Bottled water has a far-reaching plastic problem. Dr. Elena Berg examines why the water bottle became a symbol of plastic pollution, while making clear that bottled water is only one part of a much larger system. Anti-plastic activist Malia Elder connects plastic production, consumption, and waste to environmental racism and the unequal burdens carried by different communities. Plastics researcher Dr. Sherri Mason explains how microplastics enter bottled and tap water, what her drinking water research found, and why filters or individual consumer choices cannot solve the problem alone. Together, the conversations connect water, plastic pollution, and environmental justice without using fear or treating one industry as the sole culprit.
Episode Guests: Dr. Sherri Mason and Malia Elder
Find more information about Dr. Mason here and browse her publications on Research Gate.
More information about the episode and Something in the Water here.
Episode transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website
Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia
Hosted by Elena Berg
Written and produced by Elena Berg and Clark Marchese
Audio Editing by Clark Marchese
Cover art by Sarah Glavan
Theme Music by Josef Salvat
","author_name":"Pine Forest Media | Environmental Science Podcasts"}