Podcast: We The Children

Episode: Episode 8

Welcome to the We The Children podcast, the podcast where kids talk climate change! The show is hosted by your resident kid, Zachary James. He may be 11 years old, but he has big concerns for our future - concerns about how decades and even centuries of our forebears have done damage to our planet and profited at the expense of our future. Each week, we will discuss the most pressing climate issues and meet climate warriors who are working to protect our planet. You’ll get wacky weather reports, play fun trivia games, and learn ways that you can make a difference in your community. We may not have all the answers, but we will fight for climate solutions! 

Today’s episode is all about the ocean with Emily Parker, a Marine Scientist with Heal the Bay, a Los Angeles-based organization working to remove plastics from the Pacific coastline. Emily shares that ever since she was a little girl, she knew she wanted to do something to help the ocean. She grew up in New England and likes to say that she has saltwater in her veins. While science and education were always careers of interest, Emily knew what she really wanted to do was protect the ocean. Her role at Heal the Bay is to use her scientific knowledge to help improve laws surrounding our oceans.

The Ocean provides much more than most people even realize. For example, 1 in 7 people on Earth get their primary source of food from our oceans. About 70% of the oxygen we breathe in comes from phytoplankton in the ocean. When plastic ends up in the ocean, it is often mistaken by wildlife as food, wreaking havoc on their bodies and making its way back up the food chain. It is clogging our landfills, contributing to climate change, littering our environments and making us sick. After a wacky weather report on understanding the role of clouds, Emily explains source reduction and how it can be used to reduce plastic waste. Aside from focusing on reusables, another easy step we can take towards reducing plastics in our ocean is to simply talk about the problem. By making it a more well known topic, we’re more likely to get solutions.

Then, Emily and Zachary engage in a round of plastic-related trivia. Finally, Zachary leaves listeners with an action step of the week: write letters to your local politicians about your concerns surrounding single-used plastic. Figure out who you want to write to here, introduce yourself to your legislator, then explain what you want to change and why. 

Links:

Learn more about Emily Parker and Heal the Bay.

Learn more about We The Children.

Reach out to us @wethechildrenpodcast

Thanks for listening! And always remember, if we act together, we the children, can inspire hope and create change for our climate!

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