What does a viable, thriving community look like?

About

*Film will be available digitally in advance for viewing
 

THE STORY OF PLASTIC is a searing expose revealing the ugly truth behind plastic pollution and the false solution of plastic recycling. Different from every other plastic documentary you’ve seen, THE STORY OF PLASTIC presents a cohesive timeline of how we got to our current global plastic pollution crisis and how the oil and gas industry has successfully manipulated the narrative around it. From the extraction of fossil fuels and plastic disposal to the global resistance fighting back, THE STORY OF PLASTIC is a life-changing film depicting one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues.
Panelists:
 

Stiv Wilson, CoDirector, Peak Plastic Foundation, Creator and Executive Producer, The Story of Plastic:  Stiv Wilson is an award-winning activist, filmmaker, and educator working at the nexus of marine conservation, plastic pollution, petrochemical production and human rights. After completing 35,000 nautical miles sailing the world to study marine plastic pollution, Stiv co-authored the first-ever global estimate of the abundance of plastics in all of the major five oceans in the peer reviewed journal, PLOS ONE. After co-authoring and publishing several other scientific papers on the abundance of microplastics in the marine and freshwater systems, Stiv went on to pass state level policy as well as the first plastics focused national policy, The Plastic Free Waters Act, that was signed into law by President Obama in 2015. A frequent speaker on the issue of plastic pollution, his work has been met with critical acclaim, winning a United Nations Ocean Hero award. He is a co-founder of the #BreakFreeFromPlastic movement that now comprises over 1,800 NGOs across the globe working in solidarity to end plastic pollution at all intervention points across the plastics supply chain. Wilson writes on plastic issues for various publications and has been profiled in dozens of media outlets including The New York Times. He has recently produced his first feature length documentary,The Story of Plastic, which has earned several awards on the film festival circuit and is working with federal lawmakers to use the film to support the first comprehensive plastics legislation in federal congress, The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. Wilson serves as an advisor to Senator Merkeley and Representative Lowenthal to develop the policy with the ultimate goal of passing this historic act, as well as consulting on national level campaign and policy initiatives in Southeast Asia. He resides in Olympia, WA  with his partner, and mutt Lucy.
 

Patricia M. DeMarco is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. with a doctorate in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh. She has spent a thirty-year career in energy and environmental policy in both private and public sector positions. She is a Rachel Carson Scholar and served as Executive Director of the Rachel Carson Homestead Association and Director of the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University, where she holds an appointment as Senior Scholar. She holds the office of Vice President of the Forest Hills Borough Council. She sits as Secretary on the Board of Trustees for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and is on the Board for the Battle of Homestead Foundation and the Allegheny Land Trust. For more information see https://patriciademarco.com
 

anaïs peterson (name/they) is based on occupied osage land (pittsburgh pa). anaïs graduated from the university of pittsburgh in 2020 and is now working at earthworks as the stop the buildout fellow focusing on oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure in the permian. anaïs has worked on fossil fuel extraction issues and fossil fuel divestment in appalachia and across the united states with groups such as People Over Petro Coalition and Divest Ed.