Complete Solution is Ready!

Biology 101: Elements of Biology | Human Waste & Plastic

Watch the documentary “A Plastic Wave” and answer the following questions.

“The Plastic Wave”:

1. What are Dave Muir’s main questions about the pollution he sees on the beach near his home (i.e., his journey of discovery)?

• According to David Santillo how much plastic is being produced per year?

• What is the inherent problem of plastic pollution? In other words, we tend to think of plastic as disposable, but it isn’t why?

• According to David Santillo, how many plastic bottles worldwide do humans dispose of every minute?

• What is a microplastic?

• According to Sara Nelms, why is smaller plastics (i.e., microplastics) more dangerous than larger, whole plastics? (Hint: she talks about how animals consume plastics).

• Where does Dave travel to on his first leg of his journey? Why?

• Describe what Dave sees when he arrives to his first destination.

• Dave speaks to a local family man. What is the man’s point-of-view about plastic?

1. What does the man’s family (and undoubtedly other families) do with their waste?

1. Dave speaks to a local fisherman, what is the fisherman’s experience with plastic?

1. According to Chinu Watrao, “two hands can do wonders.” What does he mean by this?

1. According to Dr. Rashneh Pardiwala, how much plastic does India produce annually?

1. According to Dr. Rashneh Pardiwala, how much waste reaches our oceans every day?

1. According to Dr. Rashneh Pardiwala, what is the good news about today’s generations?

1. What is Dr. Rashneh Pardiwala’s larger question?

1. After Dave returns home he organizes a beach cleanup at his local beach. What are his three “Rs”?

1. According to Hugo Tagholm, what is the main solution to the plastic pollution problem?

1. Since you started watching this documentary how much plastic has entered our oceans?

Watch this short video about a woman’s journey to go plastic free for one month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sj3BT_LLH8

• Why does Lucy Biggers start this journey?

• Can all plastic be recycled?

• What are the top 5 items collected on beach clean-ups?

• In general, can disposable coffee cups be recycled? Why not?

• According to Lucy, how much plastic utensils are used each year in the U.S.?

• According to this video, which states have a ban on plastic bag bans?

• How much waste comes from plastic packaging for foods?

• How much plastic will be found in the environment by 2050?
• By what percentage is the U.S. projected to increase the production of the common form of plastic by 2022? WOW!!!

• What is a circular economy?

Environmentally friendly plastic replacements

Look around your house and count how many single-use plastics you see. How many did you find?

Go to common areas of your house where you may find the most single-use plastic – your kitchen and your bathroom.

Kitchen

What are five items you regularly use that are in single-use plastic?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What are plastic-free alternatives for these items?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What are five items that are in single-use plastic that you think there aren’t any plastic-free alternatives for?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Do some research about these items. Were you able to find plastic-free alternatives for these items? What are they?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Bathroom

What are five items you regularly use that are in single-use plastic?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What are plastic-free alternatives for these items?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What are five items that are in single-use plastic that you think there aren’t any plastic-free alternatives for?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Do some research about these items. Were you able to find plastic-free alternatives for these items? What are they?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Self-Reflection

Write 3-5 sentences about what you learned from this assignment. Do you already make a conscious effort to reduce your waste? Why or why not? If not, is this something you are going to consider now? How can you start? How can you educate other about these efforts?