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  • October 10, 2009
  • Michael Barone

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Earthworks and the new SUNY Fredonia Academic Community Engagement (FACE) Center will host a free screening of “Addicted to Plastic” (2008), at 7:00 p.m. at the Grange Building at 58 W. Main St. in downtown Fredonia. The event is free and open to the public.

For better and for worse, no ecosystem or segment of human activity has escaped the shrink-wrapped grasp of plastic. Ian Connacher’s groundbreaking film “Addicted to Plastic” is a global journey to investigate what we really know about the material of a thousand uses and why it is so pervasive. On the way we discover a toxic legacy, and the men and women dedicated to cleaning it up.

Winner of the Best International Documentary award at the Barcelona International Environmental Film Festival, “Addicted to Plastic” is a point-of-view style documentary that encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic’s path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting-edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions — which include plastic made from plants — will provide viewers with a new perspective about our future with plastic.

According to Reah Janise Kauffman, Vice President of the Earth Policy Institute, “‘Addicted to Plastic’ is a journey of discovery of what happens to the various plastics we use and what we can do about them. The documentary is riveting, disturbing, and even sometimes comforting. Everyone should see this important film.”

Following the 85-minute film, Mitchell Cummings, head of Earthworks, and Dr. Christina Jarvis, FACE Sustainability Coordinator and a professor of English at SUNY Fredonia, will lead a joint discussion about the plastic materials and other debris found during recent Point Gratiot beach cleanups. Cummings and Jarvis will share images and statistics about Earthworks-led beach cleanups at Point Gratiot, including the results of the September 19, 2009 International Coast Cleanup (ICC) effort that collected more than 379 pounds of garbage. Earthworks and SUNY Fredonia student volunteers will also be on hand to discuss their participation in the beach sweeps.

While “Addicted to Plastic” deals with a range of environmental issues and solutions related to our use of plastics, Cummings and Jarvis chose the film because it highlights the ways our waterways and food chains are affected by plastic debris. In particular, the film explores the North Pacific Gyre—a plastic filled stretch of ocean twice the size of Texas—and its impacts on marine life. From sea animal deaths due to entanglements to the bioaccumulation of chemicals caused by fish ingesting tiny pieces of plastic, the film presents a sobering look at the ecological and health risks of ocean debris.

SUNY Fredonia Biology Professor Michelle Kuns hopes the event will raise awareness about local environmental issues. Speaking about her Environmental Biology students’ participation in the recent ICC event, Kuns said, “I was encouraged by the impact the beach cleanup had on the participants. It made them not only aware of the amount of waste on our small beach, but also made them think about the amount of garbage on beaches, in oceans, forests, and cities worldwide and the impact it has aesthetically and also for organisms that live in those environments.”

For more information about the film screening and discussion, please contact Mr. Cummings at 952-7490 or Dr. Jarvis at 679-9254.