by Dawn Mazzone
Plastics are Everywhere! Micro, Macro and Nano – not just the plastics we see, but also the plastics we do not see except in scientific investigation.
On October 22, the West Chester University Office of Sustainability and the West Chester Green Team hosted two panelists to discuss their scientific findings, at an event introduced by Bradley Flamm, Director of that Office, and moderated by Cheryl Wanko, professor of English and Sustainability. It was not good news.
Elliott Arnold, professor of Earth and Space Sciences, and Megan Fork, professor of Biology, shared how the microscopic fibers of polyester, a plastic that makes up so much of our clothing, is pervasive in our local waterways, in the soil beneath us and in the air. Microplastic dust coats objects, even the outside of petri dishes, in their labs; and studies across the country and the world show the plastic particles everywhere, even in the most pristine streams.
The audience questions centered around a hope for solutions. Efforts from the young people were the most hopeful. Their tabling at the event to educate us on alternatives to plastic waste and their initiative in writing to companies urging them to install filters to capture polyester strands from the exhaust of dryers point to areas that can reduce the proliferation of further damage in the future. Three teens received the West Chester Green Team’s first Teen Leadership Awards at the event: Misaki Nagai, Yashvi Kiran and Asher Mazzone.
The WCGT Environmental Leadership Award was awarded to Rachael Griffith, Sustainability Director at the Chester County Planning Commission, for building a local network of environmental groups and her strong support for the community’s environmental needs. Her inspiring acceptance speech emphasized the essential role of the public sector, including the County, in promoting open space and sustainability.
