Event Blog #2: Jess Irish Talk

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Original painting

This week’s coverage on plastics has truly opened my eyes to the betrayals enacted by human kind onto our ever-generous planet. Jess Irish’s film This Mortal Plastik serves as a heartbreaking poetic lens through which we may view our wrongdoings across time. How our exponential waste production has poisoned and extinguished billions of years worth of natural evolution and creation. How our momentary uses of plastics have lasting consequences. 

I painted this mini ocean scene above a couple months ago and chose to frame it with my colorful beaded earrings, which to me resembled jellyfish. But after this week, the image took on a new layer of meaning: An ocean framed by plastics; sea creatures intoxicated with microparticles. What seems vibrant and playful on the surface conceals a grim reality. 

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Photo from "Cancer Alley" - source: NBCnews.com

The image of human hands wrapped in plastic really stuck with me. It juxtaposes our ephemeral flesh wrapped in this synthetic, durable material that has overtaken the world. Modern “throwaway culture,” fueled by insatiable consumerism comes at a high price, way beyond our pockets. Every year, an estimated 14.5 million tons of single-use plastic packaging material is produced, leading to approximately two billion metric tons worth of carbon dioxide emissions from plastics production alone (“Trashing a Throwaway Society”). In the film, Jess highlights a region of the United States known as “Cancer Alley,” where air pollution is so bad that citizens are rallying against the construction of new industrial plants. What once was a Louisiana sugarcane plantation, tilled by the hands of black individuals, has transformed into a less explicit deathtrap for communities of color currently residing in the region. After enduring years of toxic spills, peculiar fumes, and a suspicious amount of cancer diagnoses, Hazel Schexnayder and others banded together to prevent further construction of petrochemical plants and have garnered worldwide attention (propublica.org). “Cancer Alley” lies along the edge of the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Unfortunately, air pollution in Louisiana’s industrial belt has only gotten worse, and as of 2015, the construction/expansion of seven new petrochemical facilities has been approved according to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (propublica.org). In particular, manufacturers are attracted to the Mississippi River Corridor because of the cheap land, its proximity to the country's busiest shipping lanes, and a highly encouraging government with neglectful regulatory practices. During inspections, Louisiana officials usually look at the levels of one chemical at a time rather than considering their cumulative effect, which severely misrepresents overall air quality (propublica.org). Consequently, a shockingly large number of citizens in St. Gabriel, Louisiana have passed away from cancer and other health complications.

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Source: blueoceansociety.org

Lastly, we turn back to the sea, where a large portion of our plastic resides. As mentioned in Jess’s film, Whales have a tremendous impact on the marine ecosystem and the environment as a whole. Whales stir up microscopic organisms called phytoplankton, which serve as the base for the marine food web, take in carbon dioxide from the environment to help fight climate change, and create over half the Earth’s oxygen! However, these oceanic giants have been massacred and violated for years; getting entangled in plastic debris, ingesting jagged pieces of trash, and absorbing tons of toxic pollutants through millions of microplastics floating all around them. What can we do as individuals to save these gentle giants? One crucial step is cut down on single-use plastics. Instead, purchase a reusable water bottle, a metal straw, a paper bag… While plastics are incredibly convenient in the moment, the planet bears the cross. Additionally, individuals should band together to take collective action for stronger regulations on the nation’s largest polluters. Finally, I hope artists like Jess Irish continue to spread their message in creative ways to make a lasting impact on viewers’ hearts and minds.

 

Works Cited

“Film - This Mortal Plastik.” This Mortal Plastik - a Film by Jess Irish, 14 Oct. 2021, https://thismortalplastik.com/.

“The Green Whale.” Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA, 15 Jan. 2021, https://us.whales.org/green-whale/#:~:text=Whales%20play%20a%20vital%20role,By%20providing%20nutrients%20to%20phytoplankton.

“In 'Cancer Alley,' a Renewed Focus on Systemic Racism Is Too Late.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 21 June 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/cancer-alley-renewed-focus-systemic-racism-too-late-n1231602.

Paradise, Polluter’s. “Welcome to ‘Cancer Alley," Where Toxic Air Is about to Get Worse.” ProPublica, https://www.propublica.org/article/welcome-to-cancer-alley-where-toxic-air-is-about-to-get-worse.

Pelon, Katie. “How Does Ocean Plastic Affect Whales?” Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation, 2 Oct. 2019, https://www.blueoceansociety.org/blog/how-does-ocean-plastic-affect-whales/.

“Trashing a Throw-Away Society.” Environmental Center, 9 Feb. 2021, https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2021/02/09/trashing-throw-away-society.