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.
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 throughEntrepreneurshipp
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.
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
http://www.kirkscubagear.com
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!
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.
:-)
Great job!!
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.
Amazing job. :)
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 :-)
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.
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!
Amazing Beth, you are an inspiration.
Cogent and beautiful! You AND your presentation!