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Science Vs

Plastics: The Final Straw?

Science Vs

Spotify Studios

Science, Education, Health & Fitness

4.411.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2018

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We’re back! This week we tackle the War on Straws and how worried we should be about all the plastic filling our oceans. We speak to marine biologist Christine Figgener, environmental educator Carrie Roble, physiology Prof. John Weinstein, and ecology Prof. David Barnes. Check out the full transcript here. Selected readings: The infamous turtle videoAn ambitious project that mapped the Great Pacific Garbage PatchThis paper that breaks down the sources and amount of plastic getting in the ocean John’s study on how fast microplastics formThis meta-analysis on microplastics, fish, and invertebratesA review of some of the chemicals in plastic and child health Credits: This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman along with Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn and Odelia Rubin. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Michelle Harris, Meryl Horn and Rose Rimler. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger. Music by Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode - including Dr Chris Wilcox, Dr Denise Hardesty, Prof Anthony Andrady, Dr Carolyn Foley, Dr Tracy Mincer, and Dr Laurent Lebreton. Thank you! Also thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman and you're listening to Science Versus from Gimlett Media.

0:07.2

This is the show that pits facts against flotsam.

0:11.0

On today's show, plastics.

0:18.8

This summer there was a war on the plastic straw as cities across the US banned this little

0:24.8

sucker.

0:26.8

The straws are already banned in Seattle for Myers and on the oceanfront in Miami Beach.

0:32.2

Large fines can now be doled out to businesses handing out straws in certain cities around

0:37.2

America.

0:38.2

Starbucks will soon ban plastic straws from all of its stores.

0:41.9

And for many of us, this kind of popped out of nowhere.

0:45.4

It seems like all of a sudden people were freaking out about plastic straws.

0:49.6

It's polluting all of our oceans.

0:51.5

It's affecting the people.

0:53.3

And this anti-straw movement can pretty much be traced back to a single video.

0:59.2

Many people have seen this very disturbing image that the news channels just couldn't stop

1:04.5

showing.

1:05.5

It's a video of researchers finding a turtle in the ocean with a straw up its nose.

1:11.6

This YouTube video shows researchers pulling out a straw from a sea turtle's nose.

1:16.8

They pull it out and it's intense and pretty horrifying.

1:20.4

Now it's a little bit graphic, but let's put it up full frame for you so you can take

1:24.2

a look.

1:25.2

It's really that's at the heart of what we owe you.

...

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