Emmy® Award-Winning Documentary Featuring Actor and Oceana Board Member Ted Danson Exposes the Plastics Crisis
Airing across PBS channels for Earth Month, “We’re All Plastic People Now” by Rory Fielding Films highlights the impact of plastic pollution on communities, health, and the environment
Press Release Date: April 16, 2024
Location: Washington, DC
Contact:
Megan Jordan | email: mjordan@oceana.org
Megan Jordan
This Earth Month, the Emmy award-winning documentary ‘We’re All Plastic People Now‘ by film director Rory Fielding will be streaming on PBS channels nationwide. The documentary investigates the disturbing pervasiveness of plastic pollution in our lives, including its impact on communities, health, and the ocean. The film features actor, environmental activist, and Oceana Board Member Ted Danson and Oceana Campaign Director Christy Leavitt.
“Many years ago, I took my two young daughters to the beach on a beautiful day when we encountered a sign that read, ‘No Swimming. Water Polluted,’” said Ted Danson, actor and board member at Oceana. “My kids asked me how that was possible, and I had no answer for them. That moment was my awakening and ever since, I’ve been devoted to the preservation of our majestic oceans and fragile environment. Plastic has been found everywhere. From the deepest part of our oceans to the peaks of the tallest mountains — it’s even within our own bodies. We’re only just beginning to understand its effects upon us and our world. ‘We’re All Plastic People Now’ is alarming, but it shows us that change is possible and should spark the kind of real conversation necessary for us to turn the tide on the plastic pollution crisis.”
“Rory Fielding’s ‘We’re All Plastic People Now’ shows the harrowing reality of how prevalent plastic pollution is in our lives. Plastic is all around us, from the air we breathe to the water we drink. The solution to the plastic crisis is to stop plastic pollution at the source. We must reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic and move to refillable and reusable systems. Americans are sick of plastic pollution; 77% of U.S. voters support national policies that reduce single-use plastic. We can build a future where plastic no longer prevails if we stop the flow of unnecessary single-use plastic and invest in reusable systems. Policies like the federal Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act will do just that,” said Christy Leavitt, campaign director for Oceana who is featured in the film.
Plastic has been found floating on the surface of the sea, washing up on the world’s most remote coastlines, raining onto our national parks, melting out of Arctic sea ice, and sitting at the deepest point of the ocean floor. It’s greatly contributing to the climate crisis and disproportionately polluting communities on the fenceline of plastic production and disposal facilities. Oceana campaigns to stop plastic pollution at the source — by working to pass local, state, and national policies that reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic.
Viewers can check their local listings for airings of “We’re All Plastic People Now,” which is scheduled for broadcast on public television stations across the country during Earth Month. Viewers can also watch the documentary on PBS’ South Florida website here.
Background
Scientists estimate that 33 billion pounds of plastic wash into the ocean every year. That equates to about two garbage trucks’ worth of plastic entering the ocean every minute. Plastic has been found in every corner of the world and has turned up in drinking water, beer, salt, honey, and more. It’s also one of the greatest contributors to climate change. In fact, if plastic were a country, it would be the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. Recycling has never been a viable solution. Less than 6% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled, yet the plastics industry continues to tout recycling as a panacea while pushing new plastic products onto the market. With plastic production growing at a rapid rate, increased amounts of plastic can be expected to flood our blue planet with devastating consequences.
In February 2023, Oceana released the results of a nationwide poll that showed broad bipartisan concern about single-use plastics and support for reducing both the production and use of these products and increasing the use of reusable packaging and foodware. Included among the key findings:
- 83% of American voters are concerned about single-use plastic products
- 73% support a pause in building new plastic production facilities
- 82% support reducing the federal government’s use of single-use plastic
Polling was conducted by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos, which surveyed 1,000 American adults from across the U.S. in December 2022.
To learn more about Oceana’s campaign to stop plastic pollution, please visit usa.oceana.org/plastics.
