Did you miss TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch? Watch it all now!

Finally! The videos from the TEDx conference in L.A. last month have been posted. Here is my talk on living la vida sin plástico, as well as links to/descriptions of all the speakers and performers that day. Learn how plastic affects people across the globe, animals on land and sea, and what individuals, businesses, and communities can do about the problem.

(Video link: TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch – Beth Terry – Living Plastic Free. Please click link to visit Youtube and view/rate/share this video with others.)

Topic 1: Plastic Pollution and Ocean Health

Captain Charles Moore: Ten Years Later, the Gyre is All Around Us

Dianna Cohen (filmed at TED Mission Blue Voyage): Tough Truths About Plastic Pollution

Fabien Cousteau: Ocean Animals and Plastic Pollution

Ben Lear: song performance

Topic 2: Plastic Pollution and Terrestrial Animals

Bharati Chaturvedi: Not Just the Ocean — A Report from India (pre-recorded video not posted yet)

David Wernery: In The Desert – A Report from the United Arab Emirates (pre-recorded video not posted yet, but read the article about camels eating plastic in the desert here.)

Topic 3: Plastic Pollution and Environmental Justice

Van Jones: Environmental Justice (One of my favorite talks! I wrote this blog post about Van’s talk the week I got home from the event.)

Suja Lowenthal, Vice Mayor of Long Beach: Growing Costs of Collection and Disposal (Long Beach just passed its own plastic bag ban less than two weeks ago!)

Monica Wilson: Waste, Justice, and Livelihoods

Victoria Sloan Jordan: poetry performance

Topic 4: Plastic Pollution and Public Health

Arlene Blum: Plastic Pollution in Our Homes (Focusing on flame retardants)

Ken Cook: Plastic Pollution in Our Bodies

Jeanne Rizzo: The Breast Cancer Connection

Stacy Malkan: Plastics Industry Makeover

Topic 5: The Real Problem: Our Attitude

JD Russo: Awareness is Not Enough

Chris Jordan: We Must Be The Change

Fernando Pullum Jazz Band: musical performance

Charlotte Weir: Let’s Work for Solutions

Topic 6: Awareness and Outreach:Leading by Example

Lila Roo: dance performance

David de Rothschild: Tackling our Nature Deficiency Disorder

Beth Terry: My Plastic-Free Life

Jordan Howard: Organizing for Change

Ed Begley, Jr: Living in a Sustainable Way

Topic 7: Getting Business on Board

Andy Behar: Engaging Business Through Shareholders

Andy Keller: Business and Industry – Part of the Solution

Topic 8: Global Policy Initiatives

Lisa Boyle: Around the Globe — Policies That Work

H.E. John Dramani Mahama: Ghana — A Success Story (pre-recorded video not posted yet)

Rose Mukankomeje: Rwanda’s Ban on Plastic

Topic 9: Investing in the Future: Science, Research, & Technology

Aimee Christensen: Design for the Future

Patrick Kenney: Stopping the Flow of Toxic Plastic

Ellyn Maybe: poetry performance

Announcing the Crapola Islands Project

Ferris Thompson: Innovation through Entrpreneurship

Closing Session: Four Challenges to Humanity

Daniella Russo: Global Policy Initiatives Introduction

Erica Williams: To Individuals and Businesses: REFUSE disposable plastics.

Wallace J. Nichols: To Plastic Manufacturers: Take responsibility for your products; develop alternatives; voluntarily cap non-biodegradable virgin resin products.

Leslie Taminen: To Policymakers: Develop policies that curb the irresponsible use of plastic; protect the weak.

H.E. Stuart Beck, Ambassador of the Republic of Palau to the United Nations: To Plastic Manufacturers from the Ocean Nations

Sylvia Earle: The Ocean is Connected to Everything

Jackson Browne: New song about plastic pollution.

12/21/2010 Update: You can now also watch the videos in the Plastic Pollution Coalition’s TEDx Talks video gallery.

Comments

A Note about leaving comments: I switched to the LifeFyre comment system because it weeds out the hundreds of spam comments I was getting each day and also allows us to respond to individual comments, to "Like" comments, and to link them to social media if we so desire. But if you do not wish to login via social media, you don't have to. You can comment without logging in! Here's how:

Type your comment in the box.

Click "Post Comment As" button.

When the LiveFyre box pops up, type a name, email address, and optional website address in the fields provided.

Click Next.

LiveFyre will ask you for a user name and password. But if you don't want to register or use a password, you don't have to. Just click "Post as Guest" which is to the left of the black "Finish" button. Your comment will be saved.

Please email me if you have questions or problems. This new system is supposed to make it easier for all of us to converse, not harder.

11 comments

Newest | Oldest

Kathy Dowsett

Thanks for the this site and your postings!!! I am a diver and work part-time as a cashier. I cringe when people buy plastic bags and especially bottled water, that probably came from the tap!!! When our store started to charge 5 cents for a bag (which really is not alot) our hand baskets disappeared. People were annoyed about the charge for the bags so they stole the hand baskets. Come on people!!!!! This is our future and our grandkids!!!! Just bring a re-usable bag! Every little bit helps!!! Costco has never had bags!!! Nice site---keep up the good work!!! Kathy www.kirkscubagear.com

Tara

Excellent points on why individual action (regarding plastic or anything else) matters! I just really admire you and how you face the challenges you have set for yourself. Not only do I admire what *you* are doing, you are inspiring and informing *me*. Please know that three years from now, I may have more than 3 lbs of plastic waste for the year, but in no small part because of the work you've done here, I will: * have generated less plastic waste * be more informed about the dangers of plastic * be writing to businesses I purchase from to influence them * be informing others of the dangers of plastic * be more confident and empowered to make choices that go against the grain You are creating ripples of change - thank you!

Michelle

Awesome! Your talk is great! Thanks for taking the time to list all the speakers, more info here than the PPC site. Well done. I´m really thinking of arranging a viewing party now. :-)

Janet

Great job!!

Donna S.

Beth; Your Tedx talk was so good it brought tears to my eyes. My nonprofit travels around the Sacramento Region encouraging kids to make less waste - specifically water bottles and one use snack packs.... Thank you thank you for your efforts to bring such good change to the world. You are truly an inspiration.

Michael

Amazing job. :)

Sonja

Ah, i've been waiting for this :-). Just watched your video, it was a real good presentation! I understood every word. And you looked very beautiful too. During the next days I'm going to browse through some of the other videos, and then send out an email to friends with these, hoping that some will actually watch and be influenced. If one of my friends has a question about such things they've started to ask me, so they already know what I stand for, and I hope to change them a bit ;-) You have changed my life. Just two weeks ago I gave up my disposable razor (still had blades which I of course used up), and bought one of those old fashioned razors. It's from the 60ties and a special type of plastic, but it's very durable and second hand, and there will be no more platic waste with the blades :-)

Hatchet

FanTAStic talk, Beth! You've been an inspiration to me and I, in turn, have been trying to change the people around me. One loaf of fresh baked, plastic-free, loaf of bread at a time.

Jackie

AAAAHHHHHHH! Thank you for posting this! I was hosting a clothing swap party at my house the day of the conference and have been anxiously awaiting the online videos to watch!! I loved your presentation....you and your blog have been such a huge influence on me and on my family and friends through me. Thank you for sharing all you do with us!

Tiffany

Amazing Beth, you are an inspiration.

Kay Pere

Cogent and beautiful! You AND your presentation!

Trackbacks

Why disposable plastics are bad for your health | green LA girl says:

December 20, 2010 at 4:03 pm

[...] rest assured that this TEDx also offered up solutions. My friend Beth Terry, author of the Fake Plastic Fish blog, was one of the speakers who emphasized the power of personal action. And Beth’s one who [...]