Duke University Class Trip to Midway Atoll

April 22, 2011 by Karen Lee 2 Comments

We know we have a plastic problem. We are addicted to it and we can’t seem to live without it.

We also saw how the birds living on Midway Atoll have become an iconic species representing this problem. Pictures from Midway Gyre by Chris Jordan shows how much of a problem detailing this.

But do we fully comprehend the size of the issue? There is an incredible video showing footage captured at Midway Atoll during a Duke University field class, and if you thought you understood plastic pollution before, watch this video and really think about what you can do to reduce your plastic usage.

Today is Earth Day.

Can you live without plastic in your life? Can you try even for one day?

{Photo} TreeHugger

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: chris jordan, Duke University, Earth Day, midway, plastic free, plastic pollution

2 comments

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Amelia

O... I missed Earth Day... I'm going to go without plastic all day tomorrow to make up for missing it last week ;) BTW, My friend REFUSES to let his daughter play with plastic toys - everything she has is made of wood or other natural materials. She's less than 2 at the moment, so I wonder whether this policy will continue when she starts school... But, good on him, it's a difficult thing to deny your child something they want, because of your own values. And, if every parent did this, then think how much less plastic there would be. Obviously kids toys isn't where the majority of plastic goes, but everyone should be able to do something, right? personally, I choose not to buy food wrapped in plastic, preferring to visit my local market for my groceries... Most of the stallholders use paper to wrap it up, so I hardly use any plastic wrappers at all. It's cheaper too, and I do it on my lunch break, so I don't have to rush round a hideous supermarket after work when I'm all stressed and bothered. Thanks for sharing all this with us. I live by the coast (North Norfolk, UK) and sealife means an awful lot to me.

ecokaren

Hi Amelia, Farmers market is the way to go. I don't buy processed foods so I don't buy packaged foods but there are times when I have no choice but to buy vegetables and fruits packaged in plastic. Can you believe that organic vegetables in my supermarket are packaged in plastic?? It's so annoying! This video (and the haunting music) was really sad and is a great reminder how much we consume plastic.