Human-Produced Plastics: Counterproductive to Ecological Shalom?

Wednesday, February 28, 2018, 1:302:15 p.m.

Sarah Richart, PhD, Biology and Chemistry

The development of plastics in the early 20th century provided cheap, durable, lightweight, and disposable material that revolutionized many sectors of modern life, including transportation and medicine. But as a synthetic material, there are not well-established natural mechanisms for plastic biodegradation. As a result, plastics have accumulated in unintended places, such as the world’s oceans, and have negatively affected a number of animals, particularly sea creatures and birds. This presentation introduces the science of plastics and their effects on the nonhuman parts of Creation, and explores some of the ethical and theological concerns connected to plastics and their usage.

Location

John and Marilyn Duke Academic Complex, Room 118
701 E. Foothill Blvd.
Azusa, CA 91702
View Map