Junk / Straws

This event is free with RSVP to:
https://smgreenprize-filmscreening2018.eventbrite.com
Please arrive early – RSVP is not a guarantee of seating
The Green Prize is an annual book award, presented by Santa Monica’s Public Library and the Office of Sustainability and the Environment to recognize the authors, illustrators, photographers and publishers whose goal is to broaden the public’s awareness of sustainability. Join us for these short documentaries devoted to the issue of plastics in our oceans:
“Junk” (2018, 29 min. Dir. Chris Jones) In 2008, two sailors drifted across the North Pacific to Hawaii on a raft made from 15,000 plastic bottles tied in old fishing nets stuffed under a Cessna 310 Aircraft. They called it JUNK, and the purpose of the 88-day, 2600-mile voyage was to build awareness and foster a movement to save our seas from plastic pollution. Featuring environmental scientist Marcus Eriksen, who penned the Green Prize Award-winning book of the same name, the film follows the journey and the back story that led to it.
“Straws” (2017, 32 min. Dir. Linda Booker) Sparked by research that plastic straws are now among the top five beach-litter items collected, this eye-opening short documentary outlines how billions of non-recyclable plastic straws litter streets and wash into oceans. Narrated by Oscar winner Tim Robbins, the film moves from an animated sequence charting the history of straws to the modern dilemma of these one-time-use products. Made by the millions to satisfy a wholly artificial demand, these seemingly innocuous items can do irreversible harm to marine life, the ocean and eventually human health. With sustainable alternatives such as paper, bamboo, or metal, “Straws” shows how both consumers and business owners can take action to help save the world’s oceans.