Nikolaus Geyrhalter follows waste to the shores, mountains, and ocean…
Plastic Paradise
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
Thousands of miles away from civilization, Midway Atoll is in one of the most remote places on earth. And yet it's become ground zero for The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, syphoning plastics from three distant continents. In this independent documentary film, journalist/filmmaker Angela Sun travels on a personal journey of discovery to uncover this mysterious phenomenon. Along the way she meets scientists, researchers, influencers, and volunteers who shed light on the effects of our rabid plastic consumption and learns the problem is more insidious than we could have ever imagined.
'This is an issue of vast scales. I strongly recommend this film as an instructional tool to connect ecology, communication, and global service. Plastic Paradise engages students by illustrating how their everyday interactions with plastic are connected to pollution at the farthest, most exotic corners of the world. Students will learn the unexpected economic and ecological facets of plastic pollution and ways for each of us to minimize our plastic footprint. Angela Sun provides an excellent model of how one curious person can use her talents to follow her interests, speak from the heart, and contribute to improving the world. The voyage she completes can motivate students to discover more about pollution of all kinds on their own. By doing so, this film will inspire young people to act as global citizens and contribute to finding solutions for the major environmental problems of the coming century.' Timothy Hoellein, Aquatic Ecologist, Assistant Professor of Biology, Loyola University
'With fantastic archival footage, revealing modern images from the pacific and thoughtful, fact-based explanation, Plastic Paradise provides an educational, hip, and very entertaining look at some of the many ways plastic is affecting us all. I highly recommend checking this film out!' Dr. Mike SanClements, Staff Scientist, The National Ecological Observatory Network, Affiliate Faculty, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado-Boulder
'Sun's documentary sends a clear and coherent message about one of the major environmental problems we face today. Her film articulates this message in a way that will resonate with anyone that cares about nature and the environment. This is a documentary that should be seen by educators, students, politicians, and environmentalists alike. Amazing work!' Dr. Garen Baghdasarian, Professor of Biology, Chair of Life Sciences, Santa Monica College
'Filmmaker Angela Sun tells a compelling story about the plethora of harmful impacts associated with non-degradable plastic, particularly in regard to the marine environment, while recognizing that the properties of plastic have enhanced our quality of life in many ways. The film's haunting message highlights the importance of society transitioning to the existing truly biodegradable polymers wherever possible and as soon as possible.' Dr. Kirk J. Havens, Director, Coastal Watersheds Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary
'I believe that this film portrays the state of the plastic marine debris issue accurately. Once in the ocean there is really no way to get it out, other than hope that it washes up on a shore and is collected. Then what? Recycle, bury, what to do with it? The big problem is that it is all about money, profits. To the best of my knowledge there has been no life cycle analysis of plastic. Even if there was, how do we put a price on an albatross? A dead seal or sea lion? An endangered sea turtle? This is one of the easiest visualizations of how humans (not all, but many) have lost connection with the environment--a sad state of affairs--but the truth.' William J. Cooper, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Director of the Urban Water Research Center, University of California-Irvine
'A fun and well-balanced introduction to a complex environmental topic. Drawing from the expertise of a diversity of scientists, activists and management practitioners in the field, this film introduces its audience to issues regarding plastic production and waste-management, plastic contamination in the ocean and the hazards of plastic and its chemical cocktail to humans and wildlife.' Dr. Chelsea M. Rochman, Smith Fellow in Conservation Biology, Marine Ecologist/Ecotoxicologist, Aquatic Health Program, University of California Davis
'Plastic Paradise offers new and sharpened perspectives on the problem of plastics in the environment. It includes a good history of the genesis of the plastics industry from materials shortages during World War II, and demonstrates that things put in the environment (such as a message in a bottle) can stick around for a long time and move great distances. This film makes the case that the only solution is source control, and that consumers have a great deal of underutilized power.' Dr. Joel Baker, Director, UW Puget Sound Institute, Professor and Port of Tacoma Chair in Environmental Science, University of Washington Tacoma
'Angela Sun has found a way to present the imminent dangers of plastics pollution in a jarringly visual and inquisitive format...Significant take-home messages include a misconception of just how few plastic products are recyclable, and that plastics production will continue to increase as long as the demand for plastic products remains. The film takes a refreshing approach of avoiding the blame game, while emphasizing that learning about the issue can lead to less plastic use by the general public.' Dr. Patricia Corcoran, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario
'Angela Sun spoke with all the right people and even went to places she wasn't supposed to go in order to present the full story on plastic pollution. The film is excellent--in its timeliness, its depth, and its presentation. I watched the film with some of my students so I can attest that it appeals to the younger generation. Plastic Paradise makes the issue of plastic pollution real and relevant. It provides valuable information and presents that information in an engaging and visually gripping way.' Dr. Sherri A. Mason, Professor of Chemistry, Environmental Sciences Program Coordinator, SUNY at Fredonia
'We are all familiar with trash, but most of us likely are unaware of indestructible plastic trash that pollutes the oceans, contaminates our seafood, kills birds, fish, and marine mammals as well as carrying toxic substances into the environment and our bodies. Plastic Paradise is an excellent, accessible, and troubling documentary that reveals these issues. My college age son thinks it is 'right on.' See it and share it with others!' Carl F. Cranor, Professor of Philosophy, Faculty of Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, University of California-Riverside
'Plastic Paradise warns that the environment is everyone's responsibility, and that humanity cannot turn a blind eye to its own garbage forever. Highly recommended.' The Midwest Book Review
'Intriguing..chilling film...Journalist Angela Sun offers valuable new insights.' The Hollywood Reporter
'The film everyone needs to see.' Planetsave
'Sun offers a fresh, new voice for her generation and has made a film that can appeal to the masses.' Honolulu Pulse
'Offers some alarming information that might cause viewers to think twice about buying one-time-use water bottles.' The Boston Globe
Citation
Main credits
								Sun, Angela (screenwriter)
Sun, Angela (film director)
Sun, Angela (film producer)
Soto, Tanya Leal (film producer)
							
Other credits
Lead editor, Wendy Shuey; cinemtaography, Francisco Aliwalas [and 6 others]; music by APM Music ... [and 6 others].
Distributor subjects
American Studies; Anthropology; Biology; Birds; Business Practices; Capitalism; Chemistry; Consumerism; Earth Science; Endocrine Disruptors; Environment; Fisheries; Genetics; Geography; Global Issues; Health; Life Science; Media Literacy; Oceans and Coasts; Pacific Studies; Pollution; Sociology; Toxic ChemicalsKeywords
00:00:11.040 --> 00:00:12.960
 - There's a dead
 bird over there.
 
 00:00:15.460 --> 00:00:18.519
 - See if there's
 anything in there.
 
 00:00:18.520 --> 00:00:21.079
 - Oh, oh, my gosh.
 
 00:00:21.080 --> 00:00:22.789
 Oh, gross!
 
 00:00:22.790 --> 00:00:24.969
 - We see a piece
 of plastic there.
 
 00:00:24.970 --> 00:00:26.409
 (GROANING)
 
 00:00:26.410 --> 00:00:28.279
 There's a bigger piece
 of plastic coming out.
 
 00:00:28.280 --> 00:00:31.579
 Here you have a bird that was
 alive, potentially yesterday.
 
 00:00:31.580 --> 00:00:34.479
 And you look inside, and
 it's just like night and day.
 
 00:00:34.480 --> 00:00:37.280
 And this is an average amount
 of plastic in this chick.
 
 00:00:47.080 --> 00:00:48.119
 - Plastic.
 
 00:00:48.120 --> 00:00:49.499
 Plastic.
 
 00:00:49.500 --> 00:00:50.789
 Plastic.
 
 00:00:50.790 --> 00:00:52.639
 Something new, the
 resin which can
 
 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.579
 be molded by heat and
 pressure to any shape.
 
 00:00:56.580 --> 00:00:58.349
 - At the dawn of
 the 20th century
 
 00:00:58.350 --> 00:01:00.479
 science invented
 synthetic plastics,
 
 00:01:00.480 --> 00:01:03.079
 and the world would
 never be the same.
 
 00:01:03.080 --> 00:01:05.899
 - There are plastics
 in your toaster,
 
 00:01:05.900 --> 00:01:13.259
 in the blender and the clock, in
 the lamp and in the roaster...
 
 00:01:13.260 --> 00:01:16.649
 - Today, everywhere we go we
 are surrounded by plastic.
 
 00:01:16.650 --> 00:01:19.739
 We drink from it, eat from
 it, wear it, and use it
 
 00:01:19.740 --> 00:01:23.609
 in almost every part
 of our daily lives.
 
 00:01:23.610 --> 00:01:25.859
 This miraculous invention
 and its evolution
 
 00:01:25.860 --> 00:01:29.469
 have created a new era of cheap,
 convenient, and disposable
 
 00:01:29.470 --> 00:01:32.719
 products that have
 transformed the way we live.
 
 00:01:32.720 --> 00:01:35.520
 And it's hard to imagine what
 we would do without them.
 
 00:01:38.730 --> 00:01:43.209
 - Plastics is too firmly
 embedded in modern life.
 
 00:01:43.210 --> 00:01:46.199
 - But plastic is unlike any
 other substance on Earth
 
 00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:51.329
 for one very specific
 reason: It never goes away.
 
 00:01:51.330 --> 00:01:53.419
 What happens to plastic
 when it gets thrown away?
 
 00:01:53.420 --> 00:01:54.879
 - It's forever, it
 doesn't degrade.
 
 00:01:54.880 --> 00:01:56.899
 - Well, I've never
 seen it disintegrate.
 
 00:01:56.900 --> 00:01:59.569
 - Where do you think it
 goes when you throw it away?
 
 00:01:59.570 --> 00:02:00.609
 - Nowhere...
 
 00:02:00.610 --> 00:02:01.690
 it never goes away.
 
 00:02:04.360 --> 00:02:07.409
 - Do you know what
 plastic is made out of?
 
 00:02:07.410 --> 00:02:07.910
 - Plastic?
 
 00:02:07.910 --> 00:02:08.800
 I don't know.
 
 00:02:08.801 --> 00:02:10.469
 - Melted down from something.
 
 00:02:10.470 --> 00:02:12.999
 - Any guesses what
 plastic's made out of?
 
 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:13.950
 (INTERPOSING VOICES)
 
 00:02:13.951 --> 00:02:16.799
 - Wow.
 
 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.229
 - Guess!
 
 00:02:18.230 --> 00:02:19.050
 - Does it belong...
 
 00:02:19.051 --> 00:02:20.099
 to the animal kingdom?
 
 00:02:20.100 --> 00:02:20.600
 (LAUGHING)
 
 00:02:20.601 --> 00:02:22.569
 - No.
 
 00:02:22.570 --> 00:02:24.539
 - The vegetable kingdom?
 
 00:02:24.540 --> 00:02:25.040
 - No.
 
 00:02:25.040 --> 00:02:25.540
 (LAUGHING)
 
 00:02:25.541 --> 00:02:28.980
 - Then it's just got to
 belong to the mineral kingdom.
 
 00:02:32.920 --> 00:02:33.420
 - Uh uh.
 
 00:02:33.421 --> 00:02:36.889
 It's not a mineral either.
 
 00:02:36.890 --> 00:02:38.579
 - Oh, a thimble!
 
 00:02:38.580 --> 00:02:40.679
 - Maybe this little thimble
 belongs to a kingdom
 
 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:42.229
 all of its own.
 
 00:02:42.230 --> 00:02:45.999
 The fourth kingdom, the
 kingdom of plastics.
 
 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:48.759
 - Plastic?
 
 00:02:48.760 --> 00:02:51.199
 - Because plastic is
 such a perfect creation,
 
 00:02:51.200 --> 00:02:53.989
 it's virtually indestructible.
 
 00:02:53.990 --> 00:02:56.429
 Which means that almost
 every molecule of plastic
 
 00:02:56.430 --> 00:03:01.259
 ever created is still
 somewhere on this planet.
 
 00:03:01.260 --> 00:03:05.159
 So if it never deteriorates,
 where does it go?
 
 00:03:05.160 --> 00:03:07.239
 Have you heard of the Great
 Pacific Garbage Patch?
 
 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:08.070
 No, I haven't.
 
 00:03:08.070 --> 00:03:08.570
 - No.
 
 00:03:08.570 --> 00:03:09.040
 - No.
 
 00:03:09.040 --> 00:03:09.540
 - No.
 
 00:03:09.540 --> 00:03:10.470
 - No.
 
 00:03:10.471 --> 00:03:12.049
 - Uh, the Great
 Pacific Garbage...
 
 00:03:12.050 --> 00:03:13.050
 what?
 
 00:03:30.190 --> 00:03:32.289
 - My name is Angela Sun.
 
 00:03:32.290 --> 00:03:34.289
 I've never been much
 of an environmentalist
 
 00:03:34.290 --> 00:03:36.809
 or what some may call
 crunchy or granola,
 
 00:03:36.810 --> 00:03:39.249
 but ever since I was a
 kid I've been fascinated
 
 00:03:39.250 --> 00:03:43.449
 by the ocean and
 everything in it.
 
 00:03:43.450 --> 00:03:46.979
 I grew up on the beaches
 of California, swimming,
 
 00:03:46.980 --> 00:03:51.759
 snorkeling, then surfing
 and scuba diving.
 
 00:03:51.760 --> 00:03:55.389
 With new technology, you can
 pretty much surf anywhere...
 
 00:03:55.390 --> 00:03:57.289
 When I got into
 media and journalism
 
 00:03:57.290 --> 00:03:58.879
 I was always
 interested in telling
 
 00:03:58.880 --> 00:04:00.480
 stories that involved the water.
 
 00:04:07.310 --> 00:04:09.169
 So a few years ago,
 when I heard people
 
 00:04:09.170 --> 00:04:11.979
 talking about the supposed
 island of garbage floating
 
 00:04:11.980 --> 00:04:15.439
 somewhere out in the Pacific,
 I was immediately intrigued.
 
 00:04:15.440 --> 00:04:17.729
 I mean, I was used to
 seeing trash on the beaches,
 
 00:04:17.730 --> 00:04:20.279
 and sometimes even
 floating in the waves.
 
 00:04:20.280 --> 00:04:22.779
 But an island?
 
 00:04:22.780 --> 00:04:25.159
 Despite the fact that there
 were a few articles that
 
 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.489
 mentioned this island, there
 were conflicting reports
 
 00:04:27.490 --> 00:04:31.759
 about what it was, where
 it was, and how big it was.
 
 00:04:31.760 --> 00:04:33.339
 Even people who had
 heard of it seemed
 
 00:04:33.340 --> 00:04:35.529
 to have different
 ideas about it.
 
 00:04:35.530 --> 00:04:36.230
 What is it?
 
 00:04:36.231 --> 00:04:37.979
 - It's an island of trash.
 
 00:04:37.980 --> 00:04:40.169
 - Tiny little micro
 pieces of plastic...
 
 00:04:40.170 --> 00:04:41.929
 - It's like the size of Texas.
 
 00:04:41.930 --> 00:04:42.800
 - It's like that big.
 
 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:43.490
 Right there.
 
 00:04:43.490 --> 00:04:44.410
 - Can you walk on it?
 
 00:04:44.411 --> 00:04:45.589
 - I know it exists.
 
 00:04:45.590 --> 00:04:49.009
 I know a little bit about it,
 but I don't know its origins...
 
 00:04:49.010 --> 00:04:50.010
 not at all.
 
 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:54.909
 - If Garbage Island
 was indeed real,
 
 00:04:54.910 --> 00:04:58.069
 I wanted to see it for myself.
 
 00:04:58.070 --> 00:05:00.099
 As I did more research,
 I found that there's
 
 00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:03.799
 a tiny piece of land in one of
 the most remote places on Earth
 
 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:06.859
 that held the key.
 
 00:05:06.860 --> 00:05:08.599
 It's a difficult
 place to get to,
 
 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:10.469
 and even though it's in
 the middle of nowhere
 
 00:05:10.470 --> 00:05:13.729
 the area is controlled by the
 US government, and access to it
 
 00:05:13.730 --> 00:05:14.730
 is restricted.
 
 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:19.179
 But I wasn't going
 to give up, so I
 
 00:05:19.180 --> 00:05:22.899
 applied for the necessary
 permits and permissions.
 
 00:05:22.900 --> 00:05:25.069
 Getting through all the
 red tape was a process
 
 00:05:25.070 --> 00:05:28.349
 that took nearly three years.
 
 00:05:28.350 --> 00:05:30.999
 And just when I thought
 all hope was lost,
 
 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:32.320
 everything came together.
 
 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:45.329
 Right now we are in a
 private airport in Honolulu
 
 00:05:45.330 --> 00:05:49.579
 and we are about to get on
 board and fly four hours
 
 00:05:49.580 --> 00:05:52.179
 on a private charter
 flight to Midway Atoll
 
 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:55.739
 right here, which is
 literally in the middle
 
 00:05:55.740 --> 00:05:59.829
 the Pacific Ocean, a midway
 point from the west coast
 
 00:05:59.830 --> 00:06:02.350
 of the US and the
 east coast of Japan.
 
 00:06:06.730 --> 00:06:09.309
 Only one government plane
 flies out there every couple
 
 00:06:09.310 --> 00:06:11.099
 of weeks, carrying
 supplies along
 
 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:14.569
 with researchers and
 maintenance workers.
 
 00:06:14.570 --> 00:06:16.460
 I feel like I'm in a dark sauna.
 
 00:06:19.460 --> 00:06:21.959
 No cars are allowed
 here, so transportation
 
 00:06:21.960 --> 00:06:23.859
 is by foot or golf cart.
 
 00:06:23.860 --> 00:06:25.279
 As we drove to our
 accommodations,
 
 00:06:25.280 --> 00:06:27.859
 I realized right away that
 getting around this place
 
 00:06:27.860 --> 00:06:29.549
 is harder than it seems.
 
 00:06:29.550 --> 00:06:32.579
 There are birds
 everywhere and we're
 
 00:06:32.580 --> 00:06:34.659
 trying to dodge
 them in the dark.
 
 00:06:34.660 --> 00:06:35.630
 Oh!
 
 00:06:35.630 --> 00:06:36.130
 - Oh, my.
 
 00:06:36.130 --> 00:06:37.130
 - Whoa!
 
 00:06:43.980 --> 00:06:47.179
 Midway is best known for its
 instrumental role in World War
 
 00:06:47.180 --> 00:06:48.180
 II.
 
 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:56.319
 On June 7, 1942, the Allied
 Forces defeated the Japanese
 
 00:06:56.320 --> 00:06:58.189
 and gained control
 of the Pacific,
 
 00:06:58.190 --> 00:06:59.470
 turning the tide of war.
 
 00:07:04.640 --> 00:07:07.349
 Located at the top of
 Papahanaumokuakea Marine
 
 00:07:07.350 --> 00:07:11.609
 Monument, it is home to
 a vast array of wildlife.
 
 00:07:11.610 --> 00:07:15.299
 More than two million albatross
 nest here for part of the year.
 
 00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:18.970
 That's about 70% of all the
 Laysan albatross in the world.
 
 00:07:23.420 --> 00:07:28.249
 There's no one in sight
 except for me, and you,
 
 00:07:28.250 --> 00:07:30.289
 and the albatross.
 
 00:07:30.290 --> 00:07:32.910
 And a whole lot of plastic.
 
 00:07:37.170 --> 00:07:40.609
 - In this small remote
 place with very few people,
 
 00:07:40.610 --> 00:07:44.589
 tens of thousands of pounds of
 garbage wash up on our beaches
 
 00:07:44.590 --> 00:07:46.509
 every year.
 
 00:07:46.510 --> 00:07:49.879
 - clean it up, so this'll be
 just the accumulation in four
 
 00:07:49.880 --> 00:07:51.059
 months time.
 
 00:07:51.060 --> 00:07:51.870
 - What is this?
 
 00:07:51.871 --> 00:07:55.549
 It's like a melted
 piece of plastic.
 
 00:07:55.550 --> 00:07:57.150
 It looks like plastic spaghetti.
 
 00:08:08.430 --> 00:08:11.639
 What the heck is
 a computer monitor
 
 00:08:11.640 --> 00:08:17.059
 doing floating in the ocean
 in the middle of the Pacific?
 
 00:08:17.060 --> 00:08:17.600
 Check it out.
 
 00:08:17.601 --> 00:08:20.389
 It's got Korean writing on it.
 
 00:08:20.390 --> 00:08:24.779
 And mixed into all of this
 stuff is bird feathers and bird
 
 00:08:24.780 --> 00:08:25.780
 bones.
 
 00:08:30.520 --> 00:08:34.059
 - We've seen debris that comes
 from North America, from Asia,
 
 00:08:34.060 --> 00:08:40.900
 from lighters to bottle caps to
 propane tanks to truck tires.
 
 00:08:44.070 --> 00:08:45.010
 - I can't move it.
 
 00:08:45.011 --> 00:08:47.009
 - That garbage is coming
 from the big population
 
 00:08:47.010 --> 00:08:49.779
 centers of the world and it
 is definitely collecting here
 
 00:08:49.780 --> 00:08:51.260
 in the middle of the Pacific.
 
 00:08:59.130 --> 00:09:01.579
 - It turns out the truth
 behind Garbage Island
 
 00:09:01.580 --> 00:09:04.359
 is stranger than the myth.
 
 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:08.299
 - The request is always
 for a picture of the island
 
 00:09:08.300 --> 00:09:12.819
 of garbage... the trash island
 and there is no such island.
 
 00:09:12.820 --> 00:09:14.339
 The debris is dispersed.
 
 00:09:14.340 --> 00:09:18.469
 I mean, let's talk about
 the largest single feature
 
 00:09:18.470 --> 00:09:21.579
 on our planet, which is
 the North Pacific Ocean.
 
 00:09:21.580 --> 00:09:24.009
 - Captain Charles Moore
 discovered the Garbage Patch
 
 00:09:24.010 --> 00:09:27.549
 in the late 1990s and founded
 the Algalita Marine Research
 
 00:09:27.550 --> 00:09:29.679
 Organization to study it.
 
 00:09:29.680 --> 00:09:32.539
 - Well, ocean basins
 are like a bathtub.
 
 00:09:32.540 --> 00:09:34.389
 You can think of them that way.
 
 00:09:34.390 --> 00:09:37.589
 - The ocean's currents in the
 Pacific move in a giant circle,
 
 00:09:37.590 --> 00:09:40.839
 known as a gyre... kind of
 like a slow motion whirlpool
 
 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:42.529
 or a toilet flushing.
 
 00:09:42.530 --> 00:09:44.489
 So over time, all
 of the debris that
 
 00:09:44.490 --> 00:09:47.649
 washes into the sea from the
 coast of economic giants North
 
 00:09:47.650 --> 00:09:51.919
 America and Asia or from ships,
 collect in a centralized cells,
 
 00:09:51.920 --> 00:09:53.519
 from somewhere
 around twice the size
 
 00:09:53.520 --> 00:09:56.439
 of Texas to the size of
 the entire continental
 
 00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:58.029
 United States.
 
 00:09:58.030 --> 00:09:59.949
 The reason why there
 aren't any pictures of it
 
 00:09:59.950 --> 00:10:02.779
 is because it's
 basically invisible.
 
 00:10:02.780 --> 00:10:06.019
 You have to sail through it
 with a net to know it's there.
 
 00:10:06.020 --> 00:10:10.659
 Most of the debris is
 found beneath the surface.
 
 00:10:10.660 --> 00:10:13.609
 - No one had ever compared
 plastic in the ocean
 
 00:10:13.610 --> 00:10:15.059
 to the available food.
 
 00:10:15.060 --> 00:10:17.739
 - Lying near the western
 edge of the patch, Midway
 
 00:10:17.740 --> 00:10:19.509
 and the Northwest
 Hawaiian Islands
 
 00:10:19.510 --> 00:10:21.719
 are situated like
 a fine tooth comb
 
 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:24.489
 in the path of the currents,
 continually collecting
 
 00:10:24.490 --> 00:10:29.949
 huge quantities of plastic and
 other trash that pass through.
 
 00:10:29.950 --> 00:10:33.889
 - When I first got
 here, I was amazed
 
 00:10:33.890 --> 00:10:36.529
 that there was so much
 washing up on the beach.
 
 00:10:36.530 --> 00:10:39.069
 - I thought it was just a hoax
 because you never could really
 
 00:10:39.070 --> 00:10:39.740
 find pictures of it.
 
 00:10:39.741 --> 00:10:41.279
 You hear something
 like, "Yeah it's
 
 00:10:41.280 --> 00:10:43.209
 a plastic patch two
 times the size of Texas,"
 
 00:10:43.210 --> 00:10:45.039
 and you think there's
 no way, you know?
 
 00:10:45.040 --> 00:10:48.699
 But then you actually see
 all this plastic wash up.
 
 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:51.189
 - When you walk through the
 sand, the majority of it
 
 00:10:51.190 --> 00:10:51.800
 is plastic.
 
 00:10:51.801 --> 00:10:54.419
 It's not coral, it's
 not organic things.
 
 00:10:54.420 --> 00:10:55.860
 It's plastic pieces.
 
 00:10:58.630 --> 00:11:02.369
 - The future will bring plastic
 fabrics wondrously fine,
 
 00:11:02.370 --> 00:11:05.039
 shoes more glamorous
 than Cinderella's.
 
 00:11:05.040 --> 00:11:07.829
 Homes throughout will
 be bright with color.
 
 00:11:07.830 --> 00:11:10.609
 With many contributions of
 the kingdom of plastics,
 
 00:11:10.610 --> 00:11:13.990
 dreams like this and many
 more will become realities.
 
 00:11:19.450 --> 00:11:22.479
 - Seeing all of this plastic
 in front of me, I wondered.
 
 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:26.109
 How did plastic become so
 pervasive in our daily lives?
 
 00:11:26.110 --> 00:11:28.979
 And how did the world
 become so dependent on it?
 
 00:11:28.980 --> 00:11:31.789
 - It wasn't until the
 late 1930s that plastics
 
 00:11:31.790 --> 00:11:33.119
 came into their own.
 
 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:36.039
 All the wealth of the
 Indies was in enemy hands.
 
 00:11:36.040 --> 00:11:37.759
 Germany, well aware
 of difficulties
 
 00:11:37.760 --> 00:11:40.929
 in obtaining raw materials,
 ordered her scientists
 
 00:11:40.930 --> 00:11:42.719
 to develop substitutes.
 
 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:45.149
 A peaceful America,
 shaken from its lethargy,
 
 00:11:45.150 --> 00:11:50.569
 took off its coat, rolled up
 its sleeves, and went to work.
 
 00:11:50.570 --> 00:11:54.219
 But war is a greedy monster.
 
 00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:57.539
 Soldiers must be fed,
 clothed, housed and equipped.
 
 00:11:57.540 --> 00:11:58.540
 But how?
 
 00:12:01.620 --> 00:12:04.310
 Our most promising man-made
 replacement: Plastic.
 
 00:12:07.630 --> 00:12:09.619
 - The plastics industry
 grew from producing
 
 00:12:09.620 --> 00:12:12.819
 a modest 20 million
 pounds in 1927
 
 00:12:12.820 --> 00:12:17.709
 to a total of 650
 million pounds by 1943.
 
 00:12:17.710 --> 00:12:20.739
 That's an increase
 of over 3,000%,
 
 00:12:20.740 --> 00:12:23.509
 which exceeded that
 of any other industry.
 
 00:12:23.510 --> 00:12:26.499
 85% of that production
 was devoted to war.
 
 00:12:26.500 --> 00:12:29.769
 The next statement was
 eerily foreshadowing.
 
 00:12:29.770 --> 00:12:33.049
 - Plastics will play as
 large a role in peace
 
 00:12:33.050 --> 00:12:34.210
 as they do in war.
 
 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:39.889
 - Here at the
 Visitor Center, they
 
 00:12:39.890 --> 00:12:43.489
 have some of the pieces that
 have been found on the beach.
 
 00:12:43.490 --> 00:12:47.159
 This is Rock Steady from the
 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
 
 00:12:47.160 --> 00:12:52.199
 So whoever owned this,
 obviously, grew up in the '80s.
 
 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:54.239
 You know, it brings
 you down memory lane
 
 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:57.879
 to see all of these
 objects, but it's
 
 00:12:57.880 --> 00:13:00.489
 sad to see that the
 stuff that I threw out
 
 00:13:00.490 --> 00:13:01.919
 might have ended up here.
 
 00:13:01.920 --> 00:13:04.290
 And these toys don't go away.
 
 00:13:07.950 --> 00:13:09.959
 Have you ever gotten bit?
 
 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:10.460
 - No.
 
 00:13:10.461 --> 00:13:12.229
 Not so far.
 
 00:13:12.230 --> 00:13:14.289
 - While beach combing
 earlier that day,
 
 00:13:14.290 --> 00:13:17.239
 a 12-year-old visiting
 Midway stumbled upon a most
 
 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:19.469
 interesting find.
 
 00:13:19.470 --> 00:13:23.059
 - I was beachcombing, looking
 for plastics and stuff,
 
 00:13:23.060 --> 00:13:24.329
 and I saw this bottle.
 
 00:13:24.330 --> 00:13:27.419
 And wouldn't you know, but
 there's a letter inside.
 
 00:13:27.420 --> 00:13:30.269
 "Dear Finder, what
 country are you from?
 
 00:13:30.270 --> 00:13:34.439
 When you get this letter,
 please write back to me.
 
 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:38.209
 Mark Twain Elementary School,
 Miss Dugan, third grade,
 
 00:13:38.210 --> 00:13:40.859
 Long Beach, California, 1999."
 
 00:13:40.860 --> 00:13:45.149
 - Can I bring that back
 for you since I live in LA
 
 00:13:45.150 --> 00:13:47.449
 and try to find
 that person for you?
 
 00:13:47.450 --> 00:13:50.319
 It's just a testament of
 how old this stuff is,
 
 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:53.259
 that Lewis could find a
 message in a bottle written
 
 00:13:53.260 --> 00:13:59.489
 over 10 years ago and
 how it goes full circle.
 
 00:13:59.490 --> 00:14:04.079
 - Producers have kept putting
 out more and more of this stuff
 
 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:07.019
 and expecting that we,
 as taxpayers, are going
 
 00:14:07.020 --> 00:14:09.689
 to pick up the cost
 of cleaning it up.
 
 00:14:09.690 --> 00:14:11.509
 - They're not really
 talking about what
 
 00:14:11.510 --> 00:14:14.589
 their product actually
 costs, the $25 million
 
 00:14:14.590 --> 00:14:17.779
 to the taxpayers that is
 spent every year to clean up
 
 00:14:17.780 --> 00:14:20.279
 the plastic bags and
 to clean up the mess.
 
 00:14:20.280 --> 00:14:23.119
 - Our plastic comes
 from oil and gas.
 
 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:28.239
 Five of the six most profitable
 corporations in the world
 
 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:29.789
 are oil and gas companies.
 
 00:14:29.790 --> 00:14:31.910
 Their plan is to
 make more money.
 
 00:14:38.220 --> 00:14:42.439
 As we're finding out, it's a
 material that can harm nature.
 
 00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:44.279
 It's just, if you're
 going to make it
 
 00:14:44.280 --> 00:14:47.159
 and you're going to sell it,
 you should have some plan.
 
 00:14:47.160 --> 00:14:49.289
 We can legislate that.
 
 00:14:49.290 --> 00:14:52.399
 We haven't, for good reasons,
 because you make more money
 
 00:14:52.400 --> 00:14:55.059
 when you're not
 responsible for the waste.
 
 00:14:55.060 --> 00:14:57.849
 - They can't just make
 it and say goodbye.
 
 00:14:57.850 --> 00:15:00.279
 They have to create an
 infrastructure to take it back.
 
 00:15:00.280 --> 00:15:03.059
 If a business model is working,
 if it produces billions
 
 00:15:03.060 --> 00:15:06.779
 of revenue, there has to be
 an incentive for the industry
 
 00:15:06.780 --> 00:15:09.119
 to change to get
 out of this mode.
 
 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.679
 - The United States alone will
 produce 115 billion pounds
 
 00:15:13.680 --> 00:15:16.099
 of new plastic this year.
 
 00:15:16.100 --> 00:15:18.349
 Most of this will be used
 to make single use products.
 
 00:15:18.350 --> 00:15:20.329
 A lot of people seem
 to be telling me
 
 00:15:20.330 --> 00:15:23.049
 that it's all up
 to us as consumers.
 
 00:15:23.050 --> 00:15:26.419
 - It's mostly consumer's
 responsibility.
 
 00:15:26.420 --> 00:15:28.489
 - The world is going
 to produce the goods
 
 00:15:28.490 --> 00:15:30.089
 that consumers demand.
 
 00:15:30.090 --> 00:15:32.371
 - If you don't buy it,
 they won't make it.
 
 00:15:37.370 --> 00:15:38.769
 - But there's a shift.
 
 00:15:38.770 --> 00:15:43.289
 People are waking up and going,
 "Well, it's not all our fault."
 
 00:15:43.290 --> 00:15:47.149
 The whole concept of
 "litterbug" is a very convenient
 
 00:15:47.150 --> 00:15:51.029
 terminology to put the
 problem on to the consumer.
 
 00:15:51.030 --> 00:15:52.989
 For example, as soon
 as we use plastic bags,
 
 00:15:52.990 --> 00:15:54.609
 is that they blow,
 they get windbourne.
 
 00:15:54.610 --> 00:15:56.439
 So even if you do throw
 it in your trash can
 
 00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:58.669
 or even if it does
 go in the landfill,
 
 00:15:58.670 --> 00:16:01.209
 there's a chance for them to
 get into the environment anyway.
 
 00:16:01.210 --> 00:16:02.949
 When it goes into
 the water, it's
 
 00:16:02.950 --> 00:16:05.099
 a cost to society
 to clean it up.
 
 00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:06.559
 That's a cost to
 the environment.
 
 00:16:06.560 --> 00:16:08.929
 That's a cost to
 future generations.
 
 00:16:08.930 --> 00:16:11.829
 But that's not being reflected
 in the producers' income
 
 00:16:11.830 --> 00:16:12.830
 statement.
 
 00:16:15.160 --> 00:16:19.339
 - There's just thousands of
 birds as far as I can see.
 
 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:21.189
 And it just boggles
 my mind that we
 
 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:24.489
 are in the middle of
 nowhere in the Pacific Ocean
 
 00:16:24.490 --> 00:16:29.279
 with the largest colony of
 Laysan albatross on the planet.
 
 00:16:29.280 --> 00:16:30.949
 Golf cart coming through.
 
 00:16:30.950 --> 00:16:31.950
 Oh, no!
 
 00:16:35.870 --> 00:16:37.709
 Yo, what's up?
 
 00:16:37.710 --> 00:16:38.729
 Go on.
 
 00:16:38.730 --> 00:16:39.730
 Excuse me.
 
 00:16:45.070 --> 00:16:49.359
 Not all of the plastic
 ends up on the beaches.
 
 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:51.699
 Fishing nets used to be
 made of wool or silk,
 
 00:16:51.700 --> 00:16:54.339
 but today most of them
 are made from nylon
 
 00:16:54.340 --> 00:16:58.979
 which is a strong and cheap
 form of thermoplastic.
 
 00:16:58.980 --> 00:17:00.659
 So when they're
 lost or discarded,
 
 00:17:00.660 --> 00:17:02.589
 they don't disintegrate.
 
 00:17:02.590 --> 00:17:05.329
 They just stick around and
 litter the ocean floor,
 
 00:17:05.330 --> 00:17:06.570
 killing marine animals.
 
 00:17:10.470 --> 00:17:13.689
 - Plastic has invaded
 all levels in the ocean,
 
 00:17:13.690 --> 00:17:18.399
 from the tiniest plankton to
 the largest cetaceans or whales.
 
 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:21.319
 The larger animals and even
 some of the smaller ones
 
 00:17:21.320 --> 00:17:24.759
 get tangled up in
 plastic and can't feed,
 
 00:17:24.760 --> 00:17:27.509
 can't move, strangle, die.
 
 00:17:27.510 --> 00:17:31.119
 Hundreds of thousands
 of mammals, millions
 
 00:17:31.120 --> 00:17:33.079
 of fish and sea
 birds die every year
 
 00:17:33.080 --> 00:17:34.560
 from entanglement in plastic.
 
 00:17:42.580 --> 00:17:44.789
 - I wanted to see how these
 plastic fishing nets were
 
 00:17:44.790 --> 00:17:47.159
 affecting Midway's
 coral reef systems.
 
 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:49.119
 So I hopped aboard a
 research boat headed out
 
 00:17:49.120 --> 00:17:51.889
 to collect data.
 
 00:17:51.890 --> 00:17:53.609
 - All this is live
 coral under here.
 
 00:17:53.610 --> 00:17:56.329
 And it's really shallow,
 so the bottoms of the nets
 
 00:17:56.330 --> 00:17:59.189
 snag on live coral,
 tear them off,
 
 00:17:59.190 --> 00:18:00.809
 they get caught up
 in the net, and they
 
 00:18:00.810 --> 00:18:03.739
 keep rolling and rolling
 over this shallow reef.
 
 00:18:03.740 --> 00:18:06.339
 - So basically it's like a giant
 tumbleweed in the sea, right?
 
 00:18:06.340 --> 00:18:10.349
 - It just rolls
 along, grabbing coral.
 
 00:18:10.350 --> 00:18:13.459
 - So why are coral
 reefs so important?
 
 00:18:13.460 --> 00:18:17.699
 They are the second most diverse
 ecosystem on this planet.
 
 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:19.749
 Reefs provide
 coastal protection,
 
 00:18:19.750 --> 00:18:22.609
 food for millions of people,
 and lifesaving drugs,
 
 00:18:22.610 --> 00:18:25.169
 like one for childhood leukemia.
 
 00:18:25.170 --> 00:18:28.479
 - There are thousands and
 thousands of species on reefs,
 
 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:33.699
 and each species has a different
 level in the food chain.
 
 00:18:33.700 --> 00:18:37.179
 That network is supporting
 all of the life in the sea,
 
 00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:40.779
 and ultimately is helping
 to support human life.
 
 00:18:40.780 --> 00:18:45.260
 Reefs have seen a tremendous
 decline in the last 25 years.
 
 00:18:49.330 --> 00:18:51.369
 - The team started to
 collect data from the site,
 
 00:18:51.370 --> 00:18:52.879
 examining the damaged coral.
 
 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:54.849
 But while we were
 still underwater,
 
 00:18:54.850 --> 00:18:57.759
 a radio call comes in that
 another massive new net
 
 00:18:57.760 --> 00:18:59.469
 was cited in the area.
 
 00:18:59.470 --> 00:19:01.379
 - North, two eight degrees.
 
 00:19:01.380 --> 00:19:01.930
 - Two eight.
 
 00:19:01.931 --> 00:19:03.970
 - One two, decimal
 four seven nine.
 
 00:19:08.930 --> 00:19:10.259
 - The big net is up here.
 
 00:19:10.260 --> 00:19:11.220
 You see it?
 
 00:19:11.220 --> 00:19:12.180
 - Oh, yeah.
 
 00:19:12.181 --> 00:19:14.549
 Have you seen one
 like this before?
 
 00:19:14.550 --> 00:19:16.009
 - This looks like
 a really big one.
 
 00:19:16.010 --> 00:19:18.399
 - Looks like it's been a
 purposely discarded net.
 
 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:20.689
 - Can you tell where it's from?
 
 00:19:20.690 --> 00:19:22.409
 - Unfortunately, no.
 
 00:19:22.410 --> 00:19:24.689
 It's too big, this
 boat will sink.
 
 00:19:24.690 --> 00:19:28.389
 It's probably close to
 a ton I would guess.
 
 00:19:28.390 --> 00:19:29.030
 Or more.
 
 00:19:29.031 --> 00:19:31.599
 - The ladies are swimming
 around it right now
 
 00:19:31.600 --> 00:19:33.959
 trying to figure out
 where the entanglement is.
 
 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:37.219
 And what we see on
 the surface, there
 
 00:19:37.220 --> 00:19:39.439
 might be a lot more underneath.
 
 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:40.440
 Here I go.
 
 00:20:05.010 --> 00:20:07.749
 - We saw a number of
 coral heads broken off.
 
 00:20:07.750 --> 00:20:09.619
 They were still alive
 but they're broken off.
 
 00:20:09.620 --> 00:20:11.780
 They're not going to
 be alive for long.
 
 00:20:19.820 --> 00:20:22.609
 So this is a perfect example
 of what I was talking about.
 
 00:20:22.610 --> 00:20:25.389
 It's snagged now on one
 or two live coral heads.
 
 00:20:25.390 --> 00:20:29.259
 It'll break those off and it'll
 continue across the atoll,
 
 00:20:29.260 --> 00:20:31.719
 breaking coral heads as it goes.
 
 00:20:31.720 --> 00:20:34.519
 You just can't leave it behind.
 
 00:20:34.520 --> 00:20:36.499
 You really want to get
 it in as soon as you can
 
 00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:38.499
 and stop that from happening.
 
 00:20:38.500 --> 00:20:40.740
 It's too dangerous to
 leave it out there.
 
 00:20:44.800 --> 00:20:47.129
 These are some researchers
 from University
 
 00:20:47.130 --> 00:20:49.729
 of Santa Cruz that are out
 here studying the reef as well.
 
 00:20:49.730 --> 00:20:51.499
 These guys were working
 nearby and offered
 
 00:20:51.500 --> 00:20:53.620
 to come over and put
 it in their boat.
 
 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:07.139
 - I never realized until I
 had to physically pull up
 
 00:21:07.140 --> 00:21:10.659
 a giant fishing net made of
 plastic materials, just how
 
 00:21:10.660 --> 00:21:12.419
 destructive it could be.
 
 00:21:12.420 --> 00:21:15.199
 The net was so big
 and so heavy, we
 
 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:17.440
 thought we would never
 get into the boat.
 
 00:21:19.830 --> 00:21:22.899
 We tried to get
 most of it up there,
 
 00:21:22.900 --> 00:21:28.249
 and then sort of rigged it
 with ropes to hold it in place.
 
 00:21:28.250 --> 00:21:29.180
 - Pretty damn heavy.
 
 00:21:29.181 --> 00:21:31.669
 - Makes you wonder
 where the guys are.
 
 00:21:31.670 --> 00:21:34.889
 It's all ladies on that boat.
 
 00:21:34.890 --> 00:21:37.651
 We got it and we're going
 to take it back in to shore.
 
 00:21:43.460 --> 00:21:45.899
 Oh my gosh!
 
 00:21:45.900 --> 00:21:47.370
 I can feel the spray.
 
 00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:55.649
 - It's happening on
 such a large scale.
 
 00:21:55.650 --> 00:21:59.339
 We've removed up to 123 tons
 in a matter of four months.
 
 00:21:59.340 --> 00:22:00.909
 Just seeing the
 destruction of one,
 
 00:22:00.910 --> 00:22:03.349
 multiply that times
 a couple thousand
 
 00:22:03.350 --> 00:22:05.939
 and then you get an idea.
 
 00:22:05.940 --> 00:22:08.839
 - In fact, the UN
 did a study in 2009
 
 00:22:08.840 --> 00:22:13.129
 and found that there are
 an estimated 640,000 tons
 
 00:22:13.130 --> 00:22:16.859
 of discarded fishing nets
 in the oceans worldwide.
 
 00:22:16.860 --> 00:22:19.540
 And that number is
 increasing every day.
 
 00:22:23.230 --> 00:22:26.529
 - If reefs are in trouble,
 the oceans are in trouble.
 
 00:22:26.530 --> 00:22:31.309
 If the oceans are in trouble,
 we humans are in trouble.
 
 00:22:31.310 --> 00:22:33.839
 Nobody really knows
 what would happen
 
 00:22:33.840 --> 00:22:35.450
 if we lost all the reefs.
 
 00:22:43.230 --> 00:22:45.539
 - The problem of
 plastics is twofold.
 
 00:22:45.540 --> 00:22:48.389
 There's the macro plastics,
 which are the big pieces,
 
 00:22:48.390 --> 00:22:51.219
 and then there's also
 the micro plastics.
 
 00:22:51.220 --> 00:22:54.849
 The smaller the plastic is, it
 actually means that it's older.
 
 00:22:54.850 --> 00:22:59.669
 So this could have been plastic
 from the '60s and the '70s.
 
 00:22:59.670 --> 00:23:01.739
 These bits and
 pieces are actually
 
 00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:05.589
 more harmful than the
 large macro pieces,
 
 00:23:05.590 --> 00:23:07.049
 because what happens
 is the plastic
 
 00:23:07.050 --> 00:23:09.569
 will break down
 from the sunlight.
 
 00:23:09.570 --> 00:23:11.559
 It photodegrades and
 these little pieces
 
 00:23:11.560 --> 00:23:14.480
 get digested by the fish, and
 they move up the food chain.
 
 00:23:17.830 --> 00:23:22.210
 What I'm holding right here,
 is less sand and more plastic.
 
 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.979
 - And then there's
 this whole phenomenon
 
 00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:31.319
 of persistent organic pollutants
 being absorbed in the plastic.
 
 00:23:31.320 --> 00:23:33.879
 - So what's a persistent
 organic pollutant?
 
 00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:35.479
 Basically it's
 chemical waste that
 
 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:38.179
 gets absorbed by pieces
 of plastic and accumulates
 
 00:23:38.180 --> 00:23:40.300
 in the tissues of
 animals that eat it.
 
 00:23:42.510 --> 00:23:44.479
 - So they become this
 transport mechanism
 
 00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:46.000
 for toxics in the environment.
 
 00:23:49.710 --> 00:23:52.499
 - If you look at the
 tissues of marine mammals
 
 00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:55.169
 or mahi mahi and
 swordfish and tuna,
 
 00:23:55.170 --> 00:23:58.919
 you find pollutants in them,
 the same pollutants on plastic.
 
 00:23:58.920 --> 00:24:01.201
 We're beginning to
 make those connections.
 
 00:24:03.410 --> 00:24:06.619
 - Fish that we see on our
 tables that are restaurant fare
 
 00:24:06.620 --> 00:24:09.310
 are now being
 affected by plastic.
 
 00:24:11.830 --> 00:24:14.699
 - So I filet this fish
 thinking I'm going to eat it,
 
 00:24:14.700 --> 00:24:17.049
 and here's what I found.
 
 00:24:17.050 --> 00:24:19.819
 It's full of plastic.
 
 00:24:19.820 --> 00:24:23.139
 - Dr. Marcus Eriksen is an
 activist and researcher.
 
 00:24:23.140 --> 00:24:26.139
 He and his colleagues built
 a raft out of plastic bottles
 
 00:24:26.140 --> 00:24:28.679
 and floated from L.A. to
 Hawaii, to draw attention
 
 00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:31.359
 to the plastic
 debris in the ocean.
 
 00:24:31.360 --> 00:24:32.709
 - The plastic isn't benign.
 
 00:24:32.710 --> 00:24:34.219
 The fish won't pass it.
 
 00:24:34.220 --> 00:24:37.769
 The plastic is full of
 persistent organic pollutants,
 
 00:24:37.770 --> 00:24:40.899
 things like PCB's,
 DDT, PAH's, things
 
 00:24:40.900 --> 00:24:44.309
 that are known human carcinogens
 and endocrine disruptors;
 
 00:24:44.310 --> 00:24:46.829
 things you don't want in your
 body, but they're in the fish
 
 00:24:46.830 --> 00:24:48.529
 that we eat.
 
 00:24:48.530 --> 00:24:53.019
 - I don't want
 plastic in my sushi.
 
 00:24:53.020 --> 00:24:55.999
 - Marcus and his wife Anna
 founded the organization Five
 
 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:59.389
 Gyres to study and document
 the world's garbage patches.
 
 00:24:59.390 --> 00:25:01.259
 They've sailed
 all over the globe
 
 00:25:01.260 --> 00:25:03.669
 to prove that the
 other ocean gyres also
 
 00:25:03.670 --> 00:25:06.119
 contain high
 concentrations of plastic.
 
 00:25:06.120 --> 00:25:07.439
 - We got a fish
 
 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:08.150
 - You got a fish?
 
 00:25:08.150 --> 00:25:08.650
 - Yeah.
 
 00:25:08.651 --> 00:25:10.149
 - We collected a
 bunch of small fish
 
 00:25:10.150 --> 00:25:12.079
 and we're finding,
 increasingly, that they're
 
 00:25:12.080 --> 00:25:13.109
 feeding on plastic.
 
 00:25:13.110 --> 00:25:15.149
 - Even in a one, two and
 one half inch long fish,
 
 00:25:15.150 --> 00:25:17.899
 we found 83 pieces of plastic.
 
 00:25:17.900 --> 00:25:20.019
 - Not only are we beginning
 to find connections
 
 00:25:20.020 --> 00:25:22.289
 between plastic and
 our food supply,
 
 00:25:22.290 --> 00:25:23.999
 these harmful
 chemical additives are
 
 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:26.099
 capable of leeching
 out into whatever
 
 00:25:26.100 --> 00:25:28.899
 it comes into contact with.
 
 00:25:28.900 --> 00:25:30.859
 One chemical that's
 been in the news a lot
 
 00:25:30.860 --> 00:25:34.819
 lately is bisphenol A, or BPA.
 
 00:25:34.820 --> 00:25:36.829
 BPA is a compound
 used to manufacture
 
 00:25:36.830 --> 00:25:40.579
 many kinds of plastic, such as
 baby bottles, water bottles,
 
 00:25:40.580 --> 00:25:43.309
 sports equipment, the
 lining of canned food,
 
 00:25:43.310 --> 00:25:45.499
 and household electronics.
 
 00:25:45.500 --> 00:25:49.229
 - Bisphenol A was discovered
 seven decades back.
 
 00:25:49.230 --> 00:25:53.119
 And it was already known that
 it has some endocrine disrupting
 
 00:25:53.120 --> 00:25:54.279
 properties.
 
 00:25:54.280 --> 00:25:56.329
 - Endocrine disruptors
 are basically
 
 00:25:56.330 --> 00:25:59.219
 chemicals that can mess up
 your body's internal signaling
 
 00:25:59.220 --> 00:26:00.269
 system.
 
 00:26:00.270 --> 00:26:02.149
 They make hormones
 go haywire and can
 
 00:26:02.150 --> 00:26:04.749
 cause all kinds of
 problems, from diabetes
 
 00:26:04.750 --> 00:26:06.719
 to brain disorders and cancer.
 
 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:10.479
 - Every day, we add
 estrogen-like chemicals
 
 00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:13.199
 to our body through plastics.
 
 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:15.509
 Bisphenol A, for
 example, was originally
 
 00:26:15.510 --> 00:26:18.689
 designed to be birth control.
 
 00:26:18.690 --> 00:26:21.069
 It was originally
 designed for...
 
 00:26:21.070 --> 00:26:24.559
 as a hormonal therapy for women.
 
 00:26:24.560 --> 00:26:26.379
 It wasn't quite strong
 enough for that,
 
 00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:28.049
 so it was put on the shelf.
 
 00:26:28.050 --> 00:26:30.849
 Then some various
 scientists and formulators
 
 00:26:30.850 --> 00:26:33.439
 figured out that
 bisphenol A actually
 
 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:35.139
 could make plastic hard.
 
 00:26:35.140 --> 00:26:37.029
 Nobody asked the
 question, what will
 
 00:26:37.030 --> 00:26:41.479
 happen when we give bisphenol A
 to people through this plastic?
 
 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:45.249
 93% of Americans are walking
 around with bisphenol A
 
 00:26:45.250 --> 00:26:46.250
 in their bodies.
 
 00:26:49.880 --> 00:26:53.659
 - Professor Fred vom Saal is one
 of the leading experts on BPA.
 
 00:26:53.660 --> 00:26:57.819
 He has been studying its harmful
 effects for over 15 years.
 
 00:26:57.820 --> 00:27:00.559
 He's found that receipt paper,
 even though it's not plastic,
 
 00:27:00.560 --> 00:27:03.049
 is coated with high
 amounts of BPA.
 
 00:27:03.050 --> 00:27:06.729
 - We're going to do a study
 to determine whether bisphenol
 
 00:27:06.730 --> 00:27:10.909
 A comes out of thermal
 paper, off the surface
 
 00:27:10.910 --> 00:27:13.689
 of thermal paper,
 onto your hand,
 
 00:27:13.690 --> 00:27:17.109
 and can get through the skin
 of your hand into your body.
 
 00:27:17.110 --> 00:27:20.129
 - So I volunteered to be one
 of his first guinea pigs.
 
 00:27:20.130 --> 00:27:22.029
 - No one's ever done this.
 
 00:27:22.030 --> 00:27:24.759
 We know that a lot
 of the bisphenol A
 
 00:27:24.760 --> 00:27:27.149
 gets off the paper
 onto your skin.
 
 00:27:27.150 --> 00:27:29.859
 What we don't know is how much
 of it goes through your skin
 
 00:27:29.860 --> 00:27:31.159
 into your body.
 
 00:27:31.160 --> 00:27:34.729
 That's what we want to find out.
 
 00:27:34.730 --> 00:27:36.159
 We're going to
 collect your blood
 
 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:38.679
 and we're going to determine
 how much bisphenol A was
 
 00:27:38.680 --> 00:27:41.729
 in your body when you
 came into the laboratory.
 
 00:27:41.730 --> 00:27:43.289
 - So it would be a
 total of 20 cc's.
 
 00:27:43.290 --> 00:27:45.239
 - We have to do two?
 
 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:46.150
 - We do two.
 
 00:27:46.150 --> 00:27:46.980
 - Oh, my gosh.
 
 00:27:46.981 --> 00:27:48.009
 Ouch!
 
 00:27:48.010 --> 00:27:50.689
 - Uncurl your toes.
 
 00:27:50.690 --> 00:27:52.199
 - Am I doing OK?
 
 00:27:52.200 --> 00:27:53.979
 Oh my gosh, that's
 a lot of blood!
 
 00:27:53.980 --> 00:27:54.750
 - There you go.
 
 00:27:54.751 --> 00:27:56.289
 - Then what we're
 going to do is have
 
 00:27:56.290 --> 00:27:59.389
 you hold a piece of thermal
 paper for a couple minutes.
 
 00:27:59.390 --> 00:28:01.379
 - We're ready to go.
 
 00:28:01.380 --> 00:28:02.759
 - OK, so go ahead.
 
 00:28:02.760 --> 00:28:05.069
 There you go.
 
 00:28:05.070 --> 00:28:07.089
 - This is what I normally
 do with my receipts
 
 00:28:07.090 --> 00:28:08.819
 when I get them from a store.
 
 00:28:08.820 --> 00:28:12.049
 - But think about how many
 times you touch a receipt.
 
 00:28:12.050 --> 00:28:14.829
 (BEEPING)
 
 00:28:14.830 --> 00:28:16.109
 - Oh, my gosh!
 
 00:28:16.110 --> 00:28:17.090
 - Don't touch anything.
 
 00:28:17.091 --> 00:28:18.299
 - Yeah, don't touch anything.
 
 00:28:18.300 --> 00:28:19.429
 - Is this BPA on my hand?
 
 00:28:19.430 --> 00:28:20.390
 - It sure is.
 
 00:28:20.391 --> 00:28:23.339
 You shouldn't have to worry
 about touching a receipt paper.
 
 00:28:23.340 --> 00:28:25.729
 - This is true.
 
 00:28:25.730 --> 00:28:29.189
 - Because plastics are in
 every facet of our lives,
 
 00:28:29.190 --> 00:28:31.609
 we are exposed to these
 things and everybody
 
 00:28:31.610 --> 00:28:32.829
 is exposed to them.
 
 00:28:32.830 --> 00:28:36.079
 It's like we're all in the
 midst of a giant, uncontrolled
 
 00:28:36.080 --> 00:28:37.639
 experiment.
 
 00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:41.279
 - Without your permission,
 you are being polluted.
 
 00:28:41.280 --> 00:28:43.449
 Is that OK with you?
 
 00:28:43.450 --> 00:28:45.829
 - I think it's just a question
 of, why weren't we told?
 
 00:28:45.830 --> 00:28:48.470
 It bothers me, and it kind
 of... it makes me angry.
 
 00:28:55.950 --> 00:28:58.249
 This is really not fun.
 
 00:28:58.250 --> 00:29:02.109
 After three pokes and a
 lot of resistance from me,
 
 00:29:02.110 --> 00:29:03.819
 this is my blood
 before and after,
 
 00:29:03.820 --> 00:29:05.979
 and this combined
 with the urine sample
 
 00:29:05.980 --> 00:29:07.059
 is going to go to the lab.
 
 00:29:07.060 --> 00:29:11.489
 And then we're going to get
 the results in a couple weeks.
 
 00:29:11.490 --> 00:29:14.439
 Recent studies have
 shown that BPA can now
 
 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:16.660
 be found in all of
 the world's oceans.
 
 00:29:22.020 --> 00:29:26.889
 - We have well over a
 million albatross at Midway.
 
 00:29:26.890 --> 00:29:28.909
 They're incredible flyers.
 
 00:29:28.910 --> 00:29:32.579
 Each one of the adults
 will fly thousands of miles
 
 00:29:32.580 --> 00:29:34.629
 for each foraging trip
 for their chick, which
 
 00:29:34.630 --> 00:29:36.029
 is every seven to 10 days.
 
 00:29:36.030 --> 00:29:38.239
 And so if you add up the
 number of miles that they're
 
 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:40.549
 flying in one breeding
 season, it definitely
 
 00:29:40.550 --> 00:29:43.549
 is many times
 circling the world.
 
 00:29:43.550 --> 00:29:45.699
 They always come back to
 the same spot to nest.
 
 00:29:45.700 --> 00:29:48.379
 And they're monogamous, so they
 typically have the same mate.
 
 00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:50.199
 So they'll wait for
 their mate to show up.
 
 00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:52.319
 And then they lay their egg
 and then the cycle of life
 
 00:29:52.320 --> 00:29:53.320
 continues.
 
 00:29:55.910 --> 00:29:59.709
 - Oh, oh, my god!
 
 00:29:59.710 --> 00:30:03.330
 They can pass lighters and
 plastic along to the chick.
 
 00:30:06.680 --> 00:30:08.849
 The US Fish and
 Wildlife Service does
 
 00:30:08.850 --> 00:30:11.709
 what it can to monitor
 the trash situation.
 
 00:30:11.710 --> 00:30:14.519
 John leads teams of volunteers
 to different parts of the atoll
 
 00:30:14.520 --> 00:30:17.249
 to measure and classify the
 debris, and to clean some of it
 
 00:30:17.250 --> 00:30:18.439
 up.
 
 00:30:18.440 --> 00:30:20.159
 I headed out to
 one of the beaches
 
 00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:22.160
 with them to size
 up the situation.
 
 00:30:29.540 --> 00:30:31.459
 - Every piece of plastic
 you see on the island
 
 00:30:31.460 --> 00:30:33.979
 was brought in here by
 either an adult albatross
 
 00:30:33.980 --> 00:30:36.659
 and fed to its chick, or
 it was fed to the chick
 
 00:30:36.660 --> 00:30:39.069
 and they died in place,
 and then they decayed
 
 00:30:39.070 --> 00:30:40.659
 and then you're left
 with the plastic.
 
 00:30:40.660 --> 00:30:43.239
 So all this plastic was
 brought in by an albatross.
 
 00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:47.109
 In fact, we estimate that about
 five tons of plastic each year
 
 00:30:47.110 --> 00:30:49.159
 are brought to the whole
 atoll by adult albatross
 
 00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:51.760
 and fed to the chicks, so
 it's really significant.
 
 00:30:58.100 --> 00:31:00.069
 - Is this a freshly...?
 
 00:31:00.070 --> 00:31:03.389
 - Freshly dead bird, yep.
 
 00:31:03.390 --> 00:31:07.210
 We can take a quick look just
 in case, and cut it open.
 
 00:31:09.930 --> 00:31:11.509
 Does actually have
 some stuff in it.
 
 00:31:11.510 --> 00:31:12.669
 - Oh my gosh.
 
 00:31:12.670 --> 00:31:14.070
 Oh, gross.
 
 00:31:18.250 --> 00:31:19.459
 Oh, my gosh.
 
 00:31:19.460 --> 00:31:21.479
 - Fishing line.
 
 00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:23.059
 Oh, look at that big
 piece of plastic.
 
 00:31:23.060 --> 00:31:24.459
 - Oh my goodness.
 
 00:31:24.460 --> 00:31:25.539
 What do you think that is?
 
 00:31:25.540 --> 00:31:28.279
 - Almost looks like a cap
 to a permanent marker,
 
 00:31:28.280 --> 00:31:29.869
 something like that.
 
 00:31:29.870 --> 00:31:31.349
 (GROANING)
 
 00:31:31.350 --> 00:31:33.869
 Lot more fishing line
 coming out there.
 
 00:31:33.870 --> 00:31:35.559
 - Wow.
 
 00:31:35.560 --> 00:31:36.360
 This is average?
 
 00:31:36.360 --> 00:31:36.960
 - Yep.
 
 00:31:36.961 --> 00:31:40.229
 This is probably just
 on average amount.
 
 00:31:40.230 --> 00:31:42.319
 - We see bellies
 full of plastic.
 
 00:31:42.320 --> 00:31:45.489
 Could that be an
 indicator of our future...
 
 00:31:45.490 --> 00:31:46.240
 - Unfortunately...
 
 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:47.160
 - in some capacity?
 
 00:31:47.160 --> 00:31:47.830
 - yeah.
 
 00:31:47.830 --> 00:31:48.630
 Unfortunately, yes.
 
 00:31:48.631 --> 00:31:50.559
 These birds... or at
 least their parents...
 
 00:31:50.560 --> 00:31:54.169
 They forage on a global scale,
 forage throughout the Pacific.
 
 00:31:54.170 --> 00:31:56.849
 So they are like our thermometer
 for the health of the Pacific,
 
 00:31:56.850 --> 00:31:59.369
 which ultimately affects
 people, not only albatross.
 
 00:31:59.370 --> 00:32:03.009
 So really, to see this albatross
 tells us that the Pacific
 
 00:32:03.010 --> 00:32:05.469
 Ocean and probably the oceans
 in our world in general,
 
 00:32:05.470 --> 00:32:08.019
 are in trouble when we see
 this kind of plastic that's
 
 00:32:08.020 --> 00:32:12.509
 so pervasive in this
 seemingly natural environment.
 
 00:32:12.510 --> 00:32:13.799
 And this is just an albatross.
 
 00:32:13.800 --> 00:32:16.429
 Just think about every
 fish out in the ocean
 
 00:32:16.430 --> 00:32:17.899
 might have some
 level of plastic.
 
 00:32:17.900 --> 00:32:20.559
 Maybe you can't see it, but
 at the microscopic scale
 
 00:32:20.560 --> 00:32:21.779
 you could detect it.
 
 00:32:21.780 --> 00:32:24.340
 And then of course, we're
 feeding on marine life.
 
 00:32:28.700 --> 00:32:32.169
 - The Earth is covered
 by over 75% water.
 
 00:32:32.170 --> 00:32:35.669
 With all this plastic and toxins
 in the oceans, I wondered,
 
 00:32:35.670 --> 00:32:36.809
 what could we do?
 
 00:32:36.810 --> 00:32:38.779
 - My first reaction
 was very much
 
 00:32:38.780 --> 00:32:41.029
 like a lot of other
 people's first reaction,
 
 00:32:41.030 --> 00:32:45.299
 and that was, oh my god, we've
 got to go clean this thing up.
 
 00:32:45.300 --> 00:32:49.689
 - Frankly, I haven't seen
 a decent proposal for how
 
 00:32:49.690 --> 00:32:56.169
 to viably do that without
 spending a lot of money,
 
 00:32:56.170 --> 00:33:00.979
 a lot of fuel... diesel... and
 killing a lot of ocean life.
 
 00:33:00.980 --> 00:33:03.539
 - If we're talking about little
 bits of plastic broken down
 
 00:33:03.540 --> 00:33:05.749
 into tiny, tiny bits,
 what are we going to do?
 
 00:33:05.750 --> 00:33:07.869
 Strain the entire ocean?
 
 00:33:07.870 --> 00:33:10.839
 - No amount of all the
 ships in the world carrying
 
 00:33:10.840 --> 00:33:13.729
 all the nets in the world, going
 out there, pulling stuff up,
 
 00:33:13.730 --> 00:33:15.459
 is going to save the sea.
 
 00:33:15.460 --> 00:33:17.009
 Only the sea herself
 can spit it out
 
 00:33:17.010 --> 00:33:18.469
 and she'll never
 get a chance to do
 
 00:33:18.470 --> 00:33:20.189
 that if we keep putting it in.
 
 00:33:20.190 --> 00:33:24.459
 - Frankly, this whole
 idea that we take all this
 
 00:33:24.460 --> 00:33:26.779
 intended disposable
 stuff that we
 
 00:33:26.780 --> 00:33:29.469
 use, and put it somewhere away?
 
 00:33:29.470 --> 00:33:31.229
 There is no "away."
 
 00:33:31.230 --> 00:33:32.829
 We need to turn off the faucet.
 
 00:33:32.830 --> 00:33:35.379
 We need to turn off the
 tap and stop the stuff
 
 00:33:35.380 --> 00:33:37.849
 from flowing into the ocean.
 
 00:33:37.850 --> 00:33:39.639
 - But what about recycling?
 
 00:33:39.640 --> 00:33:42.159
 If everyone just throws their
 plastic away in the right bin,
 
 00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:43.999
 won't that help a lot?
 
 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:46.009
 - Recycling is a bit of a myth.
 
 00:33:46.010 --> 00:33:49.329
 We really only recover
 very, very small percent
 
 00:33:49.330 --> 00:33:52.019
 of our consumer plastics
 in this country.
 
 00:33:52.020 --> 00:33:54.699
 Only certain types of
 plastic are recyclable;
 
 00:33:54.700 --> 00:33:58.389
 mainly the PET, polyethylene
 terephthalate mark number one,
 
 00:33:58.390 --> 00:34:03.919
 or HDPE, label number two,
 high density polyethylene.
 
 00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:06.359
 Most plastic doesn't
 truly get recycled.
 
 00:34:06.360 --> 00:34:07.999
 It gets downcycled.
 
 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:10.789
 Unlike glass or metal... which
 can be used over and over again
 
 00:34:10.790 --> 00:34:14.059
 plastic consumer products
 are usually converted to a lower
 
 00:34:14.060 --> 00:34:16.759
 grade material, and used
 for things like park benches
 
 00:34:16.760 --> 00:34:18.739
 and plastic decking.
 
 00:34:18.740 --> 00:34:21.319
 A lot of this process
 takes place overseas.
 
 00:34:21.320 --> 00:34:23.239
 - We ship a lot of
 our plastics to China.
 
 00:34:23.240 --> 00:34:25.239
 And we heard this from
 several recycling centers
 
 00:34:25.240 --> 00:34:26.839
 here in California.
 
 00:34:26.840 --> 00:34:30.319
 - In fact, according to the US
 International Trade Commission,
 
 00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:32.399
 the fastest growing...
 And now number one...
 
 00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:36.579
 Category of American exports
 to China, is scrap and trash.
 
 00:34:36.580 --> 00:34:40.169
 - If only about 30% of the bag
 comes from recycled content,
 
 00:34:40.170 --> 00:34:45.049
 that means you're still going
 to need 70% virgin material.
 
 00:34:45.050 --> 00:34:48.329
 Let's recognize that recycling
 isn't going to really offset
 
 00:34:48.330 --> 00:34:49.869
 production of virgin plastic.
 
 00:34:49.870 --> 00:34:52.049
 And it's going to take
 more than recycling
 
 00:34:52.050 --> 00:34:57.249
 to really deal with the kind of
 plastic pollution that we face.
 
 00:34:57.250 --> 00:35:00.459
 - Just to be clear:
 Plastic is not evil.
 
 00:35:00.460 --> 00:35:03.669
 But it's what we do with it,
 how much we produce of it,
 
 00:35:03.670 --> 00:35:07.209
 and how we dispose of it that
 makes all the difference.
 
 00:35:07.210 --> 00:35:09.459
 It's the plastic that
 was made to last forever,
 
 00:35:09.460 --> 00:35:13.879
 but designed to be used once;
 That is the biggest problem.
 
 00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:16.239
 The two most common
 items we throw away
 
 00:35:16.240 --> 00:35:18.959
 are our plastic bags
 and plastic bottles.
 
 00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:21.019
 It's estimated that
 on this planet,
 
 00:35:21.020 --> 00:35:25.459
 we use a whopping one million
 plastic bags a minute.
 
 00:35:25.460 --> 00:35:28.689
 If everyone in the United States
 tied their annual consumption
 
 00:35:28.690 --> 00:35:31.519
 of plastic bags together
 in a giant chain,
 
 00:35:31.520 --> 00:35:38.239
 that chain would reach around
 the Earth's equator 776 times.
 
 00:35:38.240 --> 00:35:42.329
 National Geographic estimates
 that we use 85 million bottles
 
 00:35:42.330 --> 00:35:44.839
 on this planet
 every three minutes.
 
 00:35:44.840 --> 00:35:46.569
 Since you sat down
 to watch this,
 
 00:35:46.570 --> 00:35:51.829
 935 million bottles
 have been consumed.
 
 00:35:51.830 --> 00:35:54.409
 And do we really need them?
 
 00:35:54.410 --> 00:35:57.169
 - The answer is very simple.
 
 00:35:57.170 --> 00:35:59.449
 Let's stop it at the source.
 
 00:35:59.450 --> 00:36:04.529
 - Start thinking about areas to
 avoid plastic: buying in bulk,
 
 00:36:04.530 --> 00:36:07.069
 buying locally, shopping
 at your farmer's market,
 
 00:36:07.070 --> 00:36:09.759
 avoiding excess packaging,
 and really just being
 
 00:36:09.760 --> 00:36:11.229
 mindful of the
 things that you buy
 
 00:36:11.230 --> 00:36:14.619
 every day, because everything
 is going to go somewhere.
 
 00:36:14.620 --> 00:36:17.749
 - I think, a lot of times we
 as consumers, individuals,
 
 00:36:17.750 --> 00:36:19.739
 we underestimate the
 power we really have.
 
 00:36:19.740 --> 00:36:22.079
 - It's a choice
 that we can all make
 
 00:36:22.080 --> 00:36:27.799
 to say, I don't need that lid
 on a coffee cup for two minutes.
 
 00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:29.789
 And I don't need
 that plastic bag
 
 00:36:29.790 --> 00:36:33.629
 to carry three
 things, all of which
 
 00:36:33.630 --> 00:36:35.569
 are already
 individually packaged.
 
 00:36:35.570 --> 00:36:38.589
 - Wanting to influence
 others is such a...
 
 00:36:38.590 --> 00:36:40.739
 oh, such a can of
 worms, you know?
 
 00:36:40.740 --> 00:36:42.979
 It's like really, at
 the end of the day,
 
 00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:45.589
 you can't be telling anyone
 what to do, you know?
 
 00:36:45.590 --> 00:36:47.871
 They've got to discover
 things themselves.
 
 00:36:49.970 --> 00:36:53.129
 - It's been a couple months now
 since I've done the BPA test,
 
 00:36:53.130 --> 00:36:56.139
 and we have Professor
 vom Saal here on Skype
 
 00:36:56.140 --> 00:36:58.649
 to tell me the results.
 
 00:36:58.650 --> 00:36:59.659
 Hi, how are you?
 
 00:36:59.660 --> 00:37:04.709
 - What our study is showing
 is that you definitely
 
 00:37:04.710 --> 00:37:07.849
 get exposed to bisphenol
 A by touching it.
 
 00:37:07.850 --> 00:37:10.979
 It definitely goes
 through the skin.
 
 00:37:10.980 --> 00:37:16.759
 And substantial amounts
 of it do so very rapidly.
 
 00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:19.169
 And it is going
 to your brain, it
 
 00:37:19.170 --> 00:37:22.499
 is going to other
 organs in the body,
 
 00:37:22.500 --> 00:37:27.839
 and you are getting absolutely
 massive amounts on your hand
 
 00:37:27.840 --> 00:37:29.440
 when you touch thermal paper.
 
 00:37:32.680 --> 00:37:35.449
 - Since World War II, we've
 had a dramatic increase
 
 00:37:35.450 --> 00:37:36.539
 of breast cancer.
 
 00:37:36.540 --> 00:37:38.599
 We've had a dramatic increase...
 
 00:37:38.600 --> 00:37:41.229
 or decrease, in
 the age of puberty.
 
 00:37:41.230 --> 00:37:43.959
 Girls are going into
 puberty earlier.
 
 00:37:43.960 --> 00:37:47.469
 Now we're seeing breast budding
 in girls at five, six, seven,
 
 00:37:47.470 --> 00:37:48.799
 eight years old.
 
 00:37:48.800 --> 00:37:53.119
 That's stimulated by estrogen
 and estrogen-like chemicals.
 
 00:37:53.120 --> 00:37:56.639
 - If you could of have
 sat down and designed
 
 00:37:56.640 --> 00:38:00.839
 the most harmful chemical
 that would damage everything
 
 00:38:00.840 --> 00:38:05.419
 that it got near, this
 is what you would make.
 
 00:38:05.420 --> 00:38:06.120
 - Ugh.
 
 00:38:06.121 --> 00:38:10.609
 To know that it had transferred
 pretty rapidly into my system,
 
 00:38:10.610 --> 00:38:11.999
 it's like, why weren't we told?
 
 00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:14.269
 Why did I not know about this?
 
 00:38:14.270 --> 00:38:17.009
 - The Flintstones has
 been brought to you
 
 00:38:17.010 --> 00:38:20.049
 by Winston, America's
 best selling,
 
 00:38:20.050 --> 00:38:23.019
 best tasting filtered cigarette.
 
 00:38:23.020 --> 00:38:25.419
 - You can ask the same question
 of the tobacco industry.
 
 00:38:25.420 --> 00:38:28.569
 Why didn't we know that tobacco
 was carcinogenic earlier?
 
 00:38:28.570 --> 00:38:30.289
 And the reason is
 because it's not
 
 00:38:30.290 --> 00:38:32.159
 in the interest of
 the tobacco companies
 
 00:38:32.160 --> 00:38:34.539
 to show that their
 product is harmful.
 
 00:38:34.540 --> 00:38:37.989
 - And only Winston has it,
 upfront where it counts.
 
 00:38:37.990 --> 00:38:41.579
 - There's a economic reason
 for us not finding out.
 
 00:38:41.580 --> 00:38:43.949
 - It's a strategy that is
 taken straight from the tobacco
 
 00:38:43.950 --> 00:38:44.460
 industry.
 
 00:38:44.461 --> 00:38:46.299
 You look at the
 names of the people,
 
 00:38:46.300 --> 00:38:48.829
 the lobbyists who are
 involved, the PR agencies that
 
 00:38:48.830 --> 00:38:53.839
 are involved; it's the
 same organizations.
 
 00:38:53.840 --> 00:38:56.359
 - It's incredibly important,
 the way images that are used
 
 00:38:56.360 --> 00:39:00.559
 to make people feel like the
 company is... it really cares.
 
 00:39:00.560 --> 00:39:03.239
 You can put a little green
 leaf on a plastic bottle
 
 00:39:03.240 --> 00:39:07.349
 and call it an eco-bottle
 to create an illusion.
 
 00:39:07.350 --> 00:39:09.739
 It's the same sort of
 ridiculous distribution
 
 00:39:09.740 --> 00:39:11.769
 of water in plastic.
 
 00:39:11.770 --> 00:39:13.959
 Most people, they look
 at it and they say,
 
 00:39:13.960 --> 00:39:17.079
 "Oh, it has a green
 leaf, it must be eco.
 
 00:39:17.080 --> 00:39:21.589
 Of course they wouldn't lie."
 
 00:39:21.590 --> 00:39:25.579
 - Industry has known since the
 '50s that stuff leaches out
 
 00:39:25.580 --> 00:39:27.709
 of different plastics.
 
 00:39:27.710 --> 00:39:29.729
 - The industry
 continues to maintain
 
 00:39:29.730 --> 00:39:33.229
 that BPA and many other
 plastic additives are safe.
 
 00:39:33.230 --> 00:39:35.959
 They've created PR
 campaigns in support of BPA
 
 00:39:35.960 --> 00:39:39.479
 and have successfully lobbied
 against legislation to ban it,
 
 00:39:39.480 --> 00:39:44.089
 even in baby bottles
 and children's toys.
 
 00:39:44.090 --> 00:39:47.609
 - The first phase is to deny
 the problem, to cover it up,
 
 00:39:47.610 --> 00:39:49.019
 and then to delay.
 
 00:39:49.020 --> 00:39:52.399
 After we invented
 plastic we're finding it
 
 00:39:52.400 --> 00:39:54.679
 where it shouldn't
 be: in our blood,
 
 00:39:54.680 --> 00:39:56.729
 and inside the wildest animals.
 
 00:39:56.730 --> 00:40:00.009
 You got to say, let's
 do something about this.
 
 00:40:00.010 --> 00:40:03.229
 - A few cities in the US and
 countries around the world
 
 00:40:03.230 --> 00:40:06.989
 have passed legislation taxing
 or banning single use plastic
 
 00:40:06.990 --> 00:40:08.109
 bags.
 
 00:40:08.110 --> 00:40:13.369
 - California uses 120,000 tons
 of plastic bags every year.
 
 00:40:13.370 --> 00:40:18.399
 It is estimated that 80% of
 all marine debris is plastic.
 
 00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:20.159
 - California is in trouble.
 
 00:40:20.160 --> 00:40:23.579
 And what are some Sacramento
 politicians focused on?
 
 00:40:23.580 --> 00:40:24.929
 Grocery bags.
 
 00:40:24.930 --> 00:40:29.149
 - The ACC came out
 in incredible force.
 
 00:40:29.150 --> 00:40:31.329
 - Blasting and running
 a bunch of PSAs
 
 00:40:31.330 --> 00:40:34.009
 that were negative
 and untruthful.
 
 00:40:34.010 --> 00:40:34.810
 - Higher taxes.
 
 00:40:34.810 --> 00:40:35.740
 Fewer jobs.
 
 00:40:35.741 --> 00:40:37.599
 More bureaucrats...
 
 00:40:37.600 --> 00:40:39.379
 - People who have been
 in the legislature
 
 00:40:39.380 --> 00:40:42.369
 for a very long time
 have said they've never
 
 00:40:42.370 --> 00:40:45.400
 seen a lobbying
 effort like this one.
 
 00:40:48.440 --> 00:40:50.639
 - So who makes the plastic?
 
 00:40:50.640 --> 00:40:52.529
 In the United
 States, the producers
 
 00:40:52.530 --> 00:40:57.279
 of plastic resin such as Dow
 Chemical, DuPont and ExxonMobil
 
 00:40:57.280 --> 00:41:00.109
 are represented by an
 umbrella organization called
 
 00:41:00.110 --> 00:41:04.409
 the American Chemistry
 Council, or the ACC.
 
 00:41:04.410 --> 00:41:07.599
 The many manufacturers that
 make products out of this resin
 
 00:41:07.600 --> 00:41:12.569
 are represented by the Society
 of Plastic Industries, or SPI.
 
 00:41:12.570 --> 00:41:15.499
 - The plastics industry is
 the third largest industry
 
 00:41:15.500 --> 00:41:18.779
 in this country,
 behind steel and cars.
 
 00:41:18.780 --> 00:41:22.359
 It's responsible for close
 to $400 billion in shipments.
 
 00:41:22.360 --> 00:41:26.419
 It's a big, big, big industry.
 
 00:41:26.420 --> 00:41:29.759
 - The ACC was about to
 co-sponsor an international
 
 00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:32.319
 conference on the
 subject of marine debris,
 
 00:41:32.320 --> 00:41:35.319
 and they said they would
 be glad to talk to me.
 
 00:41:35.320 --> 00:41:36.959
 I know I've sent
 you a couple emails.
 
 00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:38.689
 I know you're probably
 really busy...
 
 00:41:38.690 --> 00:41:41.099
 But a representative
 from the ACC
 
 00:41:41.100 --> 00:41:43.169
 had finally gotten
 back to me and decided
 
 00:41:43.170 --> 00:41:45.250
 not to contribute
 to the documentary.
 
 00:41:47.610 --> 00:41:49.109
 So I went to the
 conference anyways,
 
 00:41:49.110 --> 00:41:51.470
 to see if I could speak
 with them in person.
 
 00:41:59.730 --> 00:42:04.699
 But they seemed to avoid me
 and did not wish to comment.
 
 00:42:04.700 --> 00:42:06.649
 I don't think I'm that scary.
 
 00:42:06.650 --> 00:42:08.219
 I'm like, a short Asian girl.
 
 00:42:08.220 --> 00:42:09.299
 What do you want from me?
 
 00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:11.769
 I really am just looking
 for some answers.
 
 00:42:11.770 --> 00:42:13.749
 Why would the American
 Chemistry Council
 
 00:42:13.750 --> 00:42:17.419
 sponsor a conference focused on
 the environmental damage caused
 
 00:42:17.420 --> 00:42:18.900
 from the plastic they create?
 
 00:42:24.330 --> 00:42:25.529
 - I don't know.
 
 00:42:25.530 --> 00:42:27.189
 I don't know what
 it is accomplished.
 
 00:42:27.190 --> 00:42:29.909
 My word was, enough talking.
 
 00:42:29.910 --> 00:42:32.329
 If we're not seeing
 action, it's another one
 
 00:42:32.330 --> 00:42:36.179
 of those blah, blah gathering.
 
 00:42:36.180 --> 00:42:38.909
 - But I was determined to
 get someone from the plastics
 
 00:42:38.910 --> 00:42:41.739
 industry to talk to me.
 
 00:42:41.740 --> 00:42:45.229
 So we just decided to buy a
 ticket, cruise on out here,
 
 00:42:45.230 --> 00:42:47.629
 see if we could talk
 to these people face
 
 00:42:47.630 --> 00:42:51.329
 to face and get some answers.
 
 00:42:51.330 --> 00:42:53.459
 So I headed to an
 SPI convention.
 
 00:42:53.460 --> 00:42:56.089
 This could be a
 very quick shoot.
 
 00:42:56.090 --> 00:42:58.659
 It's the first Annual
 Processors Conference.
 
 00:42:58.660 --> 00:43:01.459
 There's a guy from the FDA
 talking, a guy from Coca Cola,
 
 00:43:01.460 --> 00:43:02.460
 a guy from Merck.
 
 00:43:11.040 --> 00:43:14.649
 How do you think that the
 plastic industry is tackling
 
 00:43:14.650 --> 00:43:17.990
 reports about BPA
 and toxins and stuff?
 
 00:43:33.860 --> 00:43:36.220
 What do you think about
 the whole BPA thing?
 
 00:43:38.120 --> 00:43:39.120
 Yes, you do!
 
 00:43:40.750 --> 00:43:43.109
 So you guys did
 testing on the BPA.
 
 00:43:43.110 --> 00:43:44.830
 And what did you find?
 
 00:43:49.780 --> 00:43:53.079
 So you're not worried about it.
 
 00:43:53.080 --> 00:43:54.999
 How safe is a food that's
 wrapped in plastic?
 
 00:43:55.000 --> 00:43:55.260
 You...
 
 00:43:55.261 --> 00:43:56.380
 I mean, you test it.
 
 00:44:02.580 --> 00:44:03.580
 Yes.
 
 00:44:06.580 --> 00:44:09.590
 BPA is found in 93% of humans.
 
 00:44:12.980 --> 00:44:14.380
 Doesn't that freak you out?
 
 00:44:33.850 --> 00:44:36.359
 Is that why they're very like,
 protective of the conferences
 
 00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:37.360
 and...?
 
 00:44:40.650 --> 00:44:45.249
 And what do you think about the
 Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
 
 00:44:45.250 --> 00:44:48.529
 Have you heard of it?
 
 00:44:48.530 --> 00:44:51.289
 It's like that thing that's
 twice the size of Texas people
 
 00:44:51.290 --> 00:44:53.369
 think is an island.
 
 00:44:53.370 --> 00:44:55.759
 Oh, Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
 
 00:44:55.760 --> 00:44:57.180
 There it is, right there.
 
 00:45:11.940 --> 00:45:14.369
 I took it.
 
 00:45:14.370 --> 00:45:16.889
 Don't you think that
 if the industry's
 
 00:45:16.890 --> 00:45:20.309
 making 115 billion pounds
 of resin a year, brand new,
 
 00:45:20.310 --> 00:45:23.059
 that they should also
 take responsibility
 
 00:45:23.060 --> 00:45:26.019
 from the beginning to the end?
 
 00:45:26.020 --> 00:45:28.720
 I'm just wondering like,
 what you think, from...
 
 00:45:31.260 --> 00:45:35.859
 Well, it's a bird with
 plastic in its belly.
 
 00:45:35.860 --> 00:45:36.860
 I know.
 
 00:45:40.040 --> 00:45:43.759
 I went to Midway Atoll, in
 the middle of the Pacific
 
 00:45:43.760 --> 00:45:45.169
 and that's what I found.
 
 00:45:45.170 --> 00:45:46.479
 That...
 
 00:45:46.480 --> 00:45:49.300
 I mean, what do you say to that?
 
 00:45:59.300 --> 00:46:00.820
 OK, so here's another picture.
 
 00:46:08.200 --> 00:46:09.200
 Sorry.
 
 00:46:24.320 --> 00:46:26.320
 Well, that was a
 really close call.
 
 00:46:29.470 --> 00:46:30.270
 - Plastic!
 
 00:46:30.271 --> 00:46:32.639
 - So how do we get
 people's attention?
 
 00:46:32.640 --> 00:46:34.439
 (ROAR)
 
 00:46:34.440 --> 00:46:37.019
 This is Andy Keller.
 
 00:46:37.020 --> 00:46:38.379
 Oh, my gosh!
 
 00:46:38.380 --> 00:46:39.729
 It's a bag monster.
 
 00:46:39.730 --> 00:46:40.779
 - Hey, there.
 
 00:46:40.780 --> 00:46:42.829
 It all started when I
 was at the local landfill
 
 00:46:42.830 --> 00:46:44.729
 in my community of
 about 100,000 people.
 
 00:46:44.730 --> 00:46:47.459
 And I was there at the end
 of the day with you know,
 
 00:46:47.460 --> 00:46:48.949
 my trash.
 
 00:46:48.950 --> 00:46:50.979
 And it just hit me
 like a ton of bricks.
 
 00:46:50.980 --> 00:46:53.099
 I'm like, this is
 so unnecessary.
 
 00:46:53.100 --> 00:46:54.429
 Why am I using these things?
 
 00:46:54.430 --> 00:46:56.429
 Oh, you environmentalists!
 
 00:46:56.430 --> 00:46:58.699
 Don't you know, I'm convenient!
 
 00:46:58.700 --> 00:47:00.449
 I created the bag
 monster because I
 
 00:47:00.450 --> 00:47:03.649
 wanted to communicate to
 people how many plastic bags
 
 00:47:03.650 --> 00:47:04.699
 they use in a year.
 
 00:47:04.700 --> 00:47:06.749
 - How many bags do
 you have on you?
 
 00:47:06.750 --> 00:47:09.539
 - This is between... this is
 what the average American uses
 
 00:47:09.540 --> 00:47:10.250
 in a year.
 
 00:47:10.251 --> 00:47:13.359
 The estimates are somewhere
 between 300 to 700
 
 00:47:13.360 --> 00:47:14.709
 by every American.
 
 00:47:14.710 --> 00:47:16.549
 A lot of people are
 just in this robot mode,
 
 00:47:16.550 --> 00:47:17.829
 and they're just like...
 
 00:47:17.830 --> 00:47:21.319
 how many times have you
 bought a drink and a snack,
 
 00:47:21.320 --> 00:47:22.969
 and they put it in a bag?
 
 00:47:22.970 --> 00:47:24.849
 I found if you could
 approach in a way that's
 
 00:47:24.850 --> 00:47:28.209
 funny and humorous, but
 also raises awareness,
 
 00:47:28.210 --> 00:47:31.520
 that people can actually then
 take action, not close down.
 
 00:47:35.130 --> 00:47:36.299
 - Hey, I'm Gretchen Bleiler.
 
 00:47:36.300 --> 00:47:38.269
 I'm a professional
 snowboarder and an Olympian.
 
 00:47:38.270 --> 00:47:40.239
 But I'm also an advocate
 for the environment.
 
 00:47:40.240 --> 00:47:44.739
 I feel like it's my
 duty to talk about this.
 
 00:47:44.740 --> 00:47:46.269
 It can be very simple.
 
 00:47:46.270 --> 00:47:49.210
 And it's just about
 taking a little shift.
 
 00:47:54.030 --> 00:47:56.479
 So it's all about
 leading by example
 
 00:47:56.480 --> 00:48:01.169
 and encouraging your
 friends to do the same.
 
 00:48:01.170 --> 00:48:03.789
 - Personally I live
 in Hawaii which,
 
 00:48:03.790 --> 00:48:05.869
 if you go to the east shore
 of any of the islands,
 
 00:48:05.870 --> 00:48:08.839
 a lot of the beaches are
 just a wall of plastic trash.
 
 00:48:08.840 --> 00:48:12.159
 So I just know the reality
 of how harmful single use
 
 00:48:12.160 --> 00:48:13.549
 plastics are.
 
 00:48:13.550 --> 00:48:15.899
 With all the
 20-something-year-olds coming
 
 00:48:15.900 --> 00:48:18.199
 to the shows and different
 people who are still kind
 
 00:48:18.200 --> 00:48:20.579
 of figuring out the way they're
 going to be in the world,
 
 00:48:20.580 --> 00:48:23.129
 we just saw the opportunity
 to have these nonprofit groups
 
 00:48:23.130 --> 00:48:24.579
 in every town that we play at.
 
 00:48:24.580 --> 00:48:26.499
 I think for me
 personally, just the way
 
 00:48:26.500 --> 00:48:28.189
 I was brought up
 and everything, I
 
 00:48:28.190 --> 00:48:31.189
 feel a personal
 responsibility but I just
 
 00:48:31.190 --> 00:48:33.809
 like to use that to
 kind of turn kids
 
 00:48:33.810 --> 00:48:35.719
 on to the idea of these
 environmental groups
 
 00:48:35.720 --> 00:48:36.960
 and what they're doing.
 
 00:48:39.400 --> 00:48:42.109
 - So the albatross,
 they are consuming
 
 00:48:42.110 --> 00:48:43.559
 all this plastic
 debris that they
 
 00:48:43.560 --> 00:48:45.429
 find floating in the ocean.
 
 00:48:45.430 --> 00:48:47.779
 - Kids have a natural
 sense of justice.
 
 00:48:47.780 --> 00:48:50.459
 When we show them what
 our plastic trash is doing
 
 00:48:50.460 --> 00:48:52.379
 to animals out in the
 middle of the ocean,
 
 00:48:52.380 --> 00:48:55.209
 they get really angry and they
 want to do something about it.
 
 00:48:55.210 --> 00:48:58.700
 - They get that it's not what
 they want in their world.
 
 00:49:04.040 --> 00:49:05.749
 - In one of his
 early experiments,
 
 00:49:05.750 --> 00:49:08.069
 Professor vom Saal
 found that BPA
 
 00:49:08.070 --> 00:49:11.189
 could cause reproductive
 harm in mice at levels
 
 00:49:11.190 --> 00:49:15.629
 25,000 times lower than
 previously thought.
 
 00:49:15.630 --> 00:49:19.469
 - And when we published that, I
 got a conference call and there
 
 00:49:19.470 --> 00:49:23.709
 were about five people on it and
 they told me how disturbed...
 
 00:49:23.710 --> 00:49:27.919
 so they were from
 DuPont, Dow, Shell,
 
 00:49:27.920 --> 00:49:31.679
 all the major manufacturers
 of bisphenol A.
 
 00:49:31.680 --> 00:49:36.399
 And the exact quote is, "Can
 we reach a mutually beneficial
 
 00:49:36.400 --> 00:49:42.389
 outcome, where you
 withdraw this paper
 
 00:49:42.390 --> 00:49:44.929
 and do not publish
 it until approved
 
 00:49:44.930 --> 00:49:47.070
 to do so by the
 chemical industry?"
 
 00:49:48.870 --> 00:49:50.639
 - We're here at the
 American Chemistry
 
 00:49:50.640 --> 00:49:53.359
 Council near Washington, DC.
 
 00:49:53.360 --> 00:49:56.079
 These are the guys that
 spend millions of dollars all
 
 00:49:56.080 --> 00:49:58.499
 across the country,
 suing cities who
 
 00:49:58.500 --> 00:50:01.669
 try to put bans or
 fees on plastic bags.
 
 00:50:01.670 --> 00:50:04.089
 What I've done, essentially,
 is I've made myself a target.
 
 00:50:04.090 --> 00:50:05.759
 I'm an advocate out there.
 
 00:50:05.760 --> 00:50:06.310
 And so...
 
 00:50:06.311 --> 00:50:07.879
 I don't even know
 how to say this,
 
 00:50:07.880 --> 00:50:11.739
 but I'm being sued now
 by the plastics industry.
 
 00:50:11.740 --> 00:50:16.599
 Basically the three main plastic
 bag manufacturers, the largest,
 
 00:50:16.600 --> 00:50:17.230
 most...
 
 00:50:17.231 --> 00:50:20.219
 basically the advocates
 on the other side
 
 00:50:20.220 --> 00:50:21.759
 have filed a lawsuit against me.
 
 00:50:21.760 --> 00:50:23.419
 - They are able
 to, as a business,
 
 00:50:23.420 --> 00:50:25.889
 to say 'Well, you're harming
 our business by talking about
 
 00:50:25.890 --> 00:50:27.099
 our product."
 
 00:50:27.100 --> 00:50:28.939
 But me, it's like...
 
 00:50:28.940 --> 00:50:32.029
 I'm just a guy, small
 business... you know,
 
 00:50:32.030 --> 00:50:35.949
 California entrepreneur...
 Against this huge mammoth
 
 00:50:35.950 --> 00:50:39.689
 of an industry with these
 big companies with millions
 
 00:50:39.690 --> 00:50:41.639
 and millions and
 millions of dollars.
 
 00:50:41.640 --> 00:50:44.179
 Like, I'm a little
 fly on their wall
 
 00:50:44.180 --> 00:50:47.729
 and they're just like, pfft.
 
 00:50:47.730 --> 00:50:50.999
 - But will more awareness of the
 problem and efforts like this
 
 00:50:51.000 --> 00:50:53.009
 really make a difference?
 
 00:50:53.010 --> 00:50:55.289
 - The air that we
 breathe, 60% of it
 
 00:50:55.290 --> 00:50:56.949
 comes from the
 ocean, the oxygen,
 
 00:50:56.950 --> 00:50:59.459
 that the ocean has the
 ability to come back quickly.
 
 00:50:59.460 --> 00:51:00.569
 It's like a rubber band.
 
 00:51:00.570 --> 00:51:03.199
 If you push a rubber band
 it'll snap back pretty quickly.
 
 00:51:03.200 --> 00:51:04.279
 That's where we're at now.
 
 00:51:04.280 --> 00:51:06.949
 But if you push it
 too far it'll break.
 
 00:51:06.950 --> 00:51:10.229
 - By 2050 worldwide
 plastic production
 
 00:51:10.230 --> 00:51:12.619
 is projected to
 quadruple, reaching
 
 00:51:12.620 --> 00:51:16.209
 nearly 2 trillion
 pounds per year.
 
 00:51:16.210 --> 00:51:18.549
 So where will we be in 30 years?
 
 00:51:18.550 --> 00:51:20.959
 What will our future look like?
 
 00:51:20.960 --> 00:51:22.209
 - It's all choice.
 
 00:51:22.210 --> 00:51:25.069
 And I don't want to play
 that game and see, well,
 
 00:51:25.070 --> 00:51:26.809
 how far can it take?
 
 00:51:26.810 --> 00:51:29.369
 - This is a moment that
 is unlike any other moment
 
 00:51:29.370 --> 00:51:29.890
 in history.
 
 00:51:29.891 --> 00:51:33.040
 The options are fewer than
 there were 20 years ago.
 
 00:51:35.940 --> 00:51:39.569
 - So with my knowledge in head
 and my reusable bag in hand,
 
 00:51:39.570 --> 00:51:43.119
 I realize that it's not that
 hard to make simple changes.
 
 00:51:43.120 --> 00:51:46.119
 And it's not that hard to say
 no to unnecessary plastic.
 
 00:51:46.120 --> 00:51:47.139
 - Like a bag?
 
 00:51:47.140 --> 00:51:47.970
 - Oh, no, that's OK.
 
 00:51:47.971 --> 00:51:49.010
 I'll just take it.
 
 00:51:55.480 --> 00:51:59.759
 It's taken us a long time to
 learn that what we throw away
 
 00:51:59.760 --> 00:52:01.329
 doesn't really go away.
 
 00:52:01.330 --> 00:52:05.859
 - "When you get this letter,
 please write back to me.
 
 00:52:05.860 --> 00:52:10.039
 Miss Dugan, third grade,
 Long Beach, California."
 
 00:52:10.040 --> 00:52:12.640
 - Mark Twain Elementary
 is what we're looking for.
 
 00:52:14.830 --> 00:52:18.889
 It's funny that I would go
 halfway around the world
 
 00:52:18.890 --> 00:52:21.449
 to find a letter
 that would bring me
 
 00:52:21.450 --> 00:52:24.300
 20 miles away from my
 house back at home.
 
 00:52:36.240 --> 00:52:39.079
 - "Senserly, number 16."
 
 00:52:39.080 --> 00:52:40.269
 It's pretty amazing.
 
 00:52:40.270 --> 00:52:42.339
 This just shows
 them, this is proof
 
 00:52:42.340 --> 00:52:44.449
 that sometimes we don't
 think that far in advance
 
 00:52:44.450 --> 00:52:47.250
 of the impact that things have.
 
 00:52:54.990 --> 00:52:56.440
 - Oh, dang, it stinks.
 
 00:53:00.820 --> 00:53:03.259
 - There's no solution
 to marine debris
 
 00:53:03.260 --> 00:53:04.809
 except for at its source.
 
 00:53:04.810 --> 00:53:07.599
 And so the story has to be
 told, because the solution
 
 00:53:07.600 --> 00:53:09.520
 doesn't lie with
 the people here.
 
 00:53:16.130 --> 00:53:18.839
 What's happening on
 Midway is like the canary
 
 00:53:18.840 --> 00:53:19.840
 in the coal mine.
 
 00:53:23.160 --> 00:53:25.069
 The debris that's washing
 up on our beaches,
 
 00:53:25.070 --> 00:53:28.739
 that patch of garbage in
 the Pacific is growing.
 
 00:53:28.740 --> 00:53:32.059
 And right now, it's having
 a huge impact on Midway
 
 00:53:32.060 --> 00:53:35.050
 and a huge impact on the
 species that call Midway home.
 
 00:53:40.190 --> 00:53:42.589
 - The issue of plastic
 pollution in the ocean
 
 00:53:42.590 --> 00:53:44.879
 is more timely than ever.
 
 00:53:44.880 --> 00:53:46.899
 Many experts are
 predicting that debris
 
 00:53:46.900 --> 00:53:51.529
 from the March 2011 tsunami that
 devastated Japan is now headed
 
 00:53:51.530 --> 00:53:54.889
 on a direct course to hit
 Midway Atoll and the west coast
 
 00:53:54.890 --> 00:53:57.720
 of North America in the
 upcoming months and years.
 
 00:54:01.710 --> 00:54:03.379
 - People are an apex predator.
 
 00:54:03.380 --> 00:54:05.919
 We're eating fish
 out of these oceans,
 
 00:54:05.920 --> 00:54:09.849
 and if plastics are prevalent
 and if the toxins they're
 
 00:54:09.850 --> 00:54:11.999
 attracting are working
 their way up the food chain,
 
 00:54:12.000 --> 00:54:13.199
 that has an impact on us.
 
 00:54:13.200 --> 00:54:16.489
 And it's going to start
 affecting animals and people...
 
 00:54:16.490 --> 00:54:21.109
 Not just on remote places like
 Midway but in the entire world,
 
 00:54:21.110 --> 00:54:23.440
 from Los Angeles to Hong Kong.
 
 00:54:26.700 --> 00:54:29.889
 - It is not one country's
 problem over another,
 
 00:54:29.890 --> 00:54:34.659
 but we as mankind
 are all intertwined.
 
 00:54:34.660 --> 00:54:38.399
 - This world of the
 molecule belongs to us all.
 
 00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:41.099
 It is yours to explore.
 
 00:54:41.100 --> 00:54:42.140
 Your new frontier.
 
 00:54:47.380 --> 00:54:49.129
 (MUSIC JACK JOHNSON,
 "INAUDIBLE MELODIES")
 
 00:54:49.130 --> 00:54:52.239
 (SINGING) Well, dust
 off your thinking caps.
 
 00:54:52.240 --> 00:54:55.759
 Solar powered plastic plants.
 
 00:54:55.760 --> 00:54:59.009
 Pretty pictures
 of things we ate.
 
 00:54:59.010 --> 00:55:02.529
 We are only what we hate.
 
 00:55:02.530 --> 00:55:05.629
 But in the long
 run we have found,
 
 00:55:05.630 --> 00:55:08.699
 silent films are full of sound.
 
 00:55:08.700 --> 00:55:10.700
 Inaudibly free.
 
 00:55:17.010 --> 00:55:23.919
 Slow down everyone,
 you're moving too fast.
 
 00:55:23.920 --> 00:55:30.559
 Frames can't catch you when
 you're moving like that.
 
 00:55:30.560 --> 00:55:37.309
 Inaudible melodies serve
 narrational strategies.
 
 00:55:37.310 --> 00:55:42.389
 Unobtrusive tones
 help to notice nothing
 
 00:55:42.390 --> 00:55:47.439
 but the zone of
 visual relevancy,
 
 00:55:47.440 --> 00:55:50.779
 frame lines tell me what to see.
 
 00:55:50.780 --> 00:55:57.909
 Chopping like an axe or maybe
 Eisenstein should just relax.
 
 00:55:57.910 --> 00:56:04.309
 Slow down everyone,
 you're moving too fast.
 
 00:56:04.310 --> 00:56:10.070
 Frames can't catch you when
 you're moving like that.
 
 00:56:24.490 --> 00:56:28.169
 Well Plato's cave
 is full of freaks,
 
 00:56:28.170 --> 00:56:30.859
 demanding refunds for
 the things they've seen.
 
 00:56:30.860 --> 00:56:35.049
 I wish they could
 believe in all the things
 
 00:56:35.050 --> 00:56:37.079
 that never made the screen.
 
 00:56:37.080 --> 00:56:44.609
 And just slow down everyone,
 you're moving too fast.
 
 00:56:44.610 --> 00:56:50.979
 Frames can't catch you when
 you're moving like that.
 
 00:56:50.980 --> 00:56:58.029
 Slow down everyone,
 you're moving too fast.
 
 00:56:58.030 --> 00:57:03.429
 Frames can't catch you when
 you're moving like that,
 
 00:57:03.430 --> 00:57:05.580
 moving too...
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 57 minutes
Date: 2014
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Grade: 7 - 12, College, Adults
		Color/BW: 
		 
	
Closed Captioning: Available
Interactive Transcript: Available
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