Ideas worth spreading

Microplastics are everywhere -- but we can do something about them

88,815 views | Sarah Dudas • TEDxBinghamtonUniversity

Since the 1950s, we've generated roughly 8,300 million metric tons of plastic on the planet -- that's equivalent to 25,000 Empire State Buildings. Plus: Only less than 10% has been recycled! What's more, all plastic breaks down into smaller pieces and these microplastics end up in our air, water and food, says biologist Sarah Dudas. She explains how we can combat plastic waste by rethinking our consumption habits.

Since the 1950s, we've generated roughly 8,300 million metric tons of plastic on the planet -- that's equivalent to 25,000 Empire State Buildings. Plus: Only less than 10% has been recycled! What's more, all plastic breaks down into smaller pieces and these microplastics end up in our air, water and food, says biologist Sarah Dudas. She explains how we can combat plastic waste by rethinking our consumption habits.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBinghamtonUniversity, an independent event.

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About the speaker

Sarah Dudas

Sarah Dudas is a biologist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, a biology professor at Vancouver Island University and an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Victoria. For the last seven years she has led the Ecological Interactions Research Program, working with federal and provincial governments, industry and non-profit organizations to study the effects of human activities on coastal ecosystems. Her research includes investigating marine biodiversity across regional and local scales and the effects of historical and contemporary shellfish farming practices on surrounding ecological communities. Recently, she has focused on the issue of microplastics and their presence in the marine environment and our seafood. Dudas’s professional affiliations include the Hakai Institute, Canadian Society of Ecology and Evolution and the Aquaculture Association of Canada. She is also a member of the United Nations-led Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection microplastics working group.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBinghamtonUniversity, an independent event.

Read more about TEDx.