Plastic Paradise. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch | Angela Sun | TEDxLecce

Summary

In this inspiring narrative, the speaker recounts a transformative encounter with a shark in Hawaii, igniting a passionate curiosity that led to a journey of environmental discovery. This curiosity propelled the speaker into researching plastic pollution, culminating in a documentary revealing the devastating impact of single-use plastics on marine life. The story emphasizes the power of curiosity, perseverance, and authenticity in driving collective action towards environmental consciousness and change.

Takeaways

• 🐋 The speaker encountered a three-meter shark in Hawaii, highlighting the intense experience of being in the presence of such a creature.
• 🌊 The feeling of being watched by the shark led to a contemplation of the dangers in the ocean, especially after a recent shark attack and the speaker's own injury.
• 🏊‍♀️ Despite fear, curiosity and the desire for new experiences motivated the speaker to jump into the water, symbolizing the human drive to explore.
• 🧠 A 2014 study suggests that curiosity alters brain chemistry, enhancing learning and retention, which was used to explain the speaker's passion for learning.
• 🌍 The speaker's work on a documentary about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was initiated by curiosity about plastic pollution.
• 🚿 The realization that all plastic ever created still exists on Earth, as it's non-biodegradable, led to a deeper investigation into its pervasiveness.
• 🐟 Research findings showing plastic in fish and the impact on wildlife underscored the urgency of the plastic pollution issue.
• 🏝️ A visit to Midway Atoll revealed the devastating effects of plastic pollution on wildlife, particularly seabirds.
• 📹 The speaker's journey from sports broadcasting to environmental activism was driven by a commitment to storytelling and the power of media.
• 🔗 The call to action for individuals to reduce single-use plastic for two weeks demonstrated the impact of collective engagement and personal change.

Q & A

What was the speaker's experience with a shark in Hawaii?

The speaker encountered a three-meter shark while snorkeling in Hawaii and felt a deep connection with the creature, sensing its awareness of their every movement.

What did the speaker think about just before entering the shark-infested water?

The speaker was concerned about a recent shark attack that resulted in a surfer losing his leg, their own injury causing them to bleed, and the daunting visibility of over a hundred meters in the water.

What did Albert Einstein say about curiosity?

Albert Einstein stated that he had no special talents but was only passionately curious, implying that curiosity is a driving force behind learning and achievement.

How does curiosity affect the brain's chemistry according to the study mentioned in the script?

The study suggests that curiosity alters the brain's chemistry, enhancing the ability to learn and retain information, even unintentionally acquired knowledge.

What role does the amygdala play in the learning process?

The amygdala, an almond-shaped structure in the brain, releases dopamine, which acts as a natural 'save' button, helping to remember experiences and information when present.

What is the speaker's profession and how did it lead them to their documentary project?

The speaker is an investigative journalist, sports broadcaster, and TV presenter. Their curiosity about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch led them to research and create a documentary on the subject.

Why is plastic pollution a global concern as described by the speaker?

Plastic pollution is a global concern because every piece of plastic ever created still exists, affecting marine life and ecosystems worldwide, as demonstrated by the ingestion of plastic by fish and birds.

What impact did the speaker's visit to Midway Atoll have on them?

The visit to Midway Atoll was a turning point for the speaker, as they witnessed the effects of plastic pollution firsthand, seeing it in the environment and inside the bodies of birds.

How does the speaker define perseverance?

The speaker defines perseverance as persisting steadfastly in pursuit of a goal, even when faced with distractions, difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

What advice did the speaker's father give them regarding persistence?

The speaker's father advised them that persistence is key, sharing a personal story of how he won over the speaker's mother through consistent effort and dedication.

What challenge did the speaker issue to individuals after their film, and what was the goal?

The speaker challenged individuals to go without single-use plastic for two weeks, aiming to raise awareness and promote collective action against plastic pollution.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Shark Encounter and the Power of Curiosity

The speaker recounts a face-to-face encounter with a three-meter shark in Hawaii, drawing a parallel between human intuition and the shark's perception. Despite fear and recent shark attacks, curiosity propels the speaker into the ocean, reflecting on the importance of curiosity as a driving force for learning and change. The narrative weaves in the significance of dopamine in learning and retention, the speaker's background as an American born Chinese, and the transformative power of curiosity as illustrated by a study on brain chemistry. The speaker's journey into investigating plastic pollution, starting with a documentary on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, underscores the pervasiveness of plastic in our lives and its environmental impact, as evidenced by plastic ingestion by marine life.

05:01

🏝 Midway Atoll: A Turning Point for Curiosity and Purpose

The speaker takes us to Midway Atoll, a remote location pivotal in WWII history and a revelation for the speaker's environmental activism. Witnessing the effects of plastic pollution on albatross birds, the speaker's curiosity evolves into a mission to share these untold stories. The narrative discusses the speaker's accidental path to activism, the role of media in storytelling, and the importance of embracing multiple perspectives. It also touches on the authenticity of children and the fearlessness they possess, which adults often lack, using the speaker's experience teaching surf lessons as an example of learning through perseverance.

10:02

🤝 The Role of Perseverance and Authenticity in Connection

This paragraph delves into the concept of perseverance, drawing from the speaker's father's story of persistence in love and life. The speaker reflects on the importance of being open and vulnerable to foster genuine connections, using personal experiences and advice from a high school teacher. The narrative critiques the curated nature of online social interactions and calls for a deeper level of authenticity and empathy. The speaker emphasizes the power of real engagement in forming partnerships and driving change, highlighting the need for collective action against single-use plastics, which leads to a pledge initiative.

15:03

🌍 Collective Impact: From Curiosity to Global Engagement

The final paragraph discusses the speaker's initiative asking individuals to pledge to avoid single-use plastics for two weeks, illustrating the collective impact of individual actions. The speaker shares personal stories of change inspired by the pledge, emphasizing the importance of daily actions and the power of connection in encouraging change. The narrative concludes with a call to action, urging the audience to let curiosity lead them to new experiences and depths, reflecting on the speaker's own journey from a shark encounter to becoming an advocate for environmental change.

Keywords

💡Curiosity

Curiosity is an intellectual desire to know or learn something new. It is a driving force behind exploration and discovery, as well as a catalyst for personal growth. In the video, the speaker's curiosity about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch led them to embark on a journey of understanding and advocacy. The concept is illustrated when the speaker mentions their insatiable curiosity that fueled them to jump off the boat into the unknown.

💡Shark

A shark is a large marine fish known for its powerful bite and predatory nature. In the context of the video, the shark serves as a symbol of the unknown and the fear of the unknown. The speaker recounts an encounter with a three-meter shark in Hawaii, which parallels their feelings of trepidation and excitement when exploring new topics or ideas.

💡Fear

Fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat or danger. In the video, the speaker's fear is palpable when they describe their hesitation to enter shark-infested waters, especially after an injury. Fear is also juxtaposed with curiosity, showing that despite fear, the speaker's curiosity propels them to take risks and explore.

💡Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of plastic objects in the environment, causing harm to wildlife and ecosystems. The video's theme revolves around the speaker's discovery of plastic pollution, particularly in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and their subsequent efforts to understand and address this global issue.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with reward, motivation, and learning. The speaker explains that curiosity triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, which helps in learning and retaining information. This concept is used to explain why learning about new topics can be addictive and rewarding.

💡Amygdala

The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure in the brain involved in emotions, particularly fear and pleasure. In the script, the speaker mentions the amygdala's role in releasing dopamine when curious, which acts as the brain's 'natural save button' for learning and memory.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity refers to the state of being genuine, original, and true to oneself. The speaker emphasizes the importance of authenticity in connecting with others and sharing stories. They mention that being open and vulnerable can lead to real, authentic connections, which is crucial for engaging people in the issue of plastic pollution.

💡Perseverance

Perseverance is the quality of continuing in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with no assurance of success. The speaker's father's motto, 'persistence is key,' is used as an example of how perseverance can lead to achieving goals and making a difference, such as in the speaker's journey to understand and combat plastic pollution.

💡Single-Use Plastic

Single-use plastic refers to plastic items designed to be used once before they are thrown away or recycled. The video discusses the environmental impact of single-use plastics and the speaker's call to action for individuals to pledge to avoid them for two weeks, illustrating a tangible step towards reducing plastic pollution.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights. The video's narrative shows how the speaker's curiosity and subsequent actions empowered them to become an advocate for the environment, and how they aim to empower others through education and collective action.

💡Plastic Paradise

Plastic Paradise is the title of the speaker's feature documentary, which serves as a focal point for their exploration of plastic pollution. The term is metaphorical, contrasting the beauty of the ocean with the harsh reality of plastic waste, and it encapsulates the speaker's journey from curiosity to activism.

Highlights

Encounter with a three-meter shark in Hawaii, illustrating a profound connection with nature.

The psychological impact of fear and curiosity in deep waters, and the decision to engage with the unknown.

A recent shark attack incident influencing the perception of entering shark-infested waters.

The role of curiosity as a driving force, as quoted by Albert Einstein, and its relation to personal growth.

Neuroscientific findings from a 2014 study showing how curiosity alters brain chemistry to enhance learning.

The amygdala's role in releasing dopamine, the 'save button' of the brain during learning.

The speaker's multifaceted career journey from investigative journalism to documentary filmmaking.

The revelation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and its impact on marine life, including human debris in fish.

The omnipresence of plastic in daily life and its environmental consequences, highlighting the issue of disposability.

Personal anecdotes of the speaker's connection with the ocean and the discovery of plastic pollution globally.

The transformative experience of visiting Midway Atoll and witnessing the effects of plastic on wildlife.

The concept of being an 'accidental activist' and the unexpected path to environmental advocacy.

The importance of embracing one's authentic self and the freedom to fail as part of personal growth.

The value of children's authenticity and fearlessness as a metaphor for perseverance.

A personal story of persistence from the speaker's father, emphasizing the importance of persistence in all aspects of life.

The speaker's realization of the power of vulnerability and authenticity in engaging with an audience.

A call to action for individuals to pledge against single-use plastics as a practical step towards change.

Reflections on the power of curiosity to spark personal and collective journeys towards new experiences.

Transcripts

Buon Giorno ciao

I was looking straight into the eyes of

this three meter shark in Hawaii just a

few weeks ago and in the same way that

you can feel somebody eerily staring at

you from across the room I could sense

this shark

feeling my every single movement I'm

sure if he could sense my fear I

asserted myself to show that I was just

as curious as he was in this vast deep

blue water in the back of my head though

I couldn't help but think that just a

day ago a surfer had lost his leg to a

tiger shark bite just less than five

kilometers away yeah

and before I boarded the boat I

accidentally cut my foot and I was

bleeding so you can imagine my

hesitation to jump into the

shark-infested water with over a hundred

meters of visibility with nothing but a

GoPro in hand and some snorkel gear but

it was my insatiable curiosity in a

desire to try something new that fueled

me to jump off the side of that boat and

into the unknown Albert Einstein said it

best I have no special talents I am only

passionately curious passionate

curiosity gives us purpose and through

perseverance engages people to become

part of a collective movement it's as

simple as ABC or in my mom's words what

I am an American born Chinese but it

also means always be curious there was a

study published in October of 2014 that

suggests that the brains chemistry

actually changes when we become curious

helping us better learn and retain

information

even information that we didn't even

mean to learn about one of the study's

co-authors dr. Matthias Gruber explains

that that is because curiosity puts the

brain into a state it allows it to learn

and retain any kind of information it's

like a vortex that sucks you in to what

you are motivated to learn but also

everything around it learning is

addictive they

- this almond-shaped gray matter in the

temporal lobe of our brain the amygdala

the amygdala releases dopamine which

acts like the brains natural save button

it explains why we get a buzz out of

learning something new dopamine is so

important to learning and retention that

when is present we tend to remember an

experience or message but when it is

absent nothing seems to stick I'm an

investigative journalist a sports

broadcaster and TV presenter I'm also a

world wanderer I started researching for

my feature documentary plastic paradise

ten years ago as a side project because

I was just curious about what this Great

Pacific Garbage Patch was never in my

wildest dreams would I have thought that

my curiosity would take me down the road

to where I'm in front of all of you

today

I didn't mean to learn about the history

of plastics the chemistry behind it or

how we were paying for the price of its

seeming disposability I really just

didn't think about plastics at all and

that's the thing none of us think about

the amount of disposable plastic use we

use every day because it is so readily

available to us and it's such a

ubiquitous part of our daily lives every

single piece of plastic that has ever

been created

is still somewhere on this planet

because it's never biodegradable it's

literally woven into the fabric of our

lives through fabrics such as polyester

and nylon and in what we do and what we

eat as well as recent as September 2015

researchers from the University of

california-davis found that 55% of fish

species that they sampled in Indonesia

contained human derived debris with one

having 21 pieces of plastic in it now

this picture is actually from the Great

Pacific Garbage Patch

when researcher dr. Marcus Erickson was

traveling through and he caught this

rainbow runner thinking he was gonna eat

it but instead he found all this plastic

inside of it as an

avid surfer scuba diver and ocean lover

I've always been fascinated by the

oceans and everything in it and I sort

of fell into examining plastic pollution

simply because it was in the waves that

I was surfing or when I was scuba diving

on the ocean floor I would see it

everywhere and it wasn't just all my

home beaches it was everywhere around

the globe that I traveled to Travel is

an important part of my life and it's

something that's defined and shaped Who

I am and I don't take the opportunities

that I've had for granted it's helped me

gain new perspectives and I always try

to look at things with a different lens

to take the road less traveled in my

career ambitions as well as going off

the beaten path which led me to one of

the most remote places on the planet in

the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean

tens of thousands of kilometers away

from any civilization lies this tiny

piece of land Midway Atoll

this 2.4 square miles of land was an

integral part of world war ii history as

the Battle of Midway was a turning point

for the Allied forces it was also a

turning point in Revelation for me as my

curiosity led me to a purpose traveling

now to a National Marine refuge and home

to 1.5 million Laysan albatross birds in

this seemingly untouched and pristine

beautiful paradise I saw firsthand the

repercussions of our disposable plastic

use not only washed up along the shores

and in the sand but also in the bellies

of these birds that would mistake this

plastic for food and eat it and

literally be filled and choked with this

plastic my amygdala was working on

overload in other words my mind was

blown now I could have put this powerful

footage online in 2009 when we shot it

and it probably would have gone viral

because it was never seen before but the

larger story was still unfolding and I

didn't want to share this information

prematurely as a sports broadcaster and

TV presenter I cover sporting events and

reports on other people's lives and

stories

and as the years went by on this project

though I organically became part of the

narrative and this was a whole new

uncharted path I consider myself an

accidental activist I like most of us

just you know never thought about

plastic because I mean it was just there

right in the same way that you don't

notice how tethered we are to our

gadgets and electronics or perhaps

apathetic about social political and

environmental issues because sometimes

it's just too insurmountable turning a

blind eye is so much easier curiosity

killed the cat some may say but my

passionate curiosity helped me to find a

purpose to follow and to share stories

untold ones to dive beneath the surface

literally in this case when I first set

out to learn about the oceans I didn't

really know what I was doing I mean I

had hosted and produced short form

content and you know it was nothing to

this magnitude or this intensity my

career path was never clearly marked and

I've been able to transition from sports

reporting to TV presenting to even a

little bit of acting I've always wanted

to communicate though and tell great

stories and to use the power of media

for good and to reach new audiences and

to expose the truth what I realized that

in hindsight being the

jack-of-all-trades allowed me to have

multiple perspectives in which to view

the world and when I finally embrace the

fact that I was the jack-of-all-trades

and the master of none I could go forth

with the confidence and freedom to fail

yep

that's what I said I could go forth with

the confidence and the freedom to fail

it's actually quite liberating and it

was just a little change in perspective

that made all the difference embracing

your authentic self imperfectly perfect

kids are truly authentic you ever notice

when a kid throws a tantrum and it's

usually about something completely

insignificant but to them whatever it is

that they're crying about is the most

important

in the world at that moment well author

blogger and stay-at-home dad Greg

Pembroke compiled all of these illogical

reasons why kids will cry including he

couldn't find his rubber duckie or uh

she keeps dropping her Fork and here's a

favorite one they got new hats kids are

truly endearing with their wide-eyed

innocence that seems to disappear slowly

as we grow older they are their true

authentic little selves and they are

crying about the minutiae of daily life

even when your dad breaks the cheese in

half I used to teach surf lessons and

along with the myriad of other jobs when

I was an aspiring journalist and I

always loved to teach kids because they

have this innate fearlessness that

adults seem to lack they didn't have any

preconceived notions they didn't have

any hangups

and they just tried they tried and tried

without hesitation and most of the time

they would fail to stand up on that wave

but they would go and get out paddle on

that board again out into the waves and

try and try again the definition of

perseverance is this to persist

steadfastly in pursuit of an undertaking

a task a journey or a goal even if

hindered by distraction difficulty

obstacles or discouragement my dad used

to tell me a story about how he met my

mom and his motto was always persistence

is key he is actually what he told my

brother as some advice in approaching

girls use persistence and he would wait

for my mom after school and walk her

home made friends with her family and

her siblings and we just hang out in the

general vicinity that she would be in

and to most his persistence would be

misconstrued as creepy or stalkerish but

look at him he's super nerdy I mean in

an Asian Steve Urkel kind of way which

is what he would say well one day my mom

was playing with her brothers and

fell and broke her collarbone and so she

was in the hospital and my dad would

visit her and bring her flowers and

magazines and just hang out with her and

that was the tipping point on how he won

her over

that and the fact that she couldn't

really leave again

persistence is key in my own stubborn

right and as a classic middle child

dying to be seen or heard my dad's words

struck a chord with me and also his

other sage wisdom and advice that he

would leave with us before he passed

away from cancer I was 17 and it was

after the first year of university and

it really struck a chord with me his

passing was a stark reminder of how life

is short and to embrace every moment

fully for the present is a gift and

that's when I started traveling every

free moment that I had so here I am

finding myself passionately curious

about this strange new topic but how do

I get people to care about it the

business that I'm in the media industry

is unforgiving judgmental critical and

that is nothing new but I discovered

that being open and vulnerable is the

key to engaging people into real

authentic connections I was once told

some wise words from a broadcast

journalism teacher in high school he

said the more open and honest you are

with people the more honest and open

they will be with you and he said this

in the context of interviewing someone

and you know to make them feel

comfortable and gain their trust tells

them something about yourself the more

open and honest you are with people the

more honest and open they will be with

you I'm saying this with the full

awareness that like most of us though

engage through our phones and our social

media and computers that's how I do

engage as well and in the digital age we

tend to overshare about our lives online

but in actuality in actuality it's just

the perception and facade of an

oftentimes meticulously curated timeline

of life events usually these post

consists of perfectly positioned food or

perhaps it's carefully laid-out outfits

or the crafted casualness of life but

what if we pulled back on that 8 by 8

square photo and looked at the bigger

picture what our lives be as truly

fabulous and exciting as it seems if

we're truly open and honest with each

other it's not often that someone will

share something deeply personal or a

struggle on their social media and you

know you roll your eyes at the people

who do because you just don't do that

it's not adhering to unsaid social

etiquette online you just don't share

that and maybe it's because we're

missing something and we don't want to

get too involved or deep having that

real connection it takes a lot of work

the fact that we text more than we talk

in about 97% of kids under the age of 1

have used a computer or mobile device

should sound off an alarm true

engagement is hard because empathy is

really feeling what the other person is

feeling and real empathy is the purest

form of authenticity and connection when

you are truly engaged with people this

is where partnerships work and form and

teamwork flourishes and change happens

there's a lot of talk about this

cleaning up of the Great Pacific Garbage

Patch but many of these efforts are to

small scale to expensive and often times

too risky for ocean life it's still

essentially a bandaid on the larger

problem of our single-use plastic and

what we're doing with it so instead I

asked individuals to take a pledge to

say no to single-use plastic for two

weeks after my film and that means no

bottles no using of straws no utensils

no takeout basically no single-use

disposable plastic for two weeks and

it's actually pretty hard and never did

I imagine that the collective impact an

engagement from this pledge will be so

far-reaching how did a spark of

passionate curiosity lead to thousands

people around the world collectively

engaged with each other and connecting

into doing something so immediate and

tangible for me it was inspiring to hear

individual stories of how people's lives

had changed through doing something

every day something little every day and

it encourages me to persevere just like

my dad

every interaction that we have with each

other is an opportunity to connect and

to encourage change one of my favorite

quotes is this a journey of a thousand

miles begins with one single step

staring a shark in the eyes in the ocean

that day sparked my curiosity to step

off that boat and into unknown waters

and it is a fraction of how scary it is

to be staring out in front of all of you

I hope that's something you heard today

sparks your curiosity to take you to new

depths and new experiences that you

never would have imagined dropsy a