University of Queensland PhD candidate Qamar Schuyler and Port Douglas-based Wavelength Marine Charters will host a live webcast on Sunday, November 7 of the TEDxGreatPacificGarbage patch conference, the only event of its kind in Australia.
The event is sponsored by the Plastic Pollution Coalition, and this one-day event will discuss the impact of plastic rubbish on all marine life including dolphins, turtles, dugongs and whales.
The Global Plastic Pollution Crisis conference will be live-streamed around the globe to tens of thousands of viewers.
This will be the first time the issue of plastic pollution has been discussed by thought leaders from the fields of technology, science, arts and entertainment, design, community activism and business.
The conference is located in Los Angeles, and because of the time difference, the webcast begins at 2am Australian Eastern Standard Time and finishes at 10am.
Event organiser Qamar Schuyler hopes to attract night owls and early risers, but more importantly wants to raise awareness about plastic pollution and inspire people to change their habits.
“Plastics are invading our oceans and killing our wildlife," Ms Schuyler said.
"We know there are better alternatives as we used them before plastic was invented.
"We are asking all Australians to take a pledge to refuse single-use and disposable plastics.
"Please help us send a strong message to industry that we’ve had enough!”
Qamar has recently started her PhD with marine scientist Dr Kathy Townsend of the UQ Faculty of Science, investigating the impact of marine debris on Australia’s sea turtles. She is the recipient of both an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship and a CSIRO postgraduate scholarship for her project.
Confirmed speakers include Dr Sylvia Earle, Captain Charles Moore, David de Rothschild, Jackson Browne, Ed Begley Jr. and others.
Interested viewers must RSVP to Ms Schuyler or drop in to the Wavelength office at the Meridian Marina, Port Douglas, any time during the event.
Conference highlights can be viewed after the event on the Plastic Pollution Coalition website where readers can also take the pledge to refuse single-use and disposable plastics (http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com).
Plastic Pollution Coalition (www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org) is a global alliance of individuals, businesses and organisations dedicated to ending plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on people, animals and the environment.
For more information on the live screening or to RSVP, contact Qamar Schuyler at 0427-566-868 or q.schuyler@uq.edu.au
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest challenges of our times.
Every year, an estimated 6 million tonnes of debris enters our oceans, most of which is plastic. In Australia alone, we throw away about 4,000 plastic bags every minute, and use about 4.5 billion plastic bags annually. Plastics are taking over our oceans. 18,000 pieces of plastic litter float in every square kilometre of the world’s oceans, killing turtles, whales, seabirds, seals, and many other threatened and endangered species. The plastic from a single one litre soda bottle could break down into enough fragments to put one fragment on every mile of beach in the entire world.
Plastic pollution is an urgent global problem of massive proportions.
Plastic pollution is in the ocean, in the desert, along pristine beaches and riverbeds, in our cities, and in our bodies. Toxins leached from plastics are present in the bloodstream and tissues of almost every one of us. Our babies are born with these toxins in their blood. Plastic pollution threatens the economic well-being of communities around the world. The growing costs of collection and disposal of plastic pollution compete for resources and funding with schools, food banks and public utility projects around the world.
Plastic recycling is a myth
Plastics cannot be truly recycled, or turned back into new plastic bottles. The best hope is to turn them into other products, such as doormats, textiles, plastic lumber, etc. These products will still end at some point in the landfill – and do not stem the need for more virgin petroleum product. This is not recycling, but down-cycling. But not even this down-cycling is happening. For instance, in the US 93 per cent of plastics go straight to landfills.
Media: Ms Qamar Schuyler, Centre of Marine Science (0427.566.868, qamarsky@gmail.com) or Tracey Franchi (3365.4831, t.franchi@uq.edu.au).
