Best Short Documentary:
Oceanside International Film Festival

Official Selection:
Cleveland International Film Festival USA
Transitions Film Festival AUS

Best Short Documentary:
Oceanside International Film Festival

Official Selection:
Cleveland International Film Festival USA
Transitions Film Festival AUS
Greenpoint Film Festival NYC
Australian Environmental Film Festival
Sustainable Living Festival AUS

After hearing about expansive amounts of plastic waste in every ocean, Port Phillip bay-keeper Neil Blake discovers the sands of his local beaches are also insidiously turning into a kind of micro-plastic confetti. In his journey to measure just how far plastics have invaded the bay, Blake finds his community is eager to help before its diverse ecology is lost.

Similarly to the infamous midway albatross, 100% of the mutton birds off the eastern coast of Australia have now been found to contain plastic remnants within their stomachs. By studying the birds' crucial breading ground, biologist Jennifer Lavers' research into the digestive blockage, and severe toxicological effects, helps to strengthen the bay-keeper's concern to keep the plastic pollution from ever reaching the Port Phillip Bay shore.

Despite local prevention systems in place, plastic rubbish continues to cover beaches, sometime leading to entanglement, ingestion, and possible death of endemic species. Teams of scientist, and locals alike, work tirelessly clear beaches and waterways. In the face of this daunting task, Neil Blake is driven by his passion to follow aboriginal traditions looking after land and its bay. With his grandchildren near and their future in mind, he knows inaction is not an option.

With generous help and support from:
Boon Wurrung Foundation, Ricketts Point Marine Care

Including:
Take 3 (Clean Beach), 2 Hands Project, Melbourne Zoo, Polperro Dolphin Swims, EPA marine specialist Randall Lee, Dr. Jennifer Lavers, Dr. Kate Charlton, Gio Fitzpatrick and Neil Blake.

Music by Beautiful Change

Shot, Directed & Produced by Michael J. Lutman
Executive Producer Neil Blake
Produced by Patricia Acuna
Edited by Manuel Mejia Perez
Sound Design Craig Jansson
Colourist Kali Bateman

Contact Info:

Michael J. Lutman Producer/Director
info@lutmanfilms.com

Help us caption & translate this video!

http://amara.org/v/FyhZ/

The Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: Path to COP30 and Beyond, hosted by the Women’s Earth and Climate Network (WECAN) from June 23-28, 2025, featured a panel titled

The Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: Path to COP30 and Beyond, hosted by the Women’s Earth and Climate Network (WECAN) from June 23-28, 2025, featured a panel titled “Implementing the Escazu Agreement: Protecting Women Land Defenders and the Defense of Nature in Latin America & the Caribbean.” This session, held on June 27th, included distinguished panelists such as Patricia Madrigal Cordero, Ruth Spencer, Fany Kuiru Castro, and Patricia Gualinga.

The virtual Assembly brought together over 125 grassroots women leaders, advocates, and policymakers from 50 countries. Across 25 panels, participants shared diverse strategies for a healthy and just world, with interpretation in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Resources from the panel and Assembly are available here. Learn more about the Assembly here.

Decades of commercial overfishing and bottom trawling have devastated Scotland's west coast waters. Patagonia Films' "The Custodians" follows four local Scots reclaiming their natural coastlines,

Decades of commercial overfishing and bottom trawling have devastated Scotland's west coast waters. Patagonia Films' "The Custodians" follows four local Scots reclaiming their natural coastlines, restoring wildlife, creating sustainable industries, and demonstrating how to work with, not against, our ocean.

Committed to combating extinction, Patagonia leverages its business and resources for environmental action. Learn more about the film and its mission at patagonia.com/oceans.

An Escazú COP1 Side Event brought together women policymakers, Indigenous leaders, and human rights defenders to address the critical challenges faced by women land defenders protecting their

An Escazú COP1 Side Event brought together women policymakers, Indigenous leaders, and human rights defenders to address the critical challenges faced by women land defenders protecting their communities from extractive industries. Discussions highlighted the implications and opportunities presented by the Escazú Agreement, a historic multilateral treaty focused on safeguarding the rights and participation of land defenders.

Prominent figures, including Indigenous leaders from Ecuador and Brazil, along with environmental advocates, shared their insights. The event underscored the agreement's vital role in empowering these women and ensuring their crucial work in defending territories and human rights is recognized and supported.

Plastics are ubiquitous, found in electronics, food packaging, and home insulation. Their total mass now doubles that of all living organisms, impacting Earth's climate systems.

Plastic

Plastics are ubiquitous, found in electronics, food packaging, and home insulation. Their total mass now doubles that of all living organisms, impacting Earth's climate systems.

Plastic pollution researcher Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez details the consequences of plastic production, from fossil fuel extraction to the disposal of single-use items in landfills and oceans. Acknowledging this pervasive problem is the crucial first step toward addressing it.

Communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change and air pollution. We will hear from Rev. Louis Tillman, Senior Pastor of St. Philip's Evangelical Lutheran Church in

Communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change and air pollution. We will hear from Rev. Louis Tillman, Senior Pastor of St. Philip's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baltimore, about his work in these communities. Thais Lopez Vogel, Co-Founder of VoLo Foundation, will discuss their environmental justice projects, including her creation of Florida Climate Week. Her full bio is available here: VoLo Foundation Team.

Patricia Rubio, CCL Diversity and Inclusion Program Coordinator, supports effective communications and transformative justice. Her background as an Environmental Educator helps unite people with nature and foster connections with indigenous flora and fauna.

Not all green solutions are created equal. Many eco-friendly alternatives, from corn-based biofuels to biodegradable plastics, promise to save the planet—but do they truly deliver? In this

Not all green solutions are created equal. Many eco-friendly alternatives, from corn-based biofuels to biodegradable plastics, promise to save the planet—but do they truly deliver? In this engaging talk, sustainability researcher and Georgia Tech professor Patricia Stathatou shares a powerful 3-question framework to cut through the hype and assess the true environmental impact of emerging technologies. Drawing on surprising case studies, such as the unintended consequences of ethanol and the progress of electric vehicles, she reveals how to evaluate products and policies across their full lifecycle, from production to disposal.

As an assistant professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech, Patricia specializes in sustainable water and energy systems, working to redefine their design and assessment. Her research, featured in Forbes and WSB-TV, integrates life cycle and techno-economic assessments with real-world data to drive sustainability. With a doctorate from the National Technical University of Athens and postdoctoral research at MIT, she has also contributed to international standards, including marine fuel guidelines for the International Maritime Organization, accelerating the transition to cleaner technologies and more sustainable environmental solutions.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx.