Bag It!

Made by: David Ellebrecht

Part I:

Introduction

What is “Bag It” about?

Click here to see a summary of the movie, “Bag It.”

What you missed from the video?

Summary:- How Jeb, the main character,discusses the negatives of plastic baguse, and how it negatively effects theenvironment, and cities alike.

- “Bag It” also covers the effects of recycling, and if it actually has a positive affect on the world.

- Later, it discusses the effects the chemicals in lotions, shampoos, and even toys in young children, for example discussing the studies that relate BPA to ADHD in children.

What you missed from the video?

What is the message of the film?

SIMPLIFY

Don't use as much plastic.

Don't buy as much pre-packaged food.

Re-use what you already have.

Look at the ingredients in products before you purchase.

The Evaluation of Sources

Part II:

Source Evaluation: Interviews

- The interviews were incredibly persuasive.

- They were from mostly reliable resources, for example:

- CEO of Geneplast- San Francisco Department of Environment.- Director of the Pacific Institute- President of Seattle City Council- Natural Resources Defense Council- National Geographic Explorer

Source Evaluation: Interviews

Problems with their sources:

Very few qualified people who were interviewed actually used statistics to support their argument Many just stated their opinions, which were not as persuasive.

- Interviewed Peter Cayote with regards to the importance of the environment.

Why is he a bad source? He is an actor, not an environmental expert.

Source Evaluation: Interviews

Source Evaluation: Statistics

- The statistics that were used were phenomenal. They were very strong statements, such as, “Each person used 800 pounds of plastic per year.”

Why did the not live up to their full potential?

- If we don't know who said them. How do we know if it is credible?

They were not cited.

MLAFormat

Part III:  

How effective was the film with its audience and how the audience 

responded?

Effectiveness?

The film was very effective, however how effective exactly depended on your purpose for seeing the movie, as well as your beliefs... 

­  If you went into the movie looking to reaffirm your beliefs on plastic bags:

­  It was very successful, because it reaffirmed all beliefs, and exposed you to other points to help reinforce your argument  

Effectiveness?

­  If you went in with different beliefs:

It was still successful, however faults in the argument were more evident, as well as lack of evidence from the other points of view.

Effectiveness?

Desired Response:

­  The film's desired message was to show people the harm that plastics, chemicals, and lack of common sense in regards to these elements effect the environment, children, and the world around us.  

­ They want people to understand that by focusing on simplicity, and then the basic rules, such as reducing, re­using, and recycling, they can aid in the relief of this situation.  

My Response

­  The movie did not have enough scientific support, that was supported properly to convince me that plastic bags should be banned all over, as well as some baby lotions, shampoos, etc.

­  The movie did not include any perspectives that differed from their own, making it a verybiased source for information.

­  This movie did not include any studies regarding the beneficial uses of plastic, the bio­techonology that eats plastic, the convenience behind plastic, and the practicality of these types of shampoo.

My Response

Part IV

Discussion ofEssential Questions

What role does the individual play in the modern world?

Each individual has an effect on the world around them. 

 Each person that recycles, for example, can save hundreds of pounds of plastic a year.  With 6 billion people in the world, this adds up quickly. 

The role of the individual:  Act as if you are the role model for all humans.  

Is truth dependent upon place, culture, and time?

Truth is not dependent on place, culture and time. The truth is always the truth, even if it is unknown.

What does change is how people want to perceive, or pursue the truth.

- For example, if there is a truth that someone wants to remain unknown, they can deny it, also known as selective ignorance.

How have human choices had a local and global impact?

Human choices are what define the world around us.  If everyone makes the same choices, the faults in the decisions become more evident.

Let's use throwing plastic bags on the ground for example...

What would happen in: 

St. Louis:  St. Louis' environment would look dreadful.  Plastic bags would be blowing around the streets, and lakes and rivers would have bags in them.  

This would look bad, and have a slight problem with the ecosystem, but no big problem that isn't fixable.

 

How have human choices had a local and global impact?

  In the United States:

                                          ­  The rivers and lakes                                         in the United States 

 would be full of garbage.   fish and other wildlife

     would start to become extinct.  

 ­  This would have an impact on the oceans    around the world, and effect other    countries.

World:  

­  Resources of meat and fish would soon be completely gone due to the lack of environment caused by the plastic bags.

­  Streets would be full of garbage, eventually collecting all of cities.

There would be no natural environment, leading the extinction 

of everything.

Effects

*It is necessary to act like you are the role model for everyone.

*Human choices flow from generation to generation, and country to country.

*Your choices effect not only yourself, but others from many different ages and backgrounds.

Part V

Conclusion

Questions left unanswered:

­  What does happen when we recycle an object?

­  What do pro­plastic bag users think?  What are the pros of plastic bag use?

­  What percent of people recycle?  What percent of objects recycled are actually recycled and brought back into the system?

Concluding ideas and Questions

­  Would the argument have been as effective if they would have included the opposite points of view?

­  How can new bio­technology be used to help clean up the oceans and landfills?

Follow Up

­  For more information on “Bag It”  Click here

- For more information on the biotechnology surrounding plastic bags, click here

- For information about other countries who have banned plastic bags, click here

­  To see if recycling is really worth it, click here