Ocean Plastic: Pollution and Politics – An Update

Featured Speaker: Carl Nettleton

The international ocean-plastic crisis is accelerating,
with 11 million metric tons of plastic reaching the
ocean each year and increasing. Less than one
percent of plastic reaches the ocean from the shores
of the U.S. As much as 70 percent reaches the sea
from five countries in Asia. Less than nine percent
of plastic waste is recycled. An ambitious effort to
complete an international plastic treaty by the end of
2024 is underway, but a timely and effective treaty
is far from emerging. This talk will give an update on
the deepening crisis and the state of the UN treaty.

Presenter Biography

Carl Nettleton is an award-winning
writer, speaker, and subject-matter expert
regarding water, climate, sustainability, the
ocean, and binational U.S.-Mexico border affairs.
Nettleton Strategies, the consultancy he founded
in 2007, is a trusted source of analysis and
advice on issues at the forefront of public policy,
business, and the environment. He also founded
Open Oceans Global, an international nonprofit
addressing the ocean plastic crisis. Open Oceans
publishes a monthly newsletter, The Transition,
which updates readers on people and progress in
addressing ocean plastic.

Coordinator: Kamesh Gupta