of plastics in the environment and what can be done to improve the situation.

Join our discussion with Marcus Eriksen from The 5 Gyres Institute!5Gyres uses education and community-based science to drive and inform local, scalable reuse models. By engaging key stakeholders in identifying the sources and potential solutions of problematic plastics in their own communities, we can work together to drive more equitable solutions.In this podcast, Marcus told us about the birth of 5 Gyres and how he started studying the sources of plastic pollution on expedition journeys to collect scientific data, publish reports and journals, and collaborate with companies to create change and advocate. We discussed the power of policy and enforcement to achieve systemic change, and how they get involved in it. Check out more about The 5 Gyres Institute at https://www.5gyres.org/Stay updated with us through our LinkedIn and InstagramIf you enjoy this podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcast

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/395  Presented By: Zoe Angling Group, Yellowstone Teton, Drifthook, Range Meal Bars Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors  Joe Gugino of Costa Del Mar takes us into the conservation work they've been focusing on to protect the species we love. We find out where Joe's passion for striped bass comes from, what the American Saltwater Guides Association has going on right now, and how Planet Purpose Solutions is helping Costa fulfill their vision in conservation. Taking the glare off the water and the big conservation issues today. Costa Del Mar Conservation Show Notes with Joe Gugino 3:44 - Joe talks about how he got into fly fishing when he was still in Connecticut where he and his brothers grew up. He started on saltwater and striped bass which has been his number one species. 6:01 - He talks about the fluctuating population of striped bass over the years and the work they do in Costa Del Mar to address that problem. 8:47 - We go into detail about what he does in Costa as the Conservation and Community Partnerships Manager. 11:09 - We dig into their products including my favorite the C-Mates Readers. He recommends their copper base lenses. In episode 272 with Evan Russell from Costa, we talked about how to choose polarized sunglasses for fishing. 14:09 - He shares Costa's plans and upcoming conservation programs for both salt and freshwater. 15:54 - We talk about episode 390 with Darren Calhoun. He also shares his experience when his team and their partners went to the Wind River Reservation this summer and what he loved about the area. 19:45 - He shares more about the Protect Report that they will release in time for their 40th anniversary next year. He also tells how Planet Purpose Solutions is helping them with their conservation programs. 21:40 - He mentions the Kick Plastic movement. 23:27 - We dig into how Costa's focus on conservation started. 26:43 - He takes us back to when he was first contacted by Costa when he started a fishing company. 30:34 - He talks about their activity of tagging marlins and stripers with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) to see where these groups of fish are going and how they can protect them. 34:25 He describes Magdalena Bay and tells about their plan to go there with the Costa team, Costa pros, Indifly, and scientists from the Billfish Foundation and IGFA. 40:07 - He explains the importance of community involvement in conservation to create a positive impact on the environment. 41:14 - He tells where people can access their Protect Report. He also reveals the new sustainability hub on the Costa Del Mar website which is sort of a condensed version of the Protect Report. 42:21 - We dig into plastic pollution and their efforts to address this. He mentions the experts whom they are working with for this cause which are Planet Purpose Solutions and 5 Gyres Institute. 45:13 - He talks about their successful work with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) which was the Project Permit and the short film called A Pathway for Permit. It tells the story of their collaborative efforts to conserve and protect the Florida Key's permit fishery. 47:34 - We talk about football and the team he is supporting. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/395 

Do you know there are millions of metric tons of plastic waste and microplastics floating in our oceans? This impacts both the fish and ultimately the food we consume. According to the EPA,  “Plastic particles are generally the most abundant type of debris encountered in the marine environment, with estimates suggesting that 60% to 80% of marine debris is plastic, and more than 90% of all floating debris particles are plastic.” Dr. Marcus Eriksen is on the show today to discuss the DVD “Our Synthetic Seas,” which covers the total issue about plastic and the garbage found in our seas and especially the problem of disappearing sea life as fish are now eating plastic, waste, debris, and more dangerous materials.  Marcus is currently the Executive Director of the 5 Gyres Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Southern California in 2003, months before embarking on a 2000-mile, 5-month journey down the Mississippi River on a homemade raft of plastic bottles. His experience on the river led to a career studying the ecological impacts of plastic marine pollution, which has included 8 expeditions sailing 25,000 miles through all 5 subtropical gyres to discover new garbage patches of plastic pollution in the Southern Hemisphere and beyond. With an affinity for rafting, his most recent adventure sent him and a colleague across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii on a homemade raft floating on 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessna airplane fuselage as a cabin. The journey, 2,600 miles in 88 days, brought tremendous attention to the plastic pollution issue.   Info: Algalita.org and MarcusEriksen.com

In this podcast, Our Host Tate Chamberlin is joined by Marcus Eriksen, scientist, and co-founder of The 5 Gyres Institute, “a leader in the global movement against plastic pollution.” Eriksen and his wife, 5 Gyres co-founder Anna Cummins, have manned the Institute's helm since 2009, leading 19 expeditions throughout the world's waters with scientists, stakeholders, and innovators researching the detrimental reach and impact of plastics and inspiring change. Here, Eriksen discusses the true nature of the plastics beast and the work of dismantling the systems and misconceptions that have allowed its reign.

As we kick off our Plastic Free July Challenge, this week we welcome Dr. Lisa Erdle from the 5 Gyres Instiute. Dr. Erdle is the Director of Science & Innovation at the 5 Gyres Institute. She is a microplastics researcher, lifelong sailor, and is passionate about keeping waterways clean for wildlife and people. Lisa completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, where her research focused on the sources, fate, and effects of microfibers in the environment. Currently, Lisa lives in California and is continuing research on microfibers and plastic pollution. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Lisa grew up swimming and sailing on the Great Lakes and holds a deep love of the water.. You can learn more about 5 Gyres and their work in reducing plastics in our lives by visiting them HERE You can also lean more about 5 Gyres own Plastic Free Parks Trashblitz by going HERE

This week as we kick off our Plastic Free July, we are excited to chat with Dr. Lisa Erdle from the 5 Gyres Institute. Dr. Erdle is a microplastics researcher, lifelong sailor, and is passionate about keeping waterways clean for wildlife and people. Lisa completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, where her research focused on the sources, fate, and effects of microfibers in the environment. Currently, Lisa lives in California and is continuing research on microfibers and plastic pollution. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Lisa grew up swimming and sailing on the Great Lakes and holds a deep love of the water. Take from their website the 5 Gyres Institute states they are a leader in the global movement against plastic pollution with more than 10 years of expertise in scientific research and engagement on plastic pollution issues. Since 2009, the team has completed 19 expeditions, bringing more than 300 citizen scientists, corporate executives, brands, and celebrities to the gyres, lakes, and rivers to conduct firsthand research on plastic pollution. Through this research, 5 Gyres continuously engages diverse stakeholders in understanding the science to drive impact as well as conduct community outreach and citizen science to implement data-driven solutions. With over 1,800 Ambassadors in 66 countries, 5 Gyres supports and is supported by community members with information, tools, and connections to help drive local change to fight this global crisis. You can learn more about 5 Gyres by visiting their website HERE You can also join their Plastic Free Parks Trashblitz by going HERE

Every time we wash a load of laundry, microfibers are released into the environment, polluting aquatic ecosystems. Our clothes are a major source of plastic pollution, and microfibers are the most common type of microplastic (plastic pieces less than 5 mm in diameter). It is extremely difficult to clean up microfibers, so it is critical that we do our best to prevent this type of pollution from entering the environment.  The Director of Science & Innovation at The 5 Gyres Institute, Dr. Lisa Erdle, is a Microplastics researcher who completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, where she researched the sources and effects of microfibers in the environment. Lisa explains why microfibers are harmful and shares practical tips for reducing microfiber pollution at home.  The 5 Gyres Institute is a leader in the global movement against plastic pollution.  For the show notes visit https://www.swapsociety.co/pages/podcast 

Do you know where plastic garbage actually goes? It not only fills our landfills, but so much ends up in our oceans. Dr. Marcus Eriksen is on the show today to discuss the film, “Our Synthetic Seas,” which covers the total issue about plastic and the garbage found in our seas and especially the problem of disappearing sea life as fish are now eating plastic, waste, debris, and more dangerous materials.  This will severely impact both the fish and ultimately us. Marcus Eriksen is currently the Executive Director of the 5 Gyres Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Science Education from University of Southern California in 2003, months before embarking on a 2000-mile, 5-month journey down the Mississippi River on a homemade raft of plastic bottles. His experience on the river led to a career studying the ecological impacts of plastic marine pollution, which has included 8 expeditions sailing 25,000 miles through all 5 subtropical gyres to discover new garbage patches of plastic pollution in the Southern Hemisphere and beyond. With an affinity for rafting, his most recent adventure sent him and a colleague across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii on a homemade raft floating on 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessna airplane fuselage as a cabin. The journey, 2,600 miles in 88 days, brought tremendous attention to the plastic pollution issue.  Info: algalita.org and marcuseriksen.com  

Environmental scientist, educator and author, he's co-founded the 5 Gyres Institute to research plastic pollution in the world's oceans, and recently co-founded Leap Lap, a network of science centers committed to building self-reliant communities. His books chronicle rafting adventures down rivers and across oceans, and highlight his experience as a veteran of war and science.

How much information is too much? Information fatigue is a very real phenomenon, especially when we're being fed so much on a regular basis. At this point, is it still beneficial for us to receive reports on the state of the world without opportunities to take concrete steps towards changing it?   In this episode, Alexander McCaig and Jason Rigby discuss the urgency of taking action in our deteriorating world.   Walking the Talk   According to Alexander McCaig, modern space satellites and ancient Egyptian mythology shared one thing in common. The sun god Ra was often shown with a hawk head, symbolizing how Ra was constantly the eye in the sky. Modern satellites have a similar design, with a huge “eyeball” in the front and wings at the side in the form of solar panels.    The main difference between Ra and these satellites is that the sun god never came down and told people what they needed to do. The priests of old were the ones who started claiming that they had sole access to the word of God.   Today, progress in technology has allowed machine learning to fine tune climate models, giving us the opportunity to receive incredibly detailed reports on the state of the world. However, this information can only do so much if it is not accompanied with movement.   There are limits to the amount of change you can make when you are only focused on raising awareness. We need to be ready to take action.    Using Technology to Take Action   There are plenty of problems in the world right now. Aside from climate change, we are struggling with poverty, corruption, and discrimination. In many cases, these issues become intertwined with one another and more difficult to resolve.   It's already clear that we have a lot of challenges that we need to face. Modern technology has given us the opportunity to understand just how big of a problem we're facing here. But at some point, we have to cross that line between just knowing there's a problem and deciding to act on that problem.   As Alexander McCaig explains, it isn't just about observing outcomes but about taking actions on the catalysts as well.   Closing Thoughts   The harmful part about placing so much emphasis on using technology to raise awareness is that its evolution continues to go down that road exclusively. We have the opportunity to go beyond with TARTLE. Fill out data packets on the platform so that you can help researchers understand your behavior, waste patterns, plans for the future, and consumption of resources.   Your effort will go to people who are invested in making a positive change. One example is the 5 Gyres Institute, which focuses on cleaning up all the downstream waste humanity creates in our oceans.   There are plenty of other causes that you can support through the TARTLE marketplace. Your data will play a valuable role in helping us save our world.   What's your data worth? www.tartle.co   TCAST is brought to you by TARTLE. A global personal data marketplace that allows users to sell their personal information anonymously when they want to, while allowing buyers to access clean ready to analyze data sets on digital identities from all across the globe.   The show is hosted by Co-Founder and Source Data Pioneer Alexander McCaig and Head of Conscious Marketing Jason Rigby.   What's your data worth?   Find out at: https://tartle.co/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TARTLE   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TARTLEofficial/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tartle_official/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/TARTLEofficial   Spread the word!

When you think of storytelling, scientific studies and analyses aren't necessarily the first things that come to mind. So how can we capture audiences' attention when we have extensive data to present? My guest today Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is a pro at communicating the story behind scientific research that is dear to her heart. Her life's work is in amplifying impact, and storytelling has played a huge role in her professional projects on a worldwide basis. She teases the story out of information to get people to pay attention to important causes. In this episode, Rachel and I discuss the effectiveness of using stories for communicating issues at scale. How can story come into play when you're looking at an issue and want to increase awareness of it to encourage change? What is one of the best ways to influence people to do something so that change actually happens? We answer all of these questions...plus, you'll see exactly why storytelling can create ripple effects that change the world. Get ready, because we're going deep on some important topics today! What you will learn in this episode: How stories can stir action to change the world Why words are unnecessary to be a storyteller How to purposefully use story to highlight urgency Who is Rachel? Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is a thought leader, creative writer, speaker, and former journalist who emphasizes climate and conservation, among other things, in her marketing and communications expertise. She assists in finding solutions that benefit people and the planet while still producing profit. Currently working as a communications and sustainability consultant, she intuitively understands how storytelling connects with causes to magnify impact. As a sustainability expert, Rachel has gained recognition by appearing on The Today Show and CNN Headline News and being featured in Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. In addition, the 5 Gyres Institute received a special consultative status with the U.N. Economic and Social Council under her leadership as its former Executive Director. All of her experience has influenced her writing as well. Rachel has written for Organic Spa, Mommy Greenest, and Women's Wear Daily and serves as an associate fiction editor at the Northwest Review. She's also currently pursuing an MFA through the low-residency program at Pacific University. Links and Resources: Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff @rachellincolnsarnoff on Instagram @rachellsarnoff on Twitter @RachelLincolnSarnoff on Facebook Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

Did you know that there isn't a single corner of the Earth where microplastics do not exist? Yes, plastics are taking over our world, but how bad is it, really? We sat down with our friend and colleague Madeleine MacGillivray to take a deep dive (no pun intended) into the topic of microplastics. Tune in to gain a full understanding of what they are, where they come from, and what we can all do about it!In this episode:What are microplastics?How do microplastics affect human health?That recycling is a myth (but that we should still keep recycling)The truth behind biodegradable packagingWhat plastics are actually recyclable?How microfibers (from clothes) actually make up most of the plastic pollutionWhat you - and all of us - can do now to make a differenceAlso mentioned:Quote: “There's nothing you can't tell me, there's nothing I don't wanna hear.” - Janet MacgillivrayBook: Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-SmithMantra: “I'm all flowers and no-one can take that away”Our film recommendation to learn more about the plastic industry: The Story of Plastic Nerd out further:Blood plasma: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6586940/They're literally everywhere: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/plastics-plastics-everywhereMicroplastics and male fertility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7967748/Legislation: https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/482614-new-bill-calls-for-us-to-address-source-of2x microplastics in bottled water than tap: https://www.statista.com/chart/13255/study-finds-microplastics-in-93-of-bottled-water/Madeleine MacGillivray is a microplastics expert, a 5 Gyres Ambassador, and a model with Role Models Management in NYC. Since the age of nine, she has been speaking out against water issues when she founded her first non-profit organization, raising awareness about climate change and drought in Africa, and was acknowledged by Bill McKibben's national climate rally. At the age of 16, she was part of the highly influential Our Children's Trust lawsuit, which sued the US government and the EPA. Madeleine specializes in marine microplastic pollution and legislation, conducting research in Indonesia, the Arctic, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Galápagos Islands. She's also the Microplastics Policy and Science Fellow at the women and Indigenous-led environmental organization Seeding Sovereignty. This conversation is so informative and helpful to understand what is going on when it comes to plastic products and their impact on our world. If you've been wanting to learn more about microplastics this is your episode.Learn more about Madeleine Wallace:Website: https://madeleinewallacenyc.com/ Instagram: @madeleinemacgillivraySeeding Sovereignty on Instagram: @seedingsovereignty 5 Gyres Institute on Instagram: @5gyres CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcast Anne Therese:Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/Instagram: @annetheresegennari Robin:Website: https://parentsxplanet.com/Instagram: @robinxshawThis episode is sponsored by Parents for the Planet, a new platform created by our very own Robin Shaw. Parents for the Planet is helping families create a better planet for our children and better children for our planet. Empowered parents change the world, so follow along on IG at @parentsxplanet or check out https://parentsxplanet.com/ and stay tuned for resources, blogs, and a podcast coming soon! Parents for the Planet is here to help you raise the next generation of changemakers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hear from Marcus Ericksen, author, scientist, marine and Co-Founder of Leap Lab and The 5 Gyres Institute, as he talks about biodegradable plastics, sailing across the ocean in JUNK (a plastic-bottle boat), turning science into policy, and much more. #NothingWastedPodcast

As the Director of Science, Research and Academic Partnerships for Plastic Ocean Project, Inc. as well as the Executive Director, Bonnie Monteleone is a researcher who has collected plastic marine samples globally including four of the five main ocean gyres, the Caribbean, and has extended this work to Pyramid Lake, outside of Reno, Nevada.  Monteleone completed her first field study exploration in the North Atlantic Gyre in July 2009 in collaboration with  Maureen Conte, PhD. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science (BIOS). In the fall of 2009, Monteleone accompanied Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 10-year resampling of the North Pacific Gyre, quantifying the rate of plastic marine debris growth to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, sampling a transect of 3,460 nautical miles (nm).In 2010, she continued her North Atlantic study resampling the same region in the North Atlantic. In fall of 2010, she joined 5 Gyres Institute in a first ever South Atlantic transect sampling for pelagic marine debris traveling 4,270 nm from Brazil to South Africa. In 2012, Monteleone collected samples from the South Pacific as part of the film project, A Plastic Ocean. To date, she has five years of data sets from the North Atlantic. A total of 217 surface samples were collected from all four oceans. Monteleone collaborates with Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF), Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummings, co-founders of 5 Gyres Institute, Dr. William J. Cooper, University of California Irvine (UCI), and Dr. Maureen Conte, BIOS.  In 2012, Bonnie Monteleone and Paul Lorenzo co-founded the 501c3 Plastic Ocean Project, Inc.Monteleone also works in the Environmental Studies Department at UNC Wilmington as an Adjunct Instructor teaching a Plastic Marine Debris Field Studies course and manages a lab working with student Directed Independent Studies (DIS) research. Research projects vary from fieldwork collecting beach samples to lab analysis looking at plastic leachates, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) uptakes, and plastic ingestion by marine organisms. She collaborates with Drs. Pamela Seaton, Brooks Avery, Susanne Brander, and Alison Taylor at UNCW.Bonnie is also an accomplished artist, turning some of the plastic she collects on her voyages into modern artistic masterpieces. This work story boards her research and has become a traveling art exhibit  - What goes around comes around.  She received the Conservation Communicator of the Year 2017, Governor's Award, Cape Fear YWCA Woman of the Year - Environmental Award 2018, and nominated for the Cape Fear Woman of Achievement award 2018. She is a member of the Sierra Club Marine Team and on the NC Wildlife Federation's Board of Directors.Connect with Bonniehttps://www.plasticoceanproject.orgJournaling PromptsWhat are some ways that you can reduce/eliminate your use of plastics in everyday life? Make a list. Then, start. You CAN be the change you wish to see in the world. Thanks for listening. xo-Jackiewww.elixirpodcast.mewww.madreandthemuse.comSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elixirpodcast)

In the Greener Us pilot episode, we talk with Marcus Eriksen of The 5 Gyres Institute about the insidious nature of single-use plastics, how to rethink our relationship with plastic, and the promise of using science, policy, and circular economies to fix the plastic problem. More links to resources from the show: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Marcus's plastic raft voyage Plastic and the albatross of Midway Atoll Plastic and the camels of Dubai What is a circular economy? Vessel - circular economy solution for single-use plastic cups and to go boxes RePack - reuse as a service --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

你知道，塑膠微粒的問題有多嚴重嗎？2018年環保署進行首次針對自來水、海水、沙灘砂礫，與貝類生物體當中的微型塑膠進行調查，結果大部分樣品均檢出微型塑膠，自來水中檢出塑膠數量為每公升0至6根；海水微型塑膠數量每1,000公升有1,000至18,500個，沙灘砂礫每公斤26至2,400個，養殖及野生貝類每公克0.2到5.2個。不止官方調查，民間的研究結果也顯示出問題的嚴重性。黑潮海洋文教基金會2018年完成「島航計畫」，總共51個測點的表層海水，都發現有塑膠微粒。在2019、2020年的「島航普拉斯」計畫，針對先前調查污染最嚴重之台灣東北及西南海域共24個測點，進行每一季的採樣與分析，結果每個測點、每個季節皆發現塑膠微粒，其中，夏季的塑膠微粒數量最多，發泡塑膠微粒的含量明顯高於其他季節2-8倍。此計畫運用Manta網採集表層海水之塑膠微粒樣本，此為美國非營利組織5 Gyres Institute所設計的網具，外型類似鬼蝠魟（manta ray），左右兩片漂浮板，後面拖著長長的網袋，像是魟魚的尾巴。Manta網有不同的尺寸，黑潮海洋文教基金會使用的Manta網寬180公分，網袋長150公分，加上身體總長也有180公分，網袋網目為330微米，收集開口長60公分，寬13公分。研究船在抵達測點之後，會紀錄流速計起始數值、拖網起始時間、測點經緯度等採樣數值，及天氣、水溫、鹽度、水深等環境數值。同時把Manta網放下去海水，以平均船速約2節（約3.7公里/時）非常緩慢的速度，拖行15分鐘進行採樣。拖行結束，將Manta網拉起來後，研究人員會將樣本全數沖洗到樣本瓶裡面，隨即加入70%酒精溶液，標示採樣地點後保存。回到實驗室後，參照2015年美國國家海洋及大氣協會（NOAA）之海洋塑膠微粒實驗室分析標準方法，處理樣本。首先將所有樣本倒出，經過篩網過濾，挑出放置於燒杯。因為樣本中包含生物體、非生物體，接著研究人員會在燒杯中會加入適量的二價鐵（FeSO4）溶液，與等量的30%過氧化氫（H2O2），將生物體分解。生物體分解後，樣本經篩網過濾，以大量去離子水沖洗，去除生物體；接著放置於解剖顯微鏡下觀察，挑出塑膠微粒放置於培養皿上，培養皿會先放置間隔為0.5公分之方格紙以利進行計數，並依塑膠微粒材質分成五大類：硬塑膠（fragments，大型塑膠製品的碎片，如寶特瓶、包裝盒、玩具等）、軟塑膠（films，如塑膠袋、包裝紙）、發泡塑膠（foams，如保麗龍）、塑膠纖維（lines/fibers，如釣魚線、漁網或人造纖維產品）、圓形塑膠粒（pellets，為塑膠原料），分別計算各類型數量。黑潮海洋文教基金會研究員温珮珍指出，根據2019-2020年的調查結果，台灣東北及西南海域每個測點、每個季節皆發現塑膠微粒，其中東北海域塑膠微粒數量遠高於西南海域，甚至在夏、秋兩季甚至可達20倍之差距。若以材質區分，硬塑膠佔比最高，幾乎每個季節及測點皆有硬塑膠存在，可見生活塑膠仍佔大宗。若以季節來看，塑膠微粒數量最多的季節在夏季，其中又以主要來源為保麗龍的發泡塑膠微粒，含量明顯高於其他季節2-8倍。雖然西南海域在採樣季節及地點上無明顯差異，但在安平新港及曾文溪出海口可以發現，夏季時塑膠微粒數量偏高，且發泡塑膠佔九成以上。調查推測，夏季發泡塑膠可能為牡蠣養殖之廢棄物。研究人員使用科技部海洋學門資料庫網站進行漂流軌跡模擬，顯示這些廢棄物會先隨著海流北上，到台灣北方海域後，受東北角的渦流牽引，移動速度變慢並往東邊及東南向漂流，到基隆時可能在基隆與三貂角之間渦流當中打轉，最後可能被沖上岸堆積，也可能被推到三貂角外脫離渦流，隨著黑潮流向日本。加上台灣海域目視海漂垃圾調查結果、海洋大學模擬颱風季節漂流木在海上移動情形，推測夏季東北海域的塑膠微粒，非常可能與西南沿海養蚵產業有關。當然，確切實證則需進一步調查才能夠確認。有了上述調查結果，黑潮海洋文教基金會也提出相關倡議。在牡蠣養殖之廢棄物方面，雖然台南市政府宣示三年內汰換保麗龍浮具，補助漁民將保麗龍更換為發泡聚丙烯（EPP）材質等政策，同時也投入新式浮具開發，但EPP材質仍會碎裂，新浮具開發也在初期階段，希望各相關單位能加快腳步。另外，除了夏季外，其他季節的塑膠微粒還是以硬塑膠的比例最高，雖然環保署提出減塑的政策與目標，不過具體執行還是落在我們每個使用者身上。包括企業可以思考改變包裝方式，減少一次性用品的使用，民眾也盡量使用可以重複使用的器具，做好3R：減量、再利用、回收，並支持做出改變的企業。我們接著上禮拜的主題，前往花蓮拜訪黑潮海洋文教基金會，研究員温珮珍將分享島航計畫中，關於塑膠微粒的調查結果與發現，也希望您一同響應，從生活中做出改變，減少塑膠製品與一次性產品的使用。

你知道，塑膠微粒的問題有多嚴重嗎？2018年環保署進行首次針對自來水、海水、沙灘砂礫，與貝類生物體當中的微型塑膠進行調查，結果大部分樣品均檢出微型塑膠，自來水中檢出塑膠數量為每公升0至6根；海水微型塑膠數量每1,000公升有1,000至18,500個，沙灘砂礫每公斤26至2,400個，養殖及野生貝類每公克0.2到5.2個。不止官方調查，民間的研究結果也顯示出問題的嚴重性。黑潮海洋文教基金會2018年完成「島航計畫」，總共51個測點的表層海水，都發現有塑膠微粒。在2019、2020年的「島航普拉斯」計畫，針對先前調查污染最嚴重之台灣東北及西南海域共24個測點，進行每一季的採樣與分析，結果每個測點、每個季節皆發現塑膠微粒，其中，夏季的塑膠微粒數量最多，發泡塑膠微粒的含量明顯高於其他季節2-8倍。此計畫運用Manta網採集表層海水之塑膠微粒樣本，此為美國非營利組織5 Gyres Institute所設計的網具，外型類似鬼蝠魟（manta ray），左右兩片漂浮板，後面拖著長長的網袋，像是魟魚的尾巴。Manta網有不同的尺寸，黑潮海洋文教基金會使用的Manta網寬180公分，網袋長150公分，加上身體總長也有180公分，網袋網目為330微米，收集開口長60公分，寬13公分。研究船在抵達測點之後，會紀錄流速計起始數值、拖網起始時間、測點經緯度等採樣數值，及天氣、水溫、鹽度、水深等環境數值。同時把Manta網放下去海水，以平均船速約2節（約3.7公里/時）非常緩慢的速度，拖行15分鐘進行採樣。拖行結束，將Manta網拉起來後，研究人員會將樣本全數沖洗到樣本瓶裡面，隨即加入70%酒精溶液，標示採樣地點後保存。回到實驗室後，參照2015年美國國家海洋及大氣協會（NOAA）之海洋塑膠微粒實驗室分析標準方法，處理樣本。首先將所有樣本倒出，經過篩網過濾，挑出放置於燒杯。因為樣本中包含生物體、非生物體，接著研究人員會在燒杯中會加入適量的二價鐵（FeSO4）溶液，與等量的30%過氧化氫（H2O2），將生物體分解。生物體分解後，樣本經篩網過濾，以大量去離子水沖洗，去除生物體；接著放置於解剖顯微鏡下觀察，挑出塑膠微粒放置於培養皿上，培養皿會先放置間隔為0.5公分之方格紙以利進行計數，並依塑膠微粒材質分成五大類：硬塑膠（fragments，大型塑膠製品的碎片，如寶特瓶、包裝盒、玩具等）、軟塑膠（films，如塑膠袋、包裝紙）、發泡塑膠（foams，如保麗龍）、塑膠纖維（lines/fibers，如釣魚線、漁網或人造纖維產品）、圓形塑膠粒（pellets，為塑膠原料），分別計算各類型數量。黑潮海洋文教基金會研究員温珮珍指出，根據2019-2020年的調查結果，台灣東北及西南海域每個測點、每個季節皆發現塑膠微粒，其中東北海域塑膠微粒數量遠高於西南海域，甚至在夏、秋兩季甚至可達20倍之差距。若以材質區分，硬塑膠佔比最高，幾乎每個季節及測點皆有硬塑膠存在，可見生活塑膠仍佔大宗。若以季節來看，塑膠微粒數量最多的季節在夏季，其中又以主要來源為保麗龍的發泡塑膠微粒，含量明顯高於其他季節2-8倍。雖然西南海域在採樣季節及地點上無明顯差異，但在安平新港及曾文溪出海口可以發現，夏季時塑膠微粒數量偏高，且發泡塑膠佔九成以上。調查推測，夏季發泡塑膠可能為牡蠣養殖之廢棄物。研究人員使用科技部海洋學門資料庫網站進行漂流軌跡模擬，顯示這些廢棄物會先隨著海流北上，到台灣北方海域後，受東北角的渦流牽引，移動速度變慢並往東邊及東南向漂流，到基隆時可能在基隆與三貂角之間渦流當中打轉，最後可能被沖上岸堆積，也可能被推到三貂角外脫離渦流，隨著黑潮流向日本。加上台灣海域目視海漂垃圾調查結果、海洋大學模擬颱風季節漂流木在海上移動情形，推測夏季東北海域的塑膠微粒，非常可能與西南沿海養蚵產業有關。當然，確切實證則需進一步調查才能夠確認。有了上述調查結果，黑潮海洋文教基金會也提出相關倡議。在牡蠣養殖之廢棄物方面，雖然台南市政府宣示三年內汰換保麗龍浮具，補助漁民將保麗龍更換為發泡聚丙烯（EPP）材質等政策，同時也投入新式浮具開發，但EPP材質仍會碎裂，新浮具開發也在初期階段，希望各相關單位能加快腳步。另外，除了夏季外，其他季節的塑膠微粒還是以硬塑膠的比例最高，雖然環保署提出減塑的政策與目標，不過具體執行還是落在我們每個使用者身上。包括企業可以思考改變包裝方式，減少一次性用品的使用，民眾也盡量使用可以重複使用的器具，做好3R：減量、再利用、回收，並支持做出改變的企業。我們接著上禮拜的主題，前往花蓮拜訪黑潮海洋文教基金會，研究員温珮珍將分享島航計畫中，關於塑膠微粒的調查結果與發現，也希望您一同響應，從生活中做出改變，減少塑膠製品與一次性產品的使用。

You may not know it but mercury has made it's way to our deepest ocean depths. It's time we stop it now before it's too late. Prepare to prevent using mercury-laden products from the start, eradicating them, or lessening/stopping eating seafood. Resources: 1. https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/international-coastal-cleanup/annual-data-release/ - ANNUAL DATA REPORTS, 2. https://www.epa.gov/mercury/mercury-consumer-products - U.S. EPA mercury consumer products, 3. https://www.eaglecreek.com/landing/5gyres.html - Products purchased helps support The 5 Gyres Institute! Be sure to listen to the special segment, after applicable 'Episode Announcements' in each podcast episode (being recorded this month - April) for the retroactive giveaway and details! Thank you for listening to, sharing widely, and rating highly 'Greener Thoughts'! *This is a retroactive episode. A bit of time has occurred between the planned episode release date and today's date. Nonetheless the quality will not decrease. Thank you for being here.* Recorded: 05-02-2021 #Fish #marinelife #mercury #oceans #giveaway #greenerthoughtspodcast --- **Episodes are (usually) every Sunday and Thursday.** Desktop/Mobile: Podcast page (main): https://anchor.fm/greenerthoughtspodcast Supporting Greener Thoughts: https://anchor.fm/greenerthoughtspodcast/support Voice Message Greener Thoughts: https://anchor.fm/greenerthoughtspodcast/message --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/greenerthoughtspodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/greenerthoughtspodcast/support

Hellooooo!!! Feliz lunes :) En este episodio vamos a aprender absolutamente todo sobre los microplásticos. Nuestra maestra es Madeleine MacGillivray Wallace. Madeleine es activista climática, embajadora de muchísimas marcas sustentables, modelo que actualmente trabaja en Nueva York y, por supuesto, especialista en microplásticos. Tiene una licenciatura en Política Ambiental de la Universidad de Columbia y actualmente se encuentra terminando una Maestría en Administración Sustentable, también en Columbia. Es embajadora y miembra del consejo del 5 Gyres Institute, con quien ha hecho numerosas expediciones de investigación sobre microplásticos a lugares como el Ártico, el Triángulo de las Bermudas, Indonesia y las Islas Galápagos. Ha viajado a muchos países del mundo a dar conferencias sobre los problemas ambientales que actualmente nos afectan. Pueden encontrarla en instagram como @madeleinewallace. Y pueden encontrarme a mí (Andrea) en @loveandwatermelons :) Links importantes Microplásticos & los glóbulos rojos: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6586940/ 5Gyres website: https://www.5gyres.org Así se ven los pellets: https://ide-e.com/wp/el-sector-de-los-plasticos-refuerza-su-compromiso-para-luchar-contra-la-basura-marina/ Pellets en Quintana Roo: https://news.un.org/es/story/2020/06/1475582 Contaminantes Orgánicos Persistentes: https://ipen.org/news/%C2%BFqu%C3%A9-son-los-peligros%C3%ADsimos-contaminantes-org%C3%A1nicos-persistentes-cops Disruptores endocrinos en el agua y sus efectos: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139484/#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20major%20chemicals,and%20natural%20and%20synthetic%20estrogens.&text=Fluorinated%20substances%20also%20can%20be%20found%20in%20drinking%20water. GUPPY bag (me equivoqué. no está en amazon pero sí en varias pgs de internet) https://www.patagonia.com/product/guppyfriend-washing-bag/GP001.html Música tropical por zapsplat.com

My guest in this episode is Christian Shaw, adventurer and co-founder of Plastic Tides, a non-profit with a mission TO INSPIRE AND CATALYZE ACTION TOWARD A PLASTIC-FREE FUTURE THROUGH ADVENTURE, EDUCATION, AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, and as you'll hear today, has a multi-faceted program to accomplish this. A graduate of Cornell University, Christian has become an expert on plastic pollution, its causes, and ways to mitigate the impact. He strikes an excellent balance of vision, science, and pragmatism in his approach.Christian also talks about how he was able to merge his love for adventure with his passion for the planet. He's circumnavigated Bermuda on a stand-up paddle board, led a multi-day expedition down the Erie Canal, and more. Today we'll talk about how Christian turned a project idea into the non-profit Plastic Tides, including how he got fiscal sponsorship. We get into the weeds of plastic pollution in the ocean and our waterways, plastic waste management, plastic alternatives, and the full impact of plastic microbeads and how they accelerate the accumulation of toxins in the food chain. We also discuss some of the latest science, including enzymatic breakdown of plastics and the field of permaculture.Also, Christian gives us the details on Plastic Tide's Global Youth Mentorship Program (GYM) and the Global Rising Tide Relay fundraiser, a wonderful cause to mentor high school students to make long lasting environmental progress.Find Plastic Tides on Facebook and Instagram. And you can Find Christian @chriscrossshaw on Instagram.People and Organizations DiscussedIn chronological order5gyres.org - The 5 Gyres Institute is a global leader against plastic pollution.SEA Semester of Woods HoleDr. Sherri "Sam" Mason - plastic pollution researcher who helped Christian's team analyze Erie Canal water samplesDr. Marcus Eriksen - environmental scientist and co-founder of 5gyres.orgThe Foundation Group - Christian used this company to set up his 501c3Anato - A zero-waste skin care lineBooks and ThingsPlastic Tides Four Part YouTube Series on the Bermuda ExpeditionMicrobead Free Waters Act of 2015 - H.R. 1321 - which Christian's research partially contributed to this outcomeOceanic Gyres - permanent, large scale circular currents in the ocean that drive weather and result in accumulation of waste and debrisThe Canal - Christian's hour long documentary of his Erie Canal expedition Watch it here.Planet Money's Waste Land podcast, discusses the fallacy of plastic recycling MusicFearless First and Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLoed from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io

On this week’s show, we spoke with Rachel Labbe-Bellas, Founder @ O’Land Stations Rachel is a Marine Ecologist and has a BSc. in Biology from McGill University and a MSc. in Ecology from UFSC in Brazil. During her studies she gathered international experience, working at places such as Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and more recently as a Research Associate at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her passion for ocean advocacy led her to work with Sylvia Earle Alliance-Mission Blue, and participate in a 21-day all-female research voyage about ocean plastics and health impacts with eXXpedition. Rachel is currently working in development and science program management for 5 Gyres Institute, and spends her free time in entrepreneurship for her plastic pollution reduction start-up in Canada, The Green Stop.   On the show, we spoke about: Solving important problems through entrepreneurship The global climate challenge and of clean water in particular O’Land Stations solution and her startup journey The impact of the pandemic and how she has pivoted   It was a joy to speak with Rachel. She’s a smart and passionate entrepreneur. I hope that you enjoy the conversation!   Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at nectar@thepnr.com   Subscribe | iTunes | Google Play |Spotify | YouTube | Stitcher | Breaker  

Resource scarcity, pollution, overpopulation — we are at a point in the trajectory of civilization where we must either remain complacent and stick to our linear economic model, or we take action to enact change. But, as consumers, how do we know what information to trust and what to do with it? On the other side of the coin, how do researchers and activists make sure their work reaches enough people to make an impact and drive more change? Marcus Eriksen, Co-Founder of The 5 Gyres Institute, joins us today to explore questions like these while also talking about the work he does and the incredible life experiences he has had that led him to it. 5 Gyres empowers action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, art, education, and adventure. Marcus and 5 Gyres have done countless amazing things. Perhaps most notably, he conducted the research that led to the banning of microbeads in the U.S. We kick the discussion off talking about this research and the hope it has given Marcus, and then hear his thoughts on how to be more skeptical consumers of information that can take action on what we learn. From there, we hear the incredible stories of Marcus’ childhood where his love of nature began, and the experiences he had as a marine that inspired him to join the movement to rid the world of plastic using science. Toward the end, we talk to Marcus about the need to collaborate and weave stories around scientific research because, if not, the lessons you have for the world might be forgotten, or worse, never even heard. For valuable insights on how to take action and join the movement for change, be sure to tune in at one of the below links:Listen on SpotifyListen on Google PodcastsListen on Apple PodcastsRead the full summary here with graphics and more!

Dr. Marcus Eriksen is the author of Junk Raft, founder and executive director of 5 Gyres, and founder and executive director of Leap Lab. 20 expeditions across the world's oceans to study ocean plastics have led to a handful of research publications to better understand this new environmental catastrophe, but the first voyage was a homemade raft, JUNK RAFT, floating on plastic bottles crossing the Pacific Ocean in order to get the world talking about plastic. Science, adventure and art, are integral to big societal shifts, and he firmly believes that collaborations on all three fronts can move us in the right direction. 5 Gyres has traveled the world's oceans to research plastics and turn science into solutions. JUNK RAFT chronicles an adventure at sea aboard 15,000 plastic bottles that floated a Cessna aircraft from Los Angeles to Hawaii, no motor or support vessel, to bring attention to the plastic crisis in our oceans. 88 days, 2600 miles, and 20lbs lighter, both Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal arrived in Waikiki. The expedition launched the 5 Gyres Institute - to study the impact of plastic pollution on people and the planet.

Plastic Plague Series: PART 6 (of 7) THE PARADIGM SHIFT - we explore how reduction, recycling, and technology can create a paradigm shift that is solution oriented, equitable, and achievable. Our guests include Claire Arkin, from GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives), Marcus Eriksen of 5 Gyres Institute, and Keng Baloco, of Athens Services. There is too much plastic production for recycling to be the end-all-be-all solution to our problems, not to mention the inequity from its creation to disposal. However, waste-to-energy, chemical recycling, and plastic-to-fuel also have their concerns and might not be the winning silver bullet. Solutions best laid are community oriented and do not compromise the needs of future generations. So who is responsible for shifting the norm? Is it consumers, business, or manufacturers? How do we create community-based solutions? And how do these solutions around reuse and recycling weather issues and concerns related to virus spread and pandemics like COVID-19. Tune in to hear from the experts. Claire Arkin is the Communications Coordinator at GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) [http://www.no-burn.org]. Her work has been featured in such outlets as The Guardian, Resource-Recycling and the San Francisco Chronicle. She recently coordinated a global investigative project called “Discarded” that documented impacts of the global plastic waste trade on communities in Southeast Asia. Marcus Eriksen, 5 Gyres Institute [https://www.5gyres.org] – Research Director and Co-Founder. As an environmental scientists publishing the first global estimate of plastics in the world’s oceans, and co-discovering microbeads in the Great Lakes, Marcus and his team use research to inform campaigns aimed at changing the systems that pollute the planet and communities. Keng Baloco, Commodity Sales and Logistics Manager, Athens Services [https://athensservices.com/] has 13 years of experience in the waste and recycling industry. She currently markets commodities to domestic and international markets, finding homes for post-consumer plastic, fiber, metal, glass and other commodities. Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste [adventuresinwaste.com/] Engineer: Blake Lampkin Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Producer: Georgia Tunioli Show Created by Mark and JP Morris Music: Javier Kadry Episode 64 Photo Credit: Adam Dean/GAIA

You've probably heard about the plague of plastic trash in the oceans. You've seen YouTube videos of sea turtles with drinking straws in their noses, or whales with stomachs full of marine litter. But how much plastic is out there? Where is it coming from? We don't really know, because we haven't measured it. “There's a paucity of data,” says Marcus Eriksen, cofounder of the 5 Gyres Institute, a nonprofit focused on ending plastic pollution.

Melissa Aguayo, Advocacy and Education Director, The 5 Gyres Institute Trash Blitz evaluates plastic pollution throughout the watershed and near shore environments using both citizen and rigorous science. Results from the pilot project will be used to create a toolkit for other cities to follow. Melissa will share how the toolkit will help cities make more informed and targeted policy decisions to stop the flow of plastic pollution from source to sea. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Marcus Ericksen is the co-founder and director of research for the 5 Gyres Institute. He has been on more than 20 ocean-crossing expeditions, written and published research on the impact of plastic pollution in the world's oceans, and authored Junk Raft about a trip from Los Angeles to Hawaii and My River Home: A Journey from the Gulf War to the Gulf of Mexico. In this episode Marcus discusses plastic in the ocean including the problems it causes, where it comes from, how much is in the water, and what can be done.

Why are plastic pieces so problematic when they end up in our oceans? How can focusing on preventative solutions to tackling plastic and micro-plastic pollution help us to more effectively address this global issue?   Sharing his wisdom here is Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Co-founder and Research Director of 5 Gyres Institute. In this episode, you’ll hear about his research on microplastic pollution leading to the passing of our federal Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015; why he thinks we need to focus more on stopping plastic from entering our waterways in the first place instead of on cleaning up plastics already in our oceans; and more. Let’s dive in.   HIGHLIGHTS [4:21] Marcus discusses his active deployment in the Gulf War and how seeing the ecological impact of war affected him. [5:30] Marcus: "I've got to preserve and conserve the world around me. That's my duty; that's what's worth fighting for." [8:16] How the 5 Gyres Institute fought for (and won) the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015.  [14:07] Marcus speaks on the linear waste system and how that system needs to change into a circular system. [25:45] How the burden of pollution has changed from resting on the consumers' shoulders alone to consumers sharing the load with corporations. [27:19] Kamea: "It's important for us all to also know that we all have to work together. It's consumers; it's businesses; it's governments. We have to all collaborate with each other."   Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/103, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

Plastics are a pretty new material, in the scheme of things. They only started showing up in consumer products in the last 80 years or so. Before that, we made stuff that was designed to last and was meant to be reused over and over, then passed along to others. It was called the heirloom society. But today, disposable, single-use plastic is everywher. We make an estimated 400 million metric tons of new plastic every year – to get your mind around that number, it’s 880 billion pounds of plastic, the equivalent weight of 73 million elephants, or 144 million pickup trucks. Every year. And most of that plastic isn’t recycled. It’s thrown away, into landfills and other dump sites, where it degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. And over time, a lot of that plastic ends up getting washed into creeks and storm drains, and ultimately into our lakes, rivers and oceans. Which means there’s plastic in our drinking water sources, and in the fish and other marine animals that occupy those habitats. What are the consequences, and what can we do about it? That’s where our guest comes in. Dr. Marcus Eriksen is an interesting guy, and as you’ll hear, he’s got some very interesting ideas about how we ought to be approaching the plastic pollution problem. He’s an educator, author, researcher, adventurer and activist, particularly focusing on water-borne plastic pollution. He came to those roles later in life. A New Orleans native, he joined the Marines straight out of high school and served in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. He returned home disillusioned by that experience, and for a while struggled to find direction and meaning. He decided to journey the full length of the Mississippi River on a homemade raft, earned his Ph.D. in science education and found his passion in environmental justice causes. In 2008, he and a colleague spent 88 days and risked their lives to sail from California to Hawaii on a raft made of an airplane fuselage and 15,000 plastic bottles, to call attention to the plastic pollution problem. He and his wife, environmentalist Anna Cummins, then co-founded the 5 Gyres Institute to research plastic pollution and seek solutions. A gyre is an ocean current, by the way. The organization’s expeditions have documented plastic pollution in the world’s oceans and in the Great Lakes, where they found significant and previously unknown levels of plastic microbeads, which are used in products like facial scrubs. That discovery helped spur a federal ban on microbeads in personal care products. Our interview with Dr. Eriksen took place via Skype.

How do we confront the swirling gyres of plastic pollution dumped into our oceans? In this show, we examine the social and environmental implications of wasted resources, and follow two interrelated approaches to solving the problem from an indigenous woman doing exemplary work in New Zealand and an LA-based plastics pollution fighter. Our guests include Tina Ngata, a Ngati Porou wāhine and mother of two from The Non-Plastic Māori, and Marcus Eriksen, co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute and author of 'Junk Raft: An Ocean Voyage and a Rising Tide of Activism to Fight Plastic Pollution.' Interview moderated by Jessica Aldridge, from Adventures in Waste and SoCal 350 co-founder. Engineered by JP Morris Produced by Mark Morris Episode 19 This originally aired August 22, 2018 on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles. Links: https://thenonplasticmaori.wordpress.com/author/tinangata/ https://www.5gyres.org/ https://www.marcuseriksen.com/ https://www.junkraft.org/ https://www.amazon.com/Junk-Raft-Activism-Plastic-Pollution/dp/0807056405 https://www.wilderutopia.com/international/oceans/waste-colonization-plastic-pollution-and-the-pacific-gyre/

Marcus Eriksen, Co-founder & Research Director of 5 Gyres Institute (5gyres.org) leads an informative discussion on the ever-growing plastic trash problem that is having a detrimental impact on our seas, sea life, and planetary health. Eriksen's experience in the area of marine research is vast, as he has led multiple expeditions around the globe to specifically research plastic marine pollution. As a pioneer in this field of study, Eriksen's work, and subsequent discovery of plastic microbeads in the Great Lakes was so startlingly significant that it lead to the passage of the Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015. As a noted author on the subject and experienced researcher with a PhD in science education, Eriksen, and his wife Anna Cummins, launched the 5 Gyres Institute after completing an exhaustive 88-day trek from California to Hawaii on a raft built from 15,000 plastic bottles. The institute takes its name from the root word ‘gyre' that is defined as a large-scale system of surface currents in the ocean that are driven by the wind. The research director discusses his expeditions, the voyage with Captain Charles Moore (the oceanographer who discovered the sea trash accumulation zone), and the eureka moment when he realized that there were thousands of sea miles free for study. Eriksen's realization that the Arctic, the Antarctic, the Bay of Bengal, the Mediterranean Sea, and the equatorial waters were barely travelled and wide open for scientific research, spawned an idea. The idea was to embark upon major scientific expeditions to collect data and publish their findings on the sea plastic trash problem. After six years of study, their results were staggering. They concluded that there were an estimated 5.25 trillion bits of plastics floating in the oceans from a quarter of a million tons of trash.  The 5 Gyres co-founder details how cups, plastic bags, polystyrene, bottles and more are degraded into smaller bits by ocean currents, fish nibbling, and the sun's rays, and how these microsized bits are causing real damage to wildlife. Eriksen states that the ideal solution, other than simply not allowing any plastics to make it into the ocean altogether, would be to harness the trash plastics near coastlines, before they get out to sea. Eriksen gives an eye-opening introduction to the strategies needed to tackle this global problem successfully. Ultimately, he states, the real solution is to tighten up community and municipality recycling programs from city centers all the way down to the individual homeowner. Getting a handle on the recycling of plastics at the source, and ending the production of single-use plastics would help to prevent the sea plastic trash problem before it happens. Unfortunately, recycling programs currently aren't meeting the challenge. In regard to sea life health, toxins such as DDT, PCB, flame-retardants, etc. are being ingested. Thus sea life is ingesting chemical toxins from the volume of microplastics that exist within our oceans and the long-term effects to aquatic life, as well as human life, could be deleterious, but more study is needed. Eriksen's team believes that the current implementation of recycling plans and programs only scratches the surface of the greater need. Eriksen affirms that truly successful recycling strategy would suggest that every manufacturer of a plastic or disposable item have an ‘end of use' plan for their items. Ideas might include ‘buy back' plans such that manufacturers take back their product, and provide coupons for their receipt, that would then provide discounts for secondary purchases, and so forth. He'll discuss society's need to adopt stricter recycling strategies that put an end to carry out containers and usher in the concept of a ‘bring your own' carry out container way of life. Additionally, the science educator discusses other concepts that walk us away from our disposable culture habits, such as ‘heirloom culture,' which is the concept of buying things that might be more expensive but are built to last for years, perhaps decades.  To make a dent in the plastic and disposable trash problem, we must consider intelligent packaging, reduction of single-use, ending unnecessary plastic use, and rethink recycling and non-compostable waste strategies, etc.

Dr. Marcus Eriksen will share the newly published BAN List 2.0, a snap shot of the top 20 plastic products polluting the land and waterways in the US, but also an in-depth look at the role of bioplastics in society. BAN List 2.0 outlines what the "Better Alternatives Now" should be in order to keep our land and sea free of plastic pollution.

BeTheTalk is a 7 day a week podcast where Nathan Eckel chats with talkers from TEDx and other branded events. Learn the tips tools and techniques that can help you give the talk to change the world. Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is Executive Director of 5 Gyres Institute. She promoted sustainability on "The Today Show" and "CNN,” and authored The Big List of Things That Suck and The Mommy Greenest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond. A mother of 3, Rachel lives in Los Angeles.

BeTheTalk is a 7 day a week podcast where Nathan Eckel chats with talkers from TEDx and other branded events. Learn the tips tools and techniques that can help you give the talk to change the world. Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is Executive Director of 5 Gyres Institute. She promoted sustainability on "The Today Show" and "CNN,” and authored The Big List of Things That Suck and The Mommy Greenest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond. A mother of 3, Rachel lives in Los Angeles.

SIGN THE PETITION TO CONNECT THE CAP: http://p2a.co/qwV7f0c Marcus Eriksen (@5Gyers) is the co-founder of Leap Lab, as well as the Research Director and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute. He studies the global distribution and ecological impacts of plastic marine pollution, which has included expeditions sailing through all 5 subtropical gyres, Bay of Bengal, Southern Ocean and inland lakes and rivers, recently publishing the first global estimate of all plastic of all sizes floating in the world's oceans, totaling 270,000 metric tons from 5.25 trillion particles. In 2013 he and colleagues published the discovery of microbeads in the Great Lakes, which became the cornerstone for a US-based campaign to eliminate plastic microbeads from cosmetics, resulting in the Microbead-Free Waters Act, which became US federal law in 2015. Years earlier, in 2000, he traveled to Midway Atoll, finding hundreds of Laysan Albatross with plastic pouring out of their stomachs, and that experience narrowed his focus to plastics. He received his Ph.D. in Science Education from University of Southern California in 2003, months before embarking on a 2000-mile, 5-month journey down the Mississippi River on a homemade raft of plastic bottles to bring attention to this issue. Again in 2008, he rafted across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii on JUNK, floating on 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessina airplane fuselage as a cabin (junkraft.com). The journey, 2,600 miles in 88 days, brought attention to the work of the 5 Gyres Institute, the organization he co-founded with his wife Anna Cummins. His first book, titled “My River Home” (Beacon Press, 2007) chronicled his Mississippi River experience paralleled with his tour as a Marine in the 1991 Gulf War. His second book, titled "JUNK RAFT: An oceanic voyage and the rising tide of activism to fight plastic pollution" (Beacon Press, 2017) tells the story of how plastic pollution at sea was discovered, the impact on people and the planet, and the growing movement to solve the problem through zero waste initiatives in the largest cities worldwide. The experience of war, sailing across oceans with wonderful crew-mates, and long rafting voyages, have led to a strong conservation ethic worth fighting for. “We must understand and define conservation and social justice as our collective self-preservation – a rationale that crosses all boundaries between all people.” Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

SIGN THE PETITION TO CONNECT THE CAP: http://p2a.co/qwV7f0c Marcus Eriksen (@5Gyers) is the co-founder of Leap Lab, as well as the Research Director and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute. He studies the global distribution and ecological impacts of plastic marine pollution, which has included expeditions sailing through all 5 subtropical gyres, Bay of Bengal, Southern Ocean and inland lakes and rivers, recently publishing the first global estimate of all plastic of all sizes floating in the world’s oceans, totaling 270,000 metric tons from 5.25 trillion particles. In 2013 he and colleagues published the discovery of microbeads in the Great Lakes, which became the cornerstone for a US-based campaign to eliminate plastic microbeads from cosmetics, resulting in the Microbead-Free Waters Act, which became US federal law in 2015. Years earlier, in 2000, he traveled to Midway Atoll, finding hundreds of Laysan Albatross with plastic pouring out of their stomachs, and that experience narrowed his focus to plastics. He received his Ph.D. in Science Education from University of Southern California in 2003, months before embarking on a 2000-mile, 5-month journey down the Mississippi River on a homemade raft of plastic bottles to bring attention to this issue. Again in 2008, he rafted across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii on JUNK, floating on 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessina airplane fuselage as a cabin (junkraft.com). The journey, 2,600 miles in 88 days, brought attention to the work of the 5 Gyres Institute, the organization he co-founded with his wife Anna Cummins. His first book, titled “My River Home” (Beacon Press, 2007) chronicled his Mississippi River experience paralleled with his tour as a Marine in the 1991 Gulf War. His second book, titled "JUNK RAFT: An oceanic voyage and the rising tide of activism to fight plastic pollution" (Beacon Press, 2017) tells the story of how plastic pollution at sea was discovered, the impact on people and the planet, and the growing movement to solve the problem through zero waste initiatives in the largest cities worldwide. The experience of war, sailing across oceans with wonderful crew-mates, and long rafting voyages, have led to a strong conservation ethic worth fighting for. “We must understand and define conservation and social justice as our collective self-preservation – a rationale that crosses all boundaries between all people.”

We close another year of Science Soapbox by learning about the battle being waged against plastic pollution in our waters and its impact on public policy and perception. We talk with Marcus Eriksen — science educator, researcher, and founder of 5-Gyres Institute — to hear about his advocacy on behalf of our planet's waters. He talks about his new book Junk Raft, which documents his three-month trip across the pacific on a raft made of recycled junk with a cessna hull for a cabin. Through our conversation, we learned about lobbying tactics used by the plastic industry and got to handle plastic trash from the ocean with bite marks from turtles and fish. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

When plastic made its foray into daily life in the 1950s, it was billed as the liberation to an existence constrained by household drudgery. Plates could be tossed instead of washed; coffee could be chugged on the go and then chucked into a rubbish bin; and frozen TV dinners could be stripped of their plastic wrap and popped in the oven at a moment’s notice. Life Magazine touted the disposable revolution in an article entitled ‘Throwaway Living’; a mere half-century later, every piece of plastic modern mankind ever made is still with us. Indeed, 8 million metric tons of these metamorphosed fossil fuels continue to enter our oceans each year, choking all life in the pervasive plastic path of its micro-pieces, and ultimately working its way up the food chain, into us.We’ve been taught that we can use plastics so long as we recycle, but that system, is in fact, grievously broken, and perhaps never should have been the answer all along, as I learned in this thought-provoking conversation with Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, executive director of the 5 Gyres Institute, the ocean conservation non-profit that first discovered plastic microbeads in 2012 and campaigned for a successful federal ban in 2015. But how can we even begin to tackle the 5.25 trillion particles of “plastic smog” (that’s 270,000 tons) polluting our oceans worldwide? How can we reverse the seemingly inescapable grasp of a now entrenched throwaway society? Rachel is an awe-inspiring former journalist and mom of three (as well as my friend and neighbor, lucky me!), and she digs deep in this interview -- unraveling not only the history of plastic and the roots of our throwaway society, but channeling the save-everything mentality of her great-grandmother to inspire all of us toward a post-plastic revolution through doable change.

On today's show we interviewed Blair Stafford. Blair is the newly appointed 5 Gyres Institute Ambassador for Australia.

How do we save our planet? By taking responsibility! In this episode, you’ll hear about the harmful effects of plastic and what each of us can do to help. Our Guest: The nonprofit 5 Gyres Institute has been fighting plastic ocean pollution since 2009. Beginning in 2010, 5 Gyres began a series of scientific firsts by researching plastic in all five subtropical gyres, as well as the Great Lakes and Antarctica. In 2014, the organization convened eight scientists around the world to publish the first global estimate of plastic pollution in our ocean: 5.25 trillion particles weighing in at 270,000 tons of “plastic smog” worldwide. 5 Gyres’ paper on plastic microbead pollution in the Great Lakes inspired a two-year collaborative campaign that culminated in a federal ban on microbeads, which President Obama signed into law in 2015. In 2016, 5 Gyres embarked on its 17th expedition—this time to research microplastics and nanoplastics in the Arctic Circle. More information is at www.5gyres.org. Quick Preview of the Podcast: - How to reduce the impact of plastics. -Why there’s enough plastic to stretch to the moon and back in our oceans. -5 simple plastics to avoid + empowering tips. -The rush you can get by saving the planet. Learn how to save the planet in this episode. FREE Guided Meditation for Self Care (led by Shannon): https://programs.shannonalgeo.com/selfcare-meditation

Rosalind "Roz" Savage MBE FRGS (born 23 December 1967) is an English ocean rower, environmental advocate, writer and speaker.[1] She holds four Guinness World Records for ocean rowing, including first woman to row solo across three oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian.[2] She has rowed over 15,000 miles, taken around 5 million oarstrokes, and spent cumulatively over 500 days of her life at sea in a 23-foot rowboat. She was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2013 for services to environmental awareness and fundraising. She was awarded an honorary degree (Doctor of Laws) from Bristol University in 2014. Roz Savage is a United Nations Climate Hero,[3] a trained presenter for the Climate Reality Project, and an Athlete Ambassador for 350.org.[4] She is on the board of Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation,[5] and a Blue Ambassador for the UK-based BLUE Project. She promotes plastic-free communities as co-patron of the Greener Upon Thames campaign for a plastic bag free Olympics in 2012, and as a Notable Coalition Member of the Plastic Pollution Coalition.[6] She also supports the work of the 5 Gyres Institute,[7] and is an Ambassador for Plastic Oceans[8] and MacGillivray Freeman's One World One Ocean project. Her voyages take place under the auspices of the Blue Frontier Campaign.[9] She is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York, and has been listed amongst the Top Twenty Great British Adventurers by the Daily Telegraph and the Top Ten Ultimate Adventurers by National Geographic. In 2011 she received the Ocean Inspiration Through Adventure award. She has been inducted into the International Green Industry Hall of Fame and was a recipient of a Yale World Fellowship. In 2010 she was named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic.

On the first half, Cea Higgins of Sonoma Coast Surfrider talks about the proposal by the state of CA to install fee collections stations at currently free Sonoma Coast beaches. On the 2nd half of the show Lisa Boyle of 5 Gyres Institute discusses 5 Gyres Institute's most recent work discovering microbeads mighty impact on the ocean and efforts to ban the bead.

Today’s guest, Marcus Eriksen, founded an organization tasked with addressing the many pervasive threats that plastics pose to wildlife and ecosystems all around the globe. The issue of plastic pollution in our oceans has been getting more and more attention recently, and the 5 Gyres Institute has been at the forefront of this movement for almost a decade.  This unique organization was launched back in 2008 with a research voyage across the Pacific Ocean, which was conducted on a small raft made with over 15,000 plastic bottles and a variety of other re-purposed plastic materials.