Ziya Tong: Shiny Plastic People

The Jann Arden Podcast

Ziya Tong returns to the show this week! In case you're not familiar, she is an award-winning author and broadcaster, best known for her work with Discovery’s flagship science show, Daily Planet, and NOVA ScienceNow on PBS. She is the author of the best-selling book The Reality Bubble, which was shortlisted for Canada’s most prestigious non-fiction literary prize, and won the Lane Anderson Award for best science writing. Ziya served as the Vice Chair of WWF Canada and currently serves as a trustee of WWF International. Ziya co-directed a new documentary called Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics with Ben Addelman, and she stars alongside Executive Producer Rick Smith.

"We live in a time where some of our greatest threats are invisible. Like the climate crisis, microplastic pollution cannot be: it spans the globe, chokes up rivers and animals, and insidiously infiltrates the human body. As a science journalist and author, I have been reporting on the threat of plastic for almost two decades and believe that now more than ever, we need to reveal the connection between planetary health and human health, which is why I’ve put my own body on the line for the “Plastic People” project. As part of my journey, I will test my own home, my own food, and even my own feces for microplastics. We are very fortunate to also have a world-first for this project, as we meet surgeons and scientists who are probing the human brain to reveal whether microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier. The results of testing here will be incredibly significant."

Jann, Caitlin and Ziya discuss the dangers of microplastics in our bodies and the environment. Ziya shares that microplastics are found everywhere, including in our blood, placenta, and even the human brain. They discuss the impacts to our health such as increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and cancer. Ziya emphasizes the need for individual and collective action to reduce plastic consumption and advocates for joining organizations that are working towards solving the plastics crisis.

Ziya and her team are still raising money for the documentary's impact campaign and they plan to release a podcast to delve deeper into the dark secrets and stories of the plastics industry. You can support the campaign HERE.

You can even plan your own screening for this important documentary HERE.

Find an upcoming screening near you:

Vancouver

May 24 - VIFF Centre

May 25 - Rio Theatre

May 25 - VIFF Centre

May 26 - VIFF Centre

May 29 - VIFF Centre

Toronto

May 28 - The Royal Theatre

June 1 - Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

June 2 - Revue Cinema

June 11 - Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

St. Catherine's, Ontario

June 25 & 30 - The Film House

Stream the documentary HERE.

Jann also wanted to share the link to the donut shop she mentioned in this episode, Donut Party.

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