Main Claim

LET'S PRACTICE MAIN CLAIM

As you read, think of the main claim

Plastic production globally is expected to be more than 300 million tons, half of which we’ll use just once . . . and then throw away. By 2050, when the population explodes to almost ten billion people, it’s expected that plastic production will triple. The problem with that is that today only a fraction of the plastic that we produce is recycled. The rest ends up in our environment, and it’s coating our land and our oceans like a disease. 

Open Ended

What was the main claim?

Plastic production globally is expected to be more than 300 million tons, half of which we’ll use just once . . . and then throw away. By 2050, when the population explodes to almost ten billion people, it’s expected that plastic production will triple. The problem with that is that today only a fraction of the plastic that we produce is recycled. The rest ends up in our environment, and it’s coating our land and our oceans like a disease. 

As you read, think of the main claim

TANYA: Scientists estimate that there are more than five trillion pieces of plastic afloat in our oceans worldwide.

CRAIG: There is no floating island of plastic. What exists is far more insidious. What exists is a kind of plastic smog. These tiny pieces of plastic that are floating on the surface of the ocean come from larger pieces. Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet light, ocean wave action, and salt break it up into smaller pieces called microplastics. Microplastics have rough, pitted surfaces. Waterborne chemicals from industry and agriculture stick to microplastics, making them toxic poison pills. (27:27–28:14)

Open Ended

What was the main claim?

TANYA: Scientists estimate that there are more than five trillion pieces of plastic afloat in our oceans worldwide.

CRAIG: There is no floating island of plastic. What exists is far more insidious. What exists is a kind of plastic smog. These tiny pieces of plastic that are floating on the surface of the ocean come from larger pieces. Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet light, ocean wave action, and salt break it up into smaller pieces called microplastics. Microplastics have rough, pitted surfaces. Waterborne chemicals from industry and agriculture stick to microplastics, making them toxic poison pills. (27:27–28:14)

As you read, think of the main claim

CRAIG: We put a call to action out

on Facebook: Go to your local beach, this is what you’re looking for. These are the bags, these are the pellets.

...

Sinopec sent down people from their head offices. They had general managers on the beaches.

...

Once you let people know what the problem is, people have their own ideas and can contribute their own ingenuity to help solve the problem. The people of Hong Kong realized the severity of the problem, and just came out in their masses to help, and that is something that I will never, ever forget. (39:11–40:29)

Open Ended

What was the main claim?

CRAIG: We put a call to action out

on Facebook: Go to your local beach, this is what you’re looking for. These are the bags, these are the pellets.

...

Sinopec sent down people from their head offices. They had general managers on the beaches.

...

Once you let people know what the problem is, people have their own ideas and can contribute their own ingenuity to help solve the problem. The people of Hong Kong realized the severity of the problem, and just came out in their masses to help, and that is something that I will never, ever forget. (39:11–40:29)

As you read, think of the main claim

TANYA: You can’t go anywhere without seeing food wrapped in plastic. You can’t go to a restaurant without, you know, takeout boxes being in plastic, hot foods going into plastic. You can’t go to a restaurant without, you know, takeout boxes being in plastic, hot foods going into plastic. My answer there is, well, demand safer plastic. (1:18:30–1:18:33)

Open Ended

What was the main claim?

TANYA: You can’t go anywhere without seeing food wrapped in plastic. You can’t go to a restaurant without, you know, takeout boxes being in plastic, hot foods going into plastic. You can’t go to a restaurant without, you know, takeout boxes being in plastic, hot foods going into plastic. My answer there is, well, demand safer plastic. (1:18:30–1:18:33)