Eco Lunch & Learn Presentation On October 27
The Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce [BEST] and the Bermuda College will be hosting an Eco Lunch & Learn series presentation on Thursday [Oct 27] from 1.00pm to 2.00pm, set to feature Katie Berry of Beyond Plastic Bermuda.
A spokesperson said, “Katie is a member of KBB and an environmentalist who leads the Beyond Plastic Team. Her presentation will guide attendees through the many issues surrounding single-use plastic, its impact on both our health and the environment and ways you can easily start your journey to reduce their use in your personal lives. BEST and Beyond Plastic’s Erich Hetzel will join Katie after the presentation for the Q&A.”
Amy Harvey, the Earth and Environmental Science lecturer at the Bermuda College, described the issue, saying, “The abundance of single use plastics in our environment have been driven by decades of convenience based consumerism. I don’t think that the designers of this material could have foresaw the pervasive damage that it would cause to our natural environment as well as the health of all that rely on a clean, functioning environment.
“Single use plastic never fully breaks down but instead becomes microscopic pieces of micro plastics. These tiny pieces of plastics are making their way to the bottom sediments of the seafloor as well as bioaccumulating in the bodies of organisms. A recent study shows that it is found in human breast milk. There is also evidence that micro plastics are getting into the lungs and crossing the blood-brain barrier. This issue cannot be ignored. Slowing down the tap of plastic use and finding sustainable alternatives is the way forward.”
Jennifer Flood, BEST Executive Director, added, “Go back a few years – I had no idea where plastic came from, I simply took it for granted as a very convenient medium for all sorts of things. Who knew back then, all the ramifications associated with this ‘taken for granted’ material?
“Now I know, plastics are derived from petroleum products which are toxic to human health and the environment from beginning to end. The factories where plastic is produced are polluting their local environment and harming the people living in the vicinity. Plastics of all shapes and sizes are found on the ocean floor and micro plastics are alarmingly abundant in the atmosphere. I don’t think a week goes by in which more is discovered about the harm they cause. We’re all familiar with articles about marine animals choking to death on plastic, or starving to death – their digestive systems clogged with plastic. What is now becoming apparent is that the plastic micro particles which enter the human body through the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe are not all excreted – but can be found in the blood, organs such as the lungs and human placentas. What harm they may or may not cause is hotly debated, but let’s apply the precautionary principle and assume that a product made from a carcinogenic product has no place in the human body!
“The adage ‘ignorance is bliss’ is so wrong – items that are sold in groceries, clothes shops, children’s toys, etc. that we thought were safe, user friendly, are too often shown to be otherwise. Single-use plastics especially so. ‘Knowledge is power” – let’s use the knowledge now available to us. Learn more, make informed choices, discuss the issues surrounding plastics, and support the Government’s Single-Use Plastic Ban.”
The spokesperson said, “Katie and the Beyond Plastic Team encourage the community to ‘Think Global, Act Local’ and become champions of change for Bermuda and the future of our planet. You don’t have to give up all plastic at once. If you commit to reducing plastic one item at a time you’ll have huge impact. ‘A little change makes a big difference.
“Eco Lunch & Learn is a free presentation. The community are invited to attend on Thursday, October 27th between 1:00 and 2:00pm, either in person at The Bermuda College, Room G301, online on Facebook or on YouTube.
“Please join us for this free presentation. No registration is required. Simply join us on the day. The presentation is followed by a lively Q & A. In attending online, the audience is encouraged to submit their questions via the chat options on both YouTube and Facebook.”
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Category: All, Environment
