for as long as I could remember I’ve always had a love for animals most
always had a love for animals most
always had a love for animals most little kids love doggies and kitties and
little kids love doggies and kitties and
little kids love doggies and kitties and horsies and penguins however I loved
horsies and penguins however I loved
horsies and penguins however I loved squids sea stars sea slugs and just
squids sea stars sea slugs and just
squids sea stars sea slugs and just about any other funky looking Forgotten
about any other funky looking Forgotten
about any other funky looking Forgotten animal now my love for animals was
animal now my love for animals was
animal now my love for animals was certainly well fed due to where I live
certainly well fed due to where I live
certainly well fed due to where I live which is by some of the country’s
which is by some of the country’s
which is by some of the country’s greatest zoos and aquariums like the
greatest zoos and aquariums like the
greatest zoos and aquariums like the Lincoln Park Zoo Shedd Aquarium in
Lincoln Park Zoo Shedd Aquarium in
Lincoln Park Zoo Shedd Aquarium in Brookfield Zoo after a few ocean
Brookfield Zoo after a few ocean
Brookfield Zoo after a few ocean inspired writing pieces school research
inspired writing pieces school research
inspired writing pieces school research projects and boring talk of marine
projects and boring talk of marine
projects and boring talk of marine biology to my friends and family I
biology to my friends and family I
biology to my friends and family I finally found a use for my mixture of
finally found a use for my mixture of
finally found a use for my mixture of animal knowledge last summer I think I
animal knowledge last summer I think I
animal knowledge last summer I think I had the greatest summer job an
had the greatest summer job an
had the greatest summer job an interpreter at the Shedd Aquarium there
interpreter at the Shedd Aquarium there
interpreter at the Shedd Aquarium there there’s the Shedd Aquarium if you don’t
there’s the Shedd Aquarium if you don’t
there’s the Shedd Aquarium if you don’t didn’t know yeah so some this was part
didn’t know yeah so some this was part
didn’t know yeah so some this was part of the teen work-study program which
of the teen work-study program which
of the teen work-study program which accepts about 30 high school students to
accepts about 30 high school students to
accepts about 30 high school students to work at the aquarium some would work in
work at the aquarium some would work in
work at the aquarium some would work in the gardens outside some worked in
the gardens outside some worked in
the gardens outside some worked in customer service however I was an
customer service however I was an
customer service however I was an interpreter which basically means that
interpreter which basically means that
interpreter which basically means that I’d share animal facts with visitors so
I’d share animal facts with visitors so
I’d share animal facts with visitors so unfortunately I wasn’t able to interpret
unfortunately I wasn’t able to interpret
unfortunately I wasn’t able to interpret any squid to sea jellies or sea slugs as
any squid to sea jellies or sea slugs as
any squid to sea jellies or sea slugs as I was only to interpret what was
I was only to interpret what was
I was only to interpret what was assigned but anyway we were assigned a
assigned but anyway we were assigned a
assigned but anyway we were assigned a new post to interpret called plastic
new post to interpret called plastic
new post to interpret called plastic oceans it looked like this it was a
oceans it looked like this it was a
oceans it looked like this it was a small raised splash pool with little
small raised splash pool with little
small raised splash pool with little fish toys in it and kids would pretend
fish toys in it and kids would pretend
fish toys in it and kids would pretend to be ocean predators and used the
to be ocean predators and used the
to be ocean predators and used the utensils to capture the fish however
utensils to capture the fish however
utensils to capture the fish however there’s a catch plastic feeds polluted
there’s a catch plastic feeds polluted
there’s a catch plastic feeds polluted the pool and prevented the kids from
the pool and prevented the kids from
the pool and prevented the kids from catching only fish no matter how careful
catching only fish no matter how careful
catching only fish no matter how careful they were plastic beads ended up within
they were plastic beads ended up within
they were plastic beads ended up within their catches along with their plastic
their catches along with their plastic
their catches along with their plastic fish now this was a good way to keep got
fish now this was a good way to keep got
fish now this was a good way to keep got the kids acquainted with the horrors of
the kids acquainted with the horrors of
the kids acquainted with the horrors of plastic pollution without it without it
plastic pollution without it without it
plastic pollution without it without it being scary but it was actually fun and
being scary but it was actually fun and
being scary but it was actually fun and so many kids got it really attached to
so many kids got it really attached to
so many kids got it really attached to this game and would not want to leave
this game and would not want to leave
this game and would not want to leave and I encountered so many crying kids at
and I encountered so many crying kids at
and I encountered so many crying kids at this post that didn’t want to leave that
this post that didn’t want to leave that
this post that didn’t want to leave that I decided to carry around a pad of
I decided to carry around a pad of
I decided to carry around a pad of stickers to help stop there crying and
stickers to help stop there crying and
stickers to help stop there crying and spare their parents sanity now this was
spare their parents sanity now this was
spare their parents sanity now this was one of my favorite posts to interpret as
one of my favorite posts to interpret as
one of my favorite posts to interpret as I was able to directly share ocean
I was able to directly share ocean
I was able to directly share ocean conservation stories with the parents of
conservation stories with the parents of
conservation stories with the parents of the kids who were playing and I quickly
the kids who were playing and I quickly
the kids who were playing and I quickly learned that the majority of parents
learned that the majority of parents
learned that the majority of parents with kids aged 4 to 8
with kids aged 4 to 8
with kids aged 4 to 8 had no idea that Americans use 500
had no idea that Americans use 500
had no idea that Americans use 500 million straws daily and keep in mind
million straws daily and keep in mind
million straws daily and keep in mind that the American population is 323
that the American population is 323
that the American population is 323 million and this was one of sheds
million and this was one of sheds
million and this was one of sheds biggest campaigns it’s called shed the
biggest campaigns it’s called shed the
biggest campaigns it’s called shed the straw and by using by eliminating
straw and by using by eliminating
straw and by using by eliminating unnecessary one use plastics from your
unnecessary one use plastics from your
unnecessary one use plastics from your lifestyle you can help reduce the amount
lifestyle you can help reduce the amount
lifestyle you can help reduce the amount of plastic that makes its way into the
of plastic that makes its way into the
of plastic that makes its way into the environment
environment
environment however when plastic makes it does make
however when plastic makes it does make
however when plastic makes it does make its way into the ocean
its way into the ocean
its way into the ocean the currents usually carry it to a gyre
the currents usually carry it to a gyre
the currents usually carry it to a gyre which is where a bunch of wind patterns
which is where a bunch of wind patterns
which is where a bunch of wind patterns and ocean currents converge and create a
and ocean currents converge and create a
and ocean currents converge and create a type of circulation in the water one of
type of circulation in the water one of
type of circulation in the water one of the most notable gyres is the great
the most notable gyres is the great
the most notable gyres is the great person or than pacific gyre also known
person or than pacific gyre also known
person or than pacific gyre also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and
as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and
as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and unfortunately many species live in or
unfortunately many species live in or
unfortunately many species live in or migrate through the Great Pacific
migrate through the Great Pacific
migrate through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch one of which is the
Garbage Patch one of which is the
Garbage Patch one of which is the Elysian albatross they have six foot
Elysian albatross they have six foot
Elysian albatross they have six foot long wings fans and they’re able to be
long wings fans and they’re able to be
long wings fans and they’re able to be out at sea for months at a time without
out at sea for months at a time without
out at sea for months at a time without even touching land their hunting skills
even touching land their hunting skills
even touching land their hunting skills is to skim the surface of the water to
is to skim the surface of the water to
is to skim the surface of the water to catch fish and squid that are swimming
catch fish and squid that are swimming
catch fish and squid that are swimming on top and this is a little problematic
on top and this is a little problematic
on top and this is a little problematic as when they are skimming the surface
as when they are skimming the surface
as when they are skimming the surface plastic ends up they end up catching
plastic ends up they end up catching
plastic ends up they end up catching plastic along with their food and they
plastic along with their food and they
plastic along with their food and they eat it and when they bring their catch
eat it and when they bring their catch
eat it and when they bring their catch back to their chicks then the chicks end
back to their chicks then the chicks end
back to their chicks then the chicks end up eating the plastic as well and the
up eating the plastic as well and the
up eating the plastic as well and the unfortunate consequences of these chicks
unfortunate consequences of these chicks
unfortunate consequences of these chicks eating plastics include their stomachs
eating plastics include their stomachs
eating plastics include their stomachs being cut internally or the they think
being cut internally or the they think
being cut internally or the they think that they’re full even though they have
that they’re full even though they have
that they’re full even though they have no food in their system and die of
no food in their system and die of
no food in their system and die of starvation and when you look at pictures
starvation and when you look at pictures
starvation and when you look at pictures of the decaying all the trusses you see
of the decaying all the trusses you see
of the decaying all the trusses you see the types of plastics that they ate and
the types of plastics that they ate and
the types of plastics that they ate and as you can see in this one you could see
as you can see in this one you could see
as you can see in this one you could see a straw some bottle caps plastic lighter
a straw some bottle caps plastic lighter
a straw some bottle caps plastic lighter and a lot of miscellaneous
and a lot of miscellaneous
and a lot of miscellaneous unidentifiable plastics it’s hard to
unidentifiable plastics it’s hard to
unidentifiable plastics it’s hard to believe that us humans have
believe that us humans have
believe that us humans have unconsciously done such horrible things
unconsciously done such horrible things
unconsciously done such horrible things not only to delays albatross but to all
not only to delays albatross but to all
not only to delays albatross but to all other sorts of animals whether they are
other sorts of animals whether they are
other sorts of animals whether they are a terrestrial or aquatic furry or scaly
a terrestrial or aquatic furry or scaly
a terrestrial or aquatic furry or scaly local or abroad now what can we do to
local or abroad now what can we do to
local or abroad now what can we do to help resolve this issue of plastic
help resolve this issue of plastic
help resolve this issue of plastic pollution stop using unnecessary one use
pollution stop using unnecessary one use
pollution stop using unnecessary one use plastics plastic straws utensils
plastics plastic straws utensils
plastics plastic straws utensils shopping bag
shopping bag
shopping bag I’ll have simple alternatives unlike
I’ll have simple alternatives unlike
I’ll have simple alternatives unlike paper or other natural products plastics
paper or other natural products plastics
paper or other natural products plastics don’t degrade they just got smaller and
don’t degrade they just got smaller and
don’t degrade they just got smaller and smaller turning into micro plastics so
smaller turning into micro plastics so
smaller turning into micro plastics so really plastics break up and not down
really plastics break up and not down
really plastics break up and not down the best way to reduce our footprint is
the best way to reduce our footprint is
the best way to reduce our footprint is to reduce our consumption and the human
to reduce our consumption and the human
to reduce our consumption and the human population as a whole needs to eliminate
population as a whole needs to eliminate
population as a whole needs to eliminate these one use items that will last
these one use items that will last
these one use items that will last longer than several generations and the
longer than several generations and the
longer than several generations and the most important step to realize when the
most important step to realize when the
most important step to realize when the most important stuff should realize when
most important stuff should realize when
most important stuff should realize when thinking of ocean sustainability is to
thinking of ocean sustainability is to
thinking of ocean sustainability is to realize that it starts with one simple
realize that it starts with one simple
realize that it starts with one simple stuff to say to shed the straw thank you
stuff to say to shed the straw thank you
stuff to say to shed the straw thank you [Applause]
”
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