On Sunday, Nov. 12 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., author Marcus Eriksen will discuss his book Junk Raft: An Ocean Voyage and a Rising Tide of Activism to Fight Plastic Pollution.
In 2008, Eriksen and a friend traveled 88 days and 2,600 miles on a raft made from 15,000 plastic bottles to build awareness and spark a movement to save our seas from plastic pollution. Eriksen is the co-founder, with his wife, Anna Cummins, of 5 Gyres Institute, an organization that focuses on reducing plastic pollution through science, education and adventure.
With nearly 300 million tons of plastic produced every year, half of which is for single use, it may not be surprising that more than 8 million tons of plastic finds its way into our oceans each year as well. Plastic is inexpensive and incredibly versatile, with properties that make it suitable for many applications. However, these qualities have also resulted in plastic becoming a serious environmental issue, including in the Long Island Sound.
The Bruce Museum Seaside Center and Friends of Greenwich Point are joining forces to present the program to help educate the public about the issue of plastic pollution in our seas and provide some local solutions to this global epidemic. In addition to hearing from Eriksen, local commercial shellfisherman Ed Stilwagen will say a few words about his encounters with the hundreds of pounds of plastic he encounters while harvesting oysters and clams in the Sound. Representatives from the group BYO Greenwich will be on hand to garner support for a local ordinance to encourage the use of reusable checkout bags and phase out plastic bags in town.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. with family activities all afternoon; the talk begins at 2 p.m. This event is free and open to all, and takes place at the Innis Arden Cottage/Seaside Center in Greenwich Point Park. No beach pass or reservations are needed. For more information, contact Seaside Center Manager Cynthia Ehlinger at cynthiae@brucemuseum.org or 203-413-6756.
