Event Details

With Jo Ruxton, Co-Founder Plastic Oceans UK and producer of the documentary feature film, 'A Plastic Ocean' (on Netflix), Prof Richard Thompson OBE FRS, World-leading marine scientist, founder and head of Plymouth University's International Marine Litter Research Unit, which has charted the global distribution of microplastics from Arctic sea ice to the deep seas, Prof Helmut Maurer, Principal Jurist at the Waste Management and Recycling Unit from the European Commission.

Moderated by environmental scientist and former environment editor of the Sunday Times, Jonathan Leake.Nearly three billion people depend directly on marine and coastal biodiversity for their survival. By absorbing approximately a third of carbon dioxide emissions, oceans play a decisive role in regulating the climate. As a source of life, they are therefore crucial to the very fate of humanity. Yet, we dispose of over 8 million tonnes of plastic in the seas every year.#environmentalfrontline is a regular series of events that concentrate on the burning environmental issues of the day, curated and organised by Clear Public Space.


Speakers

  • Helmut Maurer (Principal Jurist at European Commission)

    Helmut Maurer

    Principal Jurist at European Commission

    https://ec.europa.eu/environment/topics/waste-and-recycling_en

    Prof Dr Helmut Maurer, Principal Jurist at the Waste Management and Recycling Unit from the European Commission.

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  • Richard Thompson (Director Marine Institute of University of Plymouth)

    Richard Thompson

    Director Marine Institute of University of Plymouth

    https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/richard-thompson

    Prof Richard Charles Thompson OBE FRS is a marine biologist who researches marine litter. At the University of Plymouth he is director of the Marine Institute; professor of Marine Biology; and leads the International Marine Litter Research Unit. Thompson coined the term "microplastics" in 2004

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  • Jonathan Leake (Environmental scientist)

    Jonathan Leake

    Environmental scientist

    Freelance national media journalist and editor specialising in science, the environment and climate change. Former environment editor of the Sunday Times.

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