Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Gr 7 Up—After seeing this documentary, viewers will not think of plastic in the same way again and will likely be inspired to make some personal changes, such as carrying reusable bags. Journalist Angela Sun's journey to find the so-called drifting plastic island takes her to the remote Midway Atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There plastic debris from the waters of the United States and Asia concentrate in a kind of whirlpool of junk. As a result, the massive Great Pacific Garbage Patch is responsible for destroying wildlife and coral reefs. Graphically filmed, the bellies of the dead albatrosses on the island are cut open and the lethal junk inside is revealed. How plastics consumed by sea animals affect the people who eat them is not completely known, but the chemicals in plastics are known to have hormone-disrupting effects. Sun speaks with scientists, including marine biologists and environmental advocates, who stress that the health of the ocean is essential for human survival. She goes undercover at the International Marine Debris Conference, sponsored by the American Chemistry Council and attended by plastics giants, including Dow, DuPont, and Exxon. She interviews several representatives from the industry and exposes their lack of knowledge of the environmental consequences of manufacturing plastics—before she's asked firmly to leave the premises.