Microplastics are everywhere. They’re in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. They’re small enough to enter our cells, and they can mimic our hormones. Scientists are only beginning to understand the long-term impacts these invisible contaminants have on our bodies—many have been linked to diseases, from diabetes to certain cancers. Plastics are a risk to all of us—made up of over 10,000 chemicals that are harmful to our health and the planet.

Join us on October 27 for a conversation with Matt Simon, author of the new book, A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies, as we discuss the harmful impact microplastics have on our environment and our bodies. Joining Matt will be Dr. Deonie Allen & Dr. Steve Allen of Plastic Pollution News.

Matt Simon, science journalist at Wired magazine, has published the first book to fully explore the threat of microplastics. Publishers Weekly describes A Poison Like No Other as a “lucid, distressing look at a growing environmental concern.” In this webinar, Simon will share how the study of microplastics began in the sea but has now moved to land, the atmosphere, and human health. This presentation will give a brief overview of the current science of microplastics and the scientists who travel to the ends of the earth and the bottom of the ocean to understand plastic pollution. 

Ocean Conservancy invites members of the media and the public to join an hour-long discussion and Q&A session on the prevalence and impacts of microplastic pollution and solutions to the problem. The event will be moderated by Dr. Chelsea Rochman, Assistant Professor of Aquatic Ecology at University of Toronto; and paneled by Dr. Britta Baechler, Ocean Conservancy’s Associate Director of Ocean Plastics Research; Dr. Anja Brandon, Ocean Conservancy’s Associate Director of U.S. Plastics Policy; and Matt Simon, science journalist at Wired Magazine and author of the recently published book about microplastics, A Poison Like No Other.

Microplastics – plastic particles less than 5mm – are a fast-growing area of scientific research. Due to their small size, they are easily distributed and have reached every corner of our planet, from deep ocean trenches to the tallest mountain peaks, showing up in our food, drinking water, and organs. They absorb and leach toxic chemicals with known negative impacts on the ocean and other ecosystems. Increasingly, policymakers are evaluating if and how to regulate these pollutants. Last year, California became the first state to mandate microplastic testing for drinking water; and global leaders are considering including microplastics provisions as part of the ongoing UN negotiations for a global plastics treaty.

• Dr. Britta Baechler, Ocean Conservancy’s Associate Director of Ocean Plastics Research
• Dr. Anja Brandon, Ocean Conservancy’s Associate Director of U.S. Plastics Policy
• Matt Simon, science journalist at Wired and author of A Poison Like No Other
• Moderated by Dr. Chelsea Rochman, Assistant Professor of Aquatic Ecology at University of Toronto

See the media advisory. 

UDC Research Week 2023, and the UDC Bio/Chem Club, invites you to join Matt Simon as he discusses his new book, A Poison Like No Other. 

Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic that are increasingly found in our soil, water, wildlife and the food we eat. In fact, studies have shown that we may be consuming about a credit card’s worth of plastic each week. The full health impacts of microplastics on humans and wildlife are still being studied, but we know that many plastics contain toxic chemicals.

Plastic is a serious problem, and it’s time we address it at its source. Join us to learn from experts in the field about microplastics, links to the fossil fuel industry, and solutions we can work toward to protect ourselves and our environment from plastic pollution.

Speakers

• Matt Simon, a senior staff writer at Wired covering biology, robotics, and the environment and author of three books, most recently A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies.
• Additional speakers announced soon

This event is part of Food & Water Watch's Livable Future LIVE monthly virtual event series.

Accessibility

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