Plastics: As Dangerous as Climate Change, But With a Solution
*By Conor White*
*For more information, visit National Geographic's Planet or Plastic campaign at [http://natgeo.com/planetorplastic](http://natgeo.com/planetorplastic).*
Decades of plastic consumption and the resulting waste has created a global accumulation of non-biodegradable materials that is choking the planet's waterways, as serious a problem as climate change, according to National Geographic. There is, however, one clear difference: Earth has an answer to its plastic problem.
By using silicone or metal straws, reusable water bottles, and canvas grocery bags instead of those made from plastic, consumers can ease the accumulation of plastic waste that's clogging the world's oceans, said Jenna Jambeck, a National Geographic explorer and associate professor at the University of Georgia.
"These sound really sort of mundane, but they're not," Jambeck said in an interview Monday with Cheddar. "They actually do make a difference, and people can choose the planet over plastic."
Each year, more than 9 million tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean. According to some estimates, that plastic could remain in marine environments for 450 years or longer. National Geographic is hoping to reduce that number with its new ["Planet or Plastic?"](http://natgeo.com/planetorplastic) initiative, encouraging consumers to stop using single-use plastics.
"It can be empowering for people to know that actually, their choices do matter," Jambeck said. "Through this research, if you show that those individual actions that we take every day, taken collectively, or thinking about them over time, they definitely matter."
In 2015, Jambeck and a group of scientists calculated the amount of plastic waste finding its way into the planet's oceans annually, which became the impetus for the National Geographic initiative. It is featured in the June issue of National Geographic.
The 'Planet or Plastic?' initiative includes [tips](https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/plastics-facts-infographics-ocean-pollution) for consumers to reduce their use of plastics and a [pledge](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/plasticpledge/?beta=true) to make a difference.
Jambeck said consumers should not to give up if they happen to forget their reusable water bottle or grocery bag.
"Be sort of forgiving with yourself, because every time that you remembered, you actually had an impact," she said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/national-geographic-launches-planet-or-plastic-initiative).
Neil Young has come up with an ultimatum for Spotify: his music or Joe Rogan’s podcast. This comes over concerns that the podcast is spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation to its listeners. "The Joe Rogan Experience," which is exclusive to Spotify, is currently the number one streamed podcast on the platform.
Commercial and residential buildings account for 13% of carbon emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA, and one company says it has a solution. Runwise says it has updated the boiler and heating systems of thousands of buildings, and that its technology not only lowers carbon output but also saves landlords money. Lee Hoffman, Co-Founder and COO of Runwise, joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Jo Ruxton, Founder of Ocean Generation, joins Cheddar Climate, where she explains the threat that plastic pollution poses to marine life, but elaborates on why we shouldn't be looking to ban plastic entirely. Ruxton also discusses her biggest takeaways while producing the film ‘A Plastic Ocean.'
President Joe Biden's Build Back Better deal seems all but finished after months of Democratic infighting and the Senate's deadlock over certain provisions. But Biden mentioned during a press conference marking his first year in office that 'chunks' of the bill could be passed. Is that enough motivation to force Democrats to rally around certain parts of the bill - especially those that focus on climate and green energy? Andrew Freedman, Energy and Climate Reporter at Axios, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss whether Senate Democrats will be able to rally around climate provisions, if the idea of passing Build Back Better in 'chunks' is doable, and more.
Anyone who remembers the 70s and 80s will probably remember acid rain. Industrial emissions acidified precipitation around the globe, which killed forests and crops, rendered lakes inhospitable, corroded buildings, and exacerbated human health problems.
But anyone who follows environmental news will be surprised to learn this: we solved it! Countries came together to limit acid rain-causing emissions, eliminating the problem altogether.
…kind of. Acidic precipitation may not be a thing of the past after all.
Natalie Ginsberg, Global Impact Officer, MAPS, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss MAPS organization and its current initiatives and their work to get FDA approval for MDMA to treat PTSD.
Kelsey Ramsden, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Mind Cure Health, joins Cheddar Reveals to break down what 'psychedelic therapy' could look like once it's legalized and how Mind Cure Health is using AI to help treat everything from addiction to depression.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Natalie Ginsberg, Global Impact Officer, MAPS, discusses the MAPS organization and its current initiatives and their work to get FDA approval for MDMA to treat PTSD; Kelsey Ramsden, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Mind Cure Health, breaks down what 'psychedelic therapy' could look like once it's legalized and how Mind Cure Health is using AI to help treat everything from addiction to depression; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Pain, Pus and Poison.'
