‘Bag It’ documentary film at St. Peter’s summer program Aug. 4
An award-winning American documentary film exposing the effects of plastic bags and plastic consumer merchandise on land ecosystems, the marine environment and human life will be the next presentation in the 14-week Summer Spirituality Series at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lewes, Thursday, Aug. 4.
“Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?” will be shown by St. Peter’s environmental Green Team in the church, located at Second and Market streets, at 7 p.m. A discussion led by Dee Durham, co-chair and co-founder of BringYourOwnBag Delaware, Stephanie Herron of the Sierra Club, and Nancy Cabrera-Santos, chair of the Inland Bays Foundation, will follow, and the evening will conclude with ice cream served by members of the Green Team.
Americans use hundreds of thousands of plastic bags each day - single-use, disposable bags that are mindlessly discarded. But where do bags and other plastics end up and at what cost to our environment, marine life and human health?
Green Team leader Trish Baines, a member of the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute, says the film is an important reminder that lifestyles adversely affect marine life and birds along the Atlantic coast. Some scientists studying the environment estimate that about 100,000 marine animal and bird deaths each year are caused by plastics.
The documentary follows Jeb Berrier, an average American, who decides to examine society’s love affair with plastics. His journey starts with simple questions: Are plastic bags really necessary? What are plastic bags made from? What happens to plastic bags after they are discarded?
While he explores the effects of plastic bags, he decides to stop using them when his wife becomes pregnant. As he continues his research, he discovers that plastics contain chemicals that can adversely affect newborn babies, and he examines other illnesses that have been linked to the widespread use of plastics.
The film concludes with a review of recycling labels and shows how citizens and consumers can minimize the harmful impact of plastic by reducing its use.
“I have taught environmental science for many years and have long been frustrated at not finding film material that mixes accurate, relevant content with humor and an everyman perspective. ‘Bag It’ strikes this balance pitch-perfect,” says college professor Kevin Gurney of Arizona, who holds advanced degrees in atmospheric science, ecology, and public policy.
The film received the Best of Festival Award from the Blue Oceans Film Festival and Audience Choice Awards from the Princeton Environmental Film Festival, the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival and Mountainfilm in Telluride, Colo.
The Green Team will show a 45-minute version of the film, which was originally produced and is also available in a 78-minute format. On Aug. 11, the Rev. Larry Hofer will speak on “God and the World of a 747 Pilot.”
For a list of speakers at the Summer Spirituality Series that continues until Sept. 2, go to www.stpeterslewes.org.
