Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/781893
october/november 2015 33 A Plastic Ocean Photos: Far Left and Top by Teresa Bergen. Photo Bottom Right courtesy of New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau art & soul FILM Directed by Craig Leeson D espite concerns over the envi- ronment, billions of plastic gets thrown into our oceans as a man-made contam- inant. Plastic pollu- tion is a global issue that impacts our ocean, our health, and our well-being. A Plastic Ocean is a feature length adventure documentary that is beautifully shot and visually appealing for the sharp-eyed. It takes us on a global odyssey that spans 20 countries and stars Australian fi lmmaker and news correspondent Craig Leeson and Brit- ish-Cayman-American activist and world champion free-diver, Tanya Streeter. The explorers are gifted storytellers who offer insights by examining multiple layers. They begin with how a growing number of vulnerable animals are ingesting plastic and often suffer malnutrition, unhealthy offspring, endocrine disruption, and ex- perience a painful death because of it. Evidence suggests that entire food chains may be affected, since millions of micro-plastic bits are consumed by tiny sea creatures, which are eaten by bigger fi sh or birds, and so on. This toxic cycle goes beyond ma- rine ecosystems and extends to air and land as well and affects human health since plastics pervade so much of our lives and often leave their toxic traces behind. The chain of events continues to grow as a re- sult of a global disposable lifestyle. The numbers are staggering: Each year 300 million tons of plas- tic gets produced with 8 million going directly into our oceans. All species work toward the benefi t and ecology that we live in—except humans. We have lost sight that we are more than passengers on the journey of life. Through education, science, and this fi lm, the Plastic Oceans Foundation is working to curb the tide of plastic entering the ocean, before it's too late. They are helping consumers to become plastic literate, so they can make informed deci- sions about how and when they accept plastic, and in doing so are shaping future demand for environmentally sensitive products and solutions. (Plastic Oceans Foundation) —Linda LaRoche february/march 2017 33