Toxic: Garbage Island

I heard about this web series last semester in my student forum, and finally got around to watching it at the beginning of this year. It's a 12-part series of web episodes chronicling the travels of three VICE magazine reporters as they journey to the Pacific Gyre, the location of the elusive "Pacific Garbage Patch." The result is hilarious, hip (there's a lot of American Apparel), and even a little raunchy (there's some kissy kissy at one point). The level of plastic contamination in the ocean is driven home with visuals of the samples they collect along the way and interviews with the captain and researcher on board. The basic deal is that there are TONS of tiny bits of plastic in the ocean (which happen to collect at this point in the Pacific Ocean where four major currents intersect). The plastic bits come from everything from regular trash to industrial waste (especially common and terrible are the pellets leftover from the manufacture of plastic items). Lots of the plastic is bisphenol-A, a pretty nasty chemical.

Anyway, there's lots more (much more than I can summarize here) in the videos, so check that out. Also read this article written by Thomas Morton (the guy from the web series) about his frustrations with environmentalist types and also an interview with Michael Shellenberger (author of The Death of Environmentalism). He's all about focusing on industry and the development of that instead of trying to limit or "just use less." Personally, I'm for reducing and using less, though I do think it would be most productive to work on both fronts (encourage industry along with trying to foster a cultural shift to a less consumption-obsessed society). But I also still need to actually read the Death of Environmentalism, so who knows, maybe that'll impact my opinion.