The Not-So-‘Micro’ Plastic Problem: A Conversation with Matt Simon

For this webinar, CHE-Alaska will be joined by science journalist Matt Simon, author of the book A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies. In the book, Simon reveals a new dimension to the plastic dilemma – how microplastics break down into small enough pieces to enter lungs, be absorbed by crops, and infiltrate aquatic animals’ muscle tissues.  Microplastics represent a cocktail of toxicity: plastics can contain as many as 10,000 different chemicals. These include chemicals that are linked to diseases including cancers, diabetes, and other disorders associated with endocrine disruption.

Simon will also discuss how the microplastic crisis pertains to the Arctic, which is becoming increasingly contaminated. In a recent article Simon published on Wired, he writes,

“As scientists have shown elsewhere, the team found that microplastics contamination in the Arctic has been growing exponentially and in lockstep with the growth of plastic production—which is now up to a trillion pounds a year, with the global amount of plastic waste projected to triple by 2060.”

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