Microplastics: Knowns, Unknowns, and Actions
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Sheila Hemami |
TEDxBeaconStreet
• November 2019
Plastic in the ocean is increasingly in the public eye, and often conjures thoughts of “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” But floating, large pieces of plastic in the North Pacific Gyre are only a small fraction of the much broader problem of plastic pollution in the environment. Importantly, becoming microplastic is the ultimate fate for nearly all plastic that escapes the solid waste management pipeline – and we can’t even see it. This talk describes the origin of microplastic, its pathways into the world’s oceans, and effective (and ineffective) ways to mitigate this type of pollution. It provides a framework by which we can start to understand and act to impact this environmental challenge.