Plastic Podcast

How does a global plastics treaty get negotiated? Researcher Tara Olsen joins host Clark Marchese to explain the process, actors, and competing interests behind the United Nations effort to regulate plastic pollution. Using the road to the Busan negotiations as context, they discuss international environmental law, national sovereignty, industry and civil-society influence, and the difference between signing and ratifying a treaty. This evergreen UN plastic treaty guide focuses on how global environmental agreements are built and what determines whether they can deliver meaningful accountability.Episode Guests: Tara Olsen Connect with Tara Olsen here.More on the Scientist’s Coalition for an Effective Plastics TreatyFollow the treaty negotiations with CIEL Follow the treaty negotiations with IISD More information about the episode and the Plastic PodcastEpisode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website.Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmediaHosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. Theme music by Tadeo CabellosnmIrEoNgTpNsuezGnawp

Anti-plastic norms spread when health enters the story. Global health policy researcher Leah Shipton explains how local plastic bag bans developed into an international movement, with examples from early policy adopters including Bangladesh and Kenya. She and host Clark Marchese discuss norm entrepreneurs, industry opposition, media attention, policy learning, and the power of framing plastic pollution as a health issue. The episode traces the path from grassroots anti-plastic movements to global plastics governance and the negotiations for a United Nations treaty.Episode Guest: Leah ShiptonFind more information about Leah Shipton here. Find a link to Leah Shipton’s article here.Find more of Leah Shipton’s research on Google ScholarFollow Leah Shipton on XMore information about the episode and the Plastic PodcastEpisode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website.Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmediaHosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Cancer Alley links plastic production to public health. Dr. Kimberly Terrell and Gianna St. Julien of the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic explain research on toxic air pollution, cancer risk, and racial disparities along Louisiana’s petrochemical corridor. Host Clark Marchese examines environmental racism, the burden of proof placed on fenceline communities, and the grassroots groups seeking stronger protection and accountability. This case study connects petrochemical pollution, plastic production, public health, and environmental policy while showing how community-centered science can support advocacy.Episode Guests: Dr. Kimberly Terrell and Gianna St. JulienMore on the Tulane Environmental Law ClinicFind the Toxic Air Pollution Report hereFind the Racial Demographic Report hereMore on the Louisiana Bucket Brigade More on Rise St. JamesMore on Concerned Citizens of St. JohnPine Forest Media Something in the Water episode on plastic hereMore information about the episode and the Plastic PodcastEpisode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website.Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmediaHosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos

Ocean garbage patches are also living habitats. Marine ecologist Dr. Mark Gibbons introduces neuston, the diverse organisms that live on or just below the ocean surface, from bluebottles and sea snails to fish eggs and larvae. He joins Plastic Podcast to explain research in the South Indian Ocean subtropical gyre, where floating life and plastic debris can occupy the same waters. The episode examines what scientists know, and still do not know, about neuston and plastic, with important implications for ocean cleanup proposals and marine conservation.Episode Guests: Dr. Mark GibbonsFind more information about Dr. Gibbons here. Find a link to Dr. Gibbon’s article here.Find more of Dr. Gibbon’s research on Google ScholarFind images of all the cool neuston we talked about today here. More information about the episode and the Plastic PodcastEpisode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website.Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmediaHosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Tourism creates more plastic waste than travelers see. Green marketing and sustainable development researcher Dr. Farzana Quoquab explains why plastic consumption often rises in popular destinations and why responsibility cannot rest on tourists alone. The episode explores the roles of hotels, businesses, governments, infrastructure, and consumer behavior, with examples from Malaysia, the Maldives, and other tourism economies. The episode connects plastic pollution and tourism with sustainable travel, single-use plastic reduction, and the coordinated changes needed to protect destinations and local communities.Episode Guests: Dr. Farzana Quoquab Find more information about Dr. Quoquab here. Find a link to Dr. Quoquab’s article here.Find more of Dr. Quoquab’s research on Google Scholar and Research GateFind the article about Cape Town, beach pollution, and the impact on the local economy here. More information about the episode and the Plastic PodcastEpisode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media websiteFollow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmediaHosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Ocean plastic hotspots are not where maps expect. Dr. Annika Jahnke and researcher Robby Rynek bring Plastic Podcast aboard a Pacific research expedition from Vancouver to Singapore. They explain how scientists sample macroplastics and microplastics, why currents create shifting concentrations, and what surprising measurements reveal about Pacific Ocean plastic pollution. Rather than declaring one particle size the greater threat, the episode shows how different plastics move through marine environments and why better plastic pollution mapping is essential for research and policy.Episode Guests: Dr. Annika Jahnke and Robby RynekFind a link to Dr. Annika Jahnke and Robby Rynek’s project hereFind a link to Dr. Annika Jahnke and Robby Rynek’s article hereMore information about the episode and the Plastic PodcastEpisode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media WebsiteFollow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmediaHosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos