“No Water, No Life. No Blue, No Green.”
– Dr. Sylvia Earle
There was a time when we didn’t carry our groceries home in plastic bags. There was also a time when society was unaware of the damage plastics were creating in our oceans. Thankfully, we are more aware now.
That awareness will be reinforced by a new documentary called “A Plastic Ocean.” It underlines the damage created by our disposable lifestyle. Fifty per cent of plastic bags are only used once and then discarded. Unfortunately, a lot of them end up in oceans to the detriment of ocean life of all types. Ultimately, they will adversely affect the health of humans.
In the last 70 years the use of plastic products has grown exponentially. Almost 300 million tons of plastic are used every year. Half of that total is used just once. More than 8 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans every year.
Plastic is cheap and versatile, with properties that make it ideal for many applications. However, it has become an environmental issue.
Over four years, A Plastic Ocean was filmed in 20 locations around the globe. It not only documents the damage of plastic but also outlines technology and policies that would begin to reclaim the health of our oceans.