The Slow Travels of Ocean Plastics Explorer Emily Penn
Emily Penn is a British sailor and the co-founder of eXXpedition - a series of all-women voyages exploring the impacts of plastics and toxins in our oceans. "The only way to reduce the potential impacts on human health and the environment is to reduce consumption," she says. But where to begin? For the next two years, a total of 300 women will sail around the world on eXXpedition's voyages of discovery, to look deep into what's going on with plastic in our oceans, and try to come up with solutions. Why XX? Women are underrepresented in science and sailing - the XX in the title refers to the female sex chromosome. But it's the impacts these toxins might have on women that will blow your mind. Could plastic pollution be gender discriminatory? Could women suffer greater effects from it than men? Remember, pollution can bio-accumulate - the fish eat the plastic, and we eat the fish. We know that, but there is much we remain in the dark about. Of the estimated 700 contaminants in our bodies, many have barely been researched. Don't forget to check the shownotes for all links and further reading.