Lecture by Dr. Thomas Mani and discussion with members of Die Junge Akademie.

Long since plastics have dominated the materials of our everyday life. From toothbrushes to mobile phones to cars - the high plastic content of an almost infinite range of products is obvious. While around 1.5 million tons of plastic were produced globally in the 1950s, today the figure is already over 400 million tons. The more than 250-fold increase within 70 years testifies to an overwhelming triumph on the world market.

Die Junge Akademie aims to shed light on the human influence on the Earth's ecosystem. On this account the environmental scientist Dr. Thomas Mani will give a lecture on the man-made phenomenon of microplastic and its consequences on 18 October 2019 from 18:00-20:00. This lecture is a part of the event series "KlimaLectures" held by Die Junge Akademie.

Dr. Thomas Mani is British-Swiss, he studied geography and sustainable development in Basel and wrote his doctoral thesis on plastic pollution in river and marine environments. He has been a guest scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research and was on an expedition to the Antarctic with the research vessel Polarstern. Mani is currently advising various environmental organisations on microplastic issues. He currently works for the Swiss environmental NGO Pusch in Zurich.

Further information about the event can be found on the website.

The event is open to all interested parties and participation is free of charge.