Addicted+to+Plastics+-+Helinski


 * Addicted to Plastic **

1. Title, director and release year? · Addicted to Plastic · Ian Connacher · 2008  2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film? · Plastic are in everything that people use on a daily basis yet what are the costs that this continual use of plastic is causing on our plantet?  3. What sustainability problems does the film draw out? · The unrecyclable aspects of plastic and how a system that is design to prevent the use of landfills and improper disposal of products is not as picture perfect as many people believe it is. · What actually happens to all of the plastic products that people use once they are done using them?  4. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why? · The Statistics displayed on screen throughout the film are a great way to continue to express the unbelievable impact plastics are having. o 46,000 pieces of plastic are floating in every square mile of the ocean o Ten times more plastic that naturally provided food for marine aminals · The similarities of some of the plastic pieces floating in the ocean to substances that many animals in the oceans depended on for food o The red beads looking like shrimp which is completely understandable how animals get confused so easily. o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The plastic resin beads appearing to be fish eggs · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The visuals of the amount of consumer products being produced is astonishing o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A point in American history when we produced more plastic than steel is amazing since we have the steel industry visual image · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The dissections of the birds in Holland was shocking to see the amount of plastic ingested · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The little amount of plastic that is actually recycled properly after it is picked up by recycling facilities o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Less the 40% being properly treated is ridiculous o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Only two of the seven kinds of recycled labeled plastics actually being able to be appropriately recycled is unbelievable in a system that is suppose to end dumping in landfills when it is only promoting it more o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If the Danes are properly recycling 90% of plastics within the country, why can other countries follow their footsteps? · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The company that produces Patagonia Jackets is a very inspiring organization o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The fact that the jackets can be made from entirely recycled plastics is astonishing and a relief to show that it can be reused in a successful manner · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is sad how in Kenya locals refer to plastic bags as a local flower. o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Upsetting to see how deeply plastic debris has been embedded into society and accepted as a part of everyday life instead of doing something against the plastic pollution · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This film was one of the first to suggest different companies and actions which can be followed to make a difference to the issue at hand which I thoroughly enjoyed because it did not present a world ending problem and leave you hanging without something that you can do. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> 5. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I feel as though the use of the cartoons during some portions of the video were not necessary. It depicted the problem as not as important as it truly is and took away from what they were trying to express. I know that they were trying to attempt a different method of expressing their thoughts but I feel as though the cartoon was not the most effective way to do it. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> 6. What additional information does this film compel you to seek out? Where do you want to dig deeper and what connections do you want to make with other issues, factors, problems, etc.? · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">During the segment of the dissection of the birds, I wonder how far some of the plastic ingested by the birds traveled before it was consumed? o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What is the average traveling time of debris such as the plastic floating in the ocean? · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The recycling rates of the larger world countries compared with the amount of plastic that they produce · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> 7. What audiences does the film best address? What kind of imagination is fostered in viewers? Do you think the film is likely to change the way viewers think about and act on environmental problems? · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The average consumer who is unaware of the amount of plastic that they use on a daily basis o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">These people are unaware of what an average day contains and what it costs the world to use all of these products · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This film does a great job with trying to get its viewers to comprehend how much we use on a regular basis contain destructive plastics <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> 8. What kinds of action or points of intervention are suggested by the film? · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There were interviews with several individuals who take steps by trying to eliminate use of all products that contain the major types of plastics. o <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Cooking with glass, no longer using Teflon products … · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Companies such as the one in Australia who are developing products that can substitute most forms of plastics and actually begin to degrade once they become in contact with water. · <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Patagonia – another company who produces their products entirely out of recycled plastics <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> 9. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value? · More in depth statistics about some of the topics that they cover o When going over the plastic gyros in the Pacific ocean, statistics about how much damage it does to the oceanic ecosystem would drive the point across a little bit further · When talking about the landfills that many of the plastics are shipped to, what is the amount of land that is currently being used for landfills and how much room is left? o What expenses are incorporated with using landfills as dunping zones for plastic that is not treated well? · Although I did not feel that the cartoons were the best way to express a point, they did do a good job of express some complex issues yet they stopped halfway through the flim which I wish they did not so more could have been absorbed throughout the entire film.