The narrative presents a deep dive into the history, impact, and future of plastic pollution. It starts with a reference to the story of King Midas, who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold, leading to a world where everything turned to gold, including his food and his daughter. The narrator then compares this to the advent of plastic, which revolutionized our world and transformed our lives, but also led to its overuse and environmental degradation.
Plastic is made from polymers, long repeating chains of molecule groups, and can be created by breaking down crude oil into its components and rearranging them. It has extraordinary traits such as being lightweight, durable, and easy to mold into almost any shape, making it a popular choice for mass production. However, it is also incredibly durable, taking between 500 and 1,000 years to break down. Despite being used for everyday items, 79% of plastic waste remains unaccounted for.
The narrative highlights the environmental impact of plastic, with 40% of plastics used for packaging, making up 1/3 of all the waste generated annually in the United States. Since its invention, we have produced about 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic, with more than 6.3 billion metric tons becoming waste since 1907. This waste often ends up in the ocean, where it harms marine life.
The narrative also discusses the issue of microplastics, small pieces of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters. These particles are often a result of waste that is constantly exposed to UV radiation and crumbles into smaller pieces. They are even more easily swallowed by marine life and have raised concerns about health risks from the chemicals added to plastic.
The narrative also points out that the environmental impact of plastic is not the only challenge we face. For example, a study by the Danish government found that making a single-use plastic bag requires so little energy and produces far lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to a reusable cotton bag.
The narrative concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing the problem of plastic pollution from a global perspective, noting that 90% of all plastic waste entering the ocean comes from just ten rivers in Asia and Africa. The narrator urges viewers to take action, such as refusing disposable plastics and pressuring companies and politicians to take steps to minimize plastic production.
1. The gods granted King Midas one wish, which turned everything he touched into gold, including his food and his daughter.
2. Humanity got a similar wish granted when we learned how to turn brown stinky goo into plastic.
3. Plastic has saturated our environment and is finding its way into our bodies.
4. Plastic is made from polymers - long repeating chains of molecule groups.
5. Plastic was invented roughly 100 years ago and completely changed our world.
6. Plastic is lightweight, durable, and can be molded into almost any shape.
7. Plastic can be easily mass-produced and its raw materials are available in vast amounts.
8. Plastic has long ceased to be a revolutionary material and instead has become trash.
9. Plastic is used in almost every aspect of our lives, including clothes, phones, computers, furniture, appliances, houses, and cars.
10. Plastic takes between 500 and 1,000 years to break down.
11. Since its invention, we have produced about 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic.
12. More than 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic have become waste since 1907.
13. If piled up in one place, the plastic waste would form a cube with a side length of 1.9