Plastic: A Toxic Love Story with Susan Freinkel
Lecture #1 of the series Plastics
Unwrapped: The Good, the Bad, the Debate
The series kicks off with a talk by award-winning science writer Susan Freinkel, author of the book Plastic: A Toxic Love Story. Ms. Freinkel’s work appears in: The New York Times; Discover; Smithsonian; Reader’s Digest; OnEarth; Health; and Real Simple. In 2005, she was awarded an Alicia Patterson Fellowship, and in 2008 a National Outdoor Book Award.
A century into our love affair with plastic, the romance is starting to fray. Plastics draw on dwindling fossil fuels, leach harmful chemicals, litter landscapes, and destroy marine life. We’re trapped in an unhealthy dependence—a toxic relationship. Join Freinkel as she treks through the history, science, and global economy to assess the real impact of plastic on our lives.
The seminar will continue with lectures and panel discussions each Wednesday at the Burke Museum at 6 pm, covering such topics as the benefits of plastics, the challenges of
recycling and reuse, the effect of plastic waste on marine life, and the international debate on electronic plastics. Check the Plastics Unwrapped events page for updates.
