Ripples of Plastic

Distributed by Good DocsProduced by Chris LangerDirected by Chris Langer2024, Streaming, 44 mins Ripples of Plastic is a documentary that focuses on the Great Lakes and the plastic pollution problem there. It examines this from multiple vantage points and multiple solutions, through a variety of voices from academia, business, volunteer groups and everyday citizens. It balances nicely the very real problem and its magnitude, while remaining hopeful that there is a combination of measures that can be done at various levels, from individual up to legislative. Thankfully, it’s concise enough that everything is well covered, but it doesn't get too big and overwhelming. The use on screen text to provide context for the place and speaker as they appear; unfortunately, this isn’t standard anymore, so it’s really helpful to have this included. Its runtime is great to view in class (about 45 minutes), and most likely still time for a discussion. It would be useful across disciplines including environmental studies, political studies, hydrology, earth and atmospheric sciences, perhaps even manufacturing and business. Schools in the Great Lakes area might find it of particular interest.