Podcast appearances and mentions of marcus eriksen

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.

Check out this Getting Curious episode! Jonathan Van Ness has invited Marcus Eriksen from 5 Gyres to the pod. Marcus tells us about his 88 day journey from California to Hawaii sailing on a raft made from 15,000 plastic bottles to research microplastics in the ocean and raise awareness about plastic pollution. Then Marcus answers all our questions like: how did plastic become so popular in the first place, why is so little of our plastic recycled, and what can we do on an individual and systemic level to create stronger policies and more robust solutions? Plus, Jonathan and Marcus go deep on the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.Marcus has led expeditions around the world to research plastic pollution and used that research to drive solutions. He co-published the first global estimate of marine plastic pollution and the discovery of plastic microbeads in the Great Lakes, which led to the federal Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015. He and his wife Anna founded 5 Gyres with an 88-day journey from California to Hawaii on a Junk Raft that they built from 15,000 plastic bottles. Now, Marcus and 5 Gyres continue to lead with scientific research to drive upstream solutions through education, advocacy, and community building.New episodes of Getting Curious drop on Wednesdays. On Mondays, join us for Pretty Curious. our podcast on all things beauty!Subscribe to Extra Curious for exclusive episodes of Ask JVN, where Jonathan's answering your questions about sex, dating, and more.You can follow Getting Curious on Instagram and Twitter @curiouswithjvn. Transcripts for all episodes are available at jonathanvanness.com/podcasts.Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Earth Day, Curious People! To celebrate, we're inviting research scientist Marcus Eriksen from 5 Gyres to the pod. Marcus tells us about his 88 day journey from California to Hawaii sailing on a raft made from 15,000 plastic bottles to research microplastics in the ocean and raise awareness about plastic pollution. Then Marcus answers all our questions like: how did plastic become so popular in the first place, why is so little of our plastic recycled, and what can we do on an individual and systemic level to create stronger policies and more robust solutions? Plus, Jonathan and Marcus go deep on the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. Marcus has led expeditions around the world to research plastic pollution and used that research to drive solutions. He co-published the first global estimate of marine plastic pollution and the discovery of plastic microbeads in the Great Lakes, which led to the federal Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015. He and his wife Anna founded 5 Gyres with an 88-day journey from California to Hawaii on a Junk Raft that they built from 15,000 plastic bottles. Now, Marcus and 5 Gyres continue to lead with scientific research to drive upstream solutions through education, advocacy, and community building. You can follow 5 Gyres on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter at @5gyres, or on their website where you can find more ways to get involved. Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn. Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall. Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com. Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I et naust nedi Ballangsfjæra ligger det en båt med en stevn så sylkvass som en nyklipt ljå har den kappet bølgene over mange fjorder og åpne hav på sin seilas gjennom historien. Ljåen ligger der stille og mutt bortgjemt i sitt naust. Det er kun sporene som er satt i spant, toft og bordganger som forteller historien på sitt tause språk. Ljåen og dens høvedsmann Marcus Eriksen har vært med på mye, blant annet det sagnomsuste slaget i Trollfjorden i 1890. For å hjelp til med å få ordlagt denne historien har vi besøkt Per Einar Eilertsen i Ballangen. I denne episoden hører vi Per Einar Eilertsen i samtale med programvert Jon Framnes.

One of the world's leading scientists on plastics and plastic pollution discusses why plastics are so harmful to humans and the planet in this episode with RFK Jr. Eriksen also tells his tales of sailing around the world on a raft made of junk to raise awareness. For more info visit www.5gyres.org --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rfkjr/message

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.

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

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.

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.

Marcus Eriksen made a huge impression on me when I first met him. He is an environmental scientist, educator and author as part of his day job. On the side, he's built rafts out of junk, floated down the Mississippi river for days on said raft, writes books about his adventures and advocates for the environment. He has been an outspoken and forthright advocate for the environment, particularly the elimination of plastics in the oceans. Most importantly, his efforts have gotten results, notably in a law prohibiting micro-beads in cosmetics. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thoughtsparksritamcgrath/message

No doubt you have heard a lot about what is going on with the world's oceans, especially all the junk floating around in them. Perhaps the most famous example in recent memory was the sea turtle with the straw sticking out of its nose. I'm also old enough to remember concern over fish and other ocean critters getting caught in the plastic six-pack holders that were almost all over the place. Now you hardly see them anymore, showing that sometimes you can get something changed, even if it is something small.  Marcus Eriksen is one of those people trying to get a whole lot changed. Marcus is an environmental scientist who has been working for years to not just bring awareness, but actual change that will reduce the number of plastics in our water. While there are many accomplishments we could list here, his most well-known endeavor was sailing from California to Hawaii back in 2008 on his homemade raft, lovingly named JUNK. Why? Because it was literally made out of junk, including 15,000 bottles and a Cessna fuselage for a cabin. He published a book about the experience named Junk Raft, published in 2017.  When asked why he does unusual things like that, the scientist points out that just the science, the raw data, doesn't reach as large of an audience as art, or a good story like sailing across the ocean on a raft of junk. Those things have a much larger impact on people. There is a reason Plato wrote dialogues. Aesop wrote fables, and the Bible is full of parables instead of systematized theology, these things hold the attention better than numbers, graphs, and syllogisms.  Speaking of things that get attention, when asked why he cares so much about the ocean, Marcus brings up a video he made during his Pacific voyage. Having fished a fish, he was getting ready to clean it and noticed the stomach was weird. He touched it with his fillet knife and the stomach popped open, revealing seventeen bits of plastic. Yes, that's a bit gross. On the subject of plastic in stomachs, he has also examined camels with plastic bags in their guts just outside of Dubai. A local vet had a lot to say about the suffering of the camels. It doesn't matter who you talk to, that is not a good thing.  What kind of plastics are getting found in the oceans? Where do they come from? Not surprisingly, they largely come from fishing activities. Buoys, nets, bottles, fishing line, and anything else associated with fishing is found in abundance in the ocean. Now, that doesn't mean that those things are just carelessly tossed overboard, but lines break, a bleach bottle bounces out in rough seas, and things get lost. There are plenty of other things out there too, car tires, textiles, and more are currently littering the oceans of the world. How much of it is actually out there? Up to a quarter-million tons according to a 2014 study. What is it now? Marcus doesn't have another weight estimate but the trends are that the problem is getting much, much worse.  So, what do we do about it? The standard response has always been to just go clean it up. However, that is not necessarily the best use of resources. The best bang for the buck, and where the trend is finally heading is to focus on prevention. If we can convince people not to use so much plastic in the first place, or dispose of and reuse it in a responsible way, then we don't have to worry so much about cleaning them up at all. That reflects a circular economy, one that has little waste, instead of our highly inefficient linear economy. Fortunately, there is a lot of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking going on that fits in the circular mindset. That is happening on the corporate and the individual level. Just think of the brisk second-hand business that happens on Craigslist. Or I just saw a backpacking video where a company is repurposing gelato containers as cold soak jars. Make the space for some innovation and a little profit and it's amazing the different solutions people will come up with.  Naturally, there isn't anyone silver bullet solution. This is exactly why Marcus works so hard to let people know what is going on, sharing the solutions that people have found, and encouraging others to find even more. Perhaps together, we can actually work to get this done. What's your plastic 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!

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

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

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.

From rafting down the Mississippi to a fishing line ring proposal on a sail to the trash gyres in the middle of the ocean, Marcus Erickson’s life is an ongoing adventure story. Also a PhD scientist and activist and co-founder of 5 Gyres, Marcus’s adventures these days are all about doing good through research and activism to address plastic pollution. In this episode we dive deep with Marcus to hear about some of his many historic expeditions, his perspective on the growth of the plastic pollution movement over the last decade, and how 5 Gyres is supporting the next generation of world-changers. Listen now & subscribe to The Indisposable Podcast to stay updated on more solutions-focused inspirations!

It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest and oldest creatures of the planet is also the most mysterious. But whales have been around for 50 million years, and in all that time, we still haven’t figured out how many species of whales have existed—let alone how many exist today. How did these creatures of the deep get to be so big, and how did they make it back into the sea after walking on land? Most importantly, what will happen to them as humanity and its detritus increasingly encroach on their existence? The Smithsonian’s star paleontologist, Nick Pyenson, joins us this episode (originally aired in 2018) to answer some of our questions about the largest mysteries on Earth, and how they fit into the story of the world’s largest ecosystem: the ocean.Go beyond the episode:Nick Pyenson’s Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome CreaturesTake a 3D tour of the Cerro Ballena site, where dozens of intact whale fossils were found by the side of the road in ChileCheck out Phoenix’s website at the Smithsonian, where you can learn all about this right whale (to search for sightings of her, follow this link to the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog and enter “Whale Name: Phoenix” on the “Search for Individual Whales” page)Explore the hidden lives of minke whales, who live in rapidly warming Antarctic watersTag along on marine biologist Ari Friedlaender’s trips to tag whales in the ocean(“extreme field science in action!”)Listen to an incredible story about one woman and a baby whale on the “This Is Love” podcastThere are some amazing, tear-jerking whale videos on YouTube that we stumbled upon in our research for this episode. To get you started, here’s the story of how a whale saved biologist Nan Hauser’s lifeThe inimitable David Attenborough mingles his voice with the dulcet tones of humpback whale song in this clip from the BBC’s Animal AttractionAnd listen to our interview with Marcus Eriksen, who sailed the Pacific on a “junk raft” to raise awareness about aquatic plastic pollution—one of the leading causes of death in marine creaturesWe used whale songs in this episode that were recorded by the Cornell Ornithology Lab. Check out their archive the “Sea of Sound” here.Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest and oldest creatures of the planet is also the most mysterious. But whales have been around for 50 million years, and in all that time, we still haven’t figured out how many species of whales have existed—let alone how many exist today. How did these creatures of the deep get to be so big, and how did they make it back into the sea after walking on land? Most importantly, what will happen to them as humanity and its detritus increasingly encroach on their existence? The Smithsonian’s star paleontologist, Nick Pyenson, joins us this episode (originally aired in 2018) to answer some of our questions about the largest mysteries on Earth, and how they fit into the story of the world’s largest ecosystem: the ocean.Go beyond the episode:Nick Pyenson’s Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome CreaturesTake a 3D tour of the Cerro Ballena site, where dozens of intact whale fossils were found by the side of the road in ChileCheck out Phoenix’s website at the Smithsonian, where you can learn all about this right whale (to search for sightings of her, follow this link to the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog and enter “Whale Name: Phoenix” on the “Search for Individual Whales” page)Explore the hidden lives of minke whales, who live in rapidly warming Antarctic watersTag along on marine biologist Ari Friedlaender’s trips to tag whales in the ocean(“extreme field science in action!”)Listen to an incredible story about one woman and a baby whale on the “This Is Love” podcastThere are some amazing, tear-jerking whale videos on YouTube that we stumbled upon in our research for this episode. To get you started, here’s the story of how a whale saved biologist Nan Hauser’s lifeThe inimitable David Attenborough mingles his voice with the dulcet tones of humpback whale song in this clip from the BBC’s Animal AttractionAnd listen to our interview with Marcus Eriksen, who sailed the Pacific on a “junk raft” to raise awareness about aquatic plastic pollution—one of the leading causes of death in marine creaturesWe used whale songs in this episode that were recorded by the Cornell Ornithology Lab. Check out their archive the “Sea of Sound” here.Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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

In today’s episode, we talk to  Dr Marcus Eriksen. He is an environmental scientist, educator and author committed to building stronger communities through art, science, adventure and activism. He is the co-founder of the 5 Gyres and LEAP LAB. He has also written one of the most comprehensive scientific articles on marine plastic pollution, partly based on his own expeditions.  Where can people find Marcus? Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/5gyres) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/5gyres) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-eriksen-69a2345b/) Website  (https://www.marcuseriksen.com/) 5 Gyres (https://www.5gyres.org/) Key Take Away“Lead by Example”    

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.

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/

Junk Raft (starts 6:20) Marcus Eriksen discusses what can and cannot be done about the "plastic smog" of microscopic debris permeating the world's ocean, from the state-sized floating islands of plastic in the Pacific, to the microscopic debris that sinks all the way down the the deepest parts of the Pacific, OR gets eaten and into the food chain.  Eriksen is author of the book Junk Raft, recounting his adventures when he sailed the Pacific from L.A. to Hawaii on a raft made of garbage to bring attention to the issue. The Green Reaper (starts 19:10) Elizabeth Fournier, a mortician from Oregon, is known to some as "The Green Reaper." She offers and advocates for natural burial services for those who want to extend their environmental ethos from life on into death. Host/Producer/Engineer: Chip Grandits Executive Producer:  Beth Bennett

It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest and oldest creatures of the planet is also the most mysterious. But whales have been around for 50 million years, and in all that time, we still haven’t figured out how many species of whales have existed—let alone how many exist today. How did these creatures of the deep get to be so big, and how did they make it back into the sea after walking on land? Most importantly, what will happen to them as humanity and its detritus increasingly encroach on their existence? The Smithsonian’s star paleontologist, Nick Pyenson, joins us to answer some of our questions about the largest mysteries on Earth, and how they fit into the story of the world's largest ecosystem: the ocean.Go beyond the episode:Nick Pyenson’s Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome CreaturesTake a 3D tour of the Cerro Ballena site, where dozens of intact whale fossils were found by the side of the road in ChileCheck out Phoenix’s website at the Smithsonian, where you can learn all about this right whale (to search for sightings of her, follow this link to the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog and enter “Whale Name: Phoenix” on the “Search for Individual Whales” page)Explore the hidden lives of minke whales, who live in rapidly warming Antarctic watersTag along on marine biologist Ari Friedlaender’s trips to tag whales in the ocean(“extreme field science in action!”)Listen to an incredible story about one woman and a baby whale on the “This Is Love” podcastThere are some amazing, tear-jerking whale videos on YouTube that we stumbled upon in our research for this episode. To get you started, here’s the story of how a whale saved biologist Nan Hauser's lifeThe inimitable David Attenborough mingles his voice with the dulcet tones of humpback whale song in this clip from the BBC's Animal AttractionAnd listen to our interview with Marcus Eriksen, who sailed the Pacific on a “junk raft” to raise awareness about aquatic plastic pollution—one of the leading causes of death in marine creaturesWe used whale songs in this episode that were recorded by the Cornell Ornithology Lab. Check out their archive the “Sea of Sound” here.Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner •

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.

It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest and oldest creatures of the planet is also the most mysterious. But whales have been around for 50 million years, and in all that time, we still haven’t figured out how many species of whales have existed—let alone how many exist today. How did these creatures of the deep get to be so big, and how did they make it back into the sea after walking on land? Most importantly, what will happen to them as humanity and its detritus increasingly encroach on their existence? The Smithsonian’s star paleontologist, Nick Pyenson, joins us to answer some of our questions about the largest mysteries on Earth, and how they fit into the story of the world's largest ecosystem: the ocean.Go beyond the episode:Nick Pyenson’s Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome CreaturesTake a 3D tour of the Cerro Ballena site, where dozens of intact whale fossils were found by the side of the road in ChileCheck out Phoenix’s website at the Smithsonian, where you can learn all about this right whale (to search for sightings of her, follow this link to the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog and enter “Whale Name: Phoenix” on the “Search for Individual Whales” page)Explore the hidden lives of minke whales, who live in rapidly warming Antarctic watersTag along on marine biologist Ari Friedlaender’s trips to tag whales in the ocean(“extreme field science in action!”)Listen to an incredible story about one woman and a baby whale on the “This Is Love” podcastThere are some amazing, tear-jerking whale videos on YouTube that we stumbled upon in our research for this episode. To get you started, here’s the story of how a whale saved biologist Nan Hauser's lifeThe inimitable David Attenborough mingles his voice with the dulcet tones of humpback whale song in this clip from the BBC's Animal AttractionAnd listen to our interview with Marcus Eriksen, who sailed the Pacific on a “junk raft” to raise awareness about aquatic plastic pollution—one of the leading causes of death in marine creaturesWe used whale songs in this episode that were recorded by the Cornell Ornithology Lab. Check out their archive the “Sea of Sound” here.Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • 

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.

Marcus Eriksen wanted to draw attention to a problem no one could see. So he sailed into the middle of it.   Learn more about Marcus’ conservation work here:  5Gyres Leap Lab       Source: ReuseThisBag.com   Music Credits Red Shore by Artem Bemba is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License Clay Pawn Shop by Blue Dot […]

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.”

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

In this TYT interview, Jayde Lovell, host of ScIQ on The Young Turks Network, sits down with Dr. Marcus Eriksen to discuss his advocacy work in eliminating plastics pollution from the world's oceans. They also discuss how his experiences on active duty inspired him to found the research institute that would later be the champion in banning plastic microbeads throughout the state of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

We hit the seven seas and the five gyres in our wettest podcast episode yet: Laura Sook Duncombe talks about the female swashbucklers forgotten by history—including a pirate who gave birth in the middle of a sea battle—and Marcus Eriksen talks about sailing the ocean blue in a raft made of plastic bottles. • Go beyond the episode: • Laura Sook Duncombe’s Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas • Read more about Cheng I Sao, the world’s most successful pirate, or catch Anne Bonny and Mary Read on the television show Black Sails • Listen to our podcast segment on the history of eclipse in preparation for the upcoming total solar eclipse—including why the ancient Babylonians always marked the occasion with a king-swapping ritual and human sacrifice • Learn more about Marcus Eriksen’s journey on the Junk Raft • Read more about how much plastic we produce and where it goes, how 100 companies are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions • And dry off with our list of the most arid reads around: 10 Books to Read—And Not a Drop to Drink • Tune in every two weeks to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. • Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • Acast Have suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We hit the seven seas and the five gyres in our wettest podcast episode yet: Laura Sook Duncombe talks about the female swashbucklers forgotten by history—including a pirate who gave birth in the middle of a sea battle—and Marcus Eriksen talks about sailing the ocean blue in a raft made of plastic bottles. • Go beyond the episode: • Laura Sook Duncombe’s Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas • Read more about Cheng I Sao, the world’s most successful pirate, or catch Anne Bonny and Mary Read on the television show Black Sails • Listen to our podcast segment on the history of eclipse in preparation for the upcoming total solar eclipse—including why the ancient Babylonians always marked the occasion with a king-swapping ritual and human sacrifice • Learn more about Marcus Eriksen’s journey on the Junk Raft • Read more about how much plastic we produce and where it goes, how 100 companies are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions • And dry off with our list of the most arid reads around: 10 Books to Read—And Not a Drop to Drink • Tune in every two weeks to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. • Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • Acast Have suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sean interviews Dr. Marcus Eriksen, a former U.S. marine who took on the task of doing something about the amount of plastic in our oceans and is the founder of the 5 Gyers Institute.

Roz and Dr. Kiki talk about Earth Day and sustainability with Marcus Eriksen from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Guest: Marcus Eriksen of 5GYRES Hosts: Roz Savage and Dr. Kiki Sanford Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/roz-rows-the-pacific. Follow Roz on her blog, on RozSavage.com, and on Twitter. Bandwidth for Roz Rows The Pacific is provided by Cachefly. Thanks to Paul Minshall for our theme, "Drifting".

Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation tell us about the perils of plastic on land and in the sea. Marcus and Anna also talk about some of their many adventures; JUNKride; a 2,000 mile bike ride from Vancouver, B.C. to Tijuana, Mexico, the voyage of the JUNKraft; a boat made of plastic bottles, and their trip to the North Pacific Gyre, where they investigated plastic in the ocean.

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.