Beginning with lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, this film is a powerful visual journey into an environmental tragedy taking place on the remote North Pacific Island of Midway. A young photographer focuses his camera on the tens of thousands of dead and dying baby albatrosses, their bodies filled with plastic that collects and concentrates in an area known as the 'The Pacific Garbage Patch". This phenomenon results form rotating ocean currents delivering floating garbage to the Island. Viewers are asked to have the courage to examine their lifestyle choices. We need to change our attitudes about the use and disposal of plastics and take responsibility for the detrimental effects these are having on biodiversity and the destruction of ecosystems.
This video could be used to introduce science outcomes associated with habitat presrvation, source reduction, marine pollution, as well as the fragile nature of the world's ecosystems. It will also be an effective tool for showing connections between humans and their environment in geography courses. Many of the images might be disturbing and teachers should preview the film to determine if it is appropriate for their students.
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