← TED Talks Daily
The problem with plastics -- and how to start cleaning up the mess | Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez artwork

The problem with plastics -- and how to start cleaning up the mess | Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez

TED Talks Daily
10:22
Play episode

Show notes

Plastics are everywhere -- they're in our favorite electronic devices, they package our food and insulate our homes. Today, the total mass of plastic is twice the total mass of all living organisms on the planet, and it's starting to change the processes that allow the Earth's climate system to work. Plastic pollution researcher Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez breaks down the consequences of producing all of this plastic at every stage, from fossil fuel extraction to the disposal of single-use plastics in landfills and oceans. The first step to breaking free of our plastic problem is admitting we have one. Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from this show

More
  1. AI brain fry is real. Here’s what leaders can do | Julie Bedard

    Workers everywhere are quietly redesigning their jobs around AI, boosting productivity but also creating new kinds of problems. AI advisor Julie Bedard thinks she has a fix. She sh…

    11:25
  2. Why it's so hard to listen when you disagree | Emily Kasriel

    Do you avoid talking to people you disagree with? Author and mediator Emily Kasriel thinks you should try it out. She explains why engaging with ideas that bother you is one of the…

    13:32
  3. How to make parenting less lonely | Stacey McLachlan

    When parents first have kids, some risk entering “the loneliest decade,” where they fall out of touch with friends. Writer Stacey McLachlan decided to do something different when s…

    20:26
  4. Sunday Pick: Can AI really teach your kids? with Leah Belsky | from WorkLife with Molly Graham

    Technology has been promising to revolutionize education for a long time. Online learning, smartphones, and even asynchronous classes during COVID seemed for a while like they migh…

    51:09
  5. Why the future is human ... plus AI | Sal Khan and Esther Perel

    As AI reshapes work, school and love, what part of being human can't a machine take over? In a wide-ranging conversation, psychotherapist Esther Perel and TED's vision steward Sal…

    23:39
  6. The three words that saved my life | Blake Mycoskie

    On paper, Blake Mycoskie is a glowing success story: he founded TOMS Shoes, building a global brand that has given away more than 100 million pairs of shoes to children in need. Ye…

    18:48
Now Playing
The problem with plastics -- and how to start cleaning up the mess | Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez — TED Talks Daily | Podcast | Josplay Music