Informing Advocacy Through Scientific Analysis: The Plastics-Climate Connection

Abstract:

UCSC GEOPATHS is an NSF-supported initiative to improve student success in the geosciences, driven by a desire to broaden participation. One component of the program is undergraduate student internships that provide authentic, career-relevant experiences – across all employment sectors – to increase student engagement in the geoscience pipeline.

My GEOPATHS Internship at UCSC through Ocean Conservancy in Santa Cruz focused on a literature review to understand how greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastics affect climate, from the extraction of petrochemicals to end of life. Plastic manufacturing is a rapidly growing industry, projected to increase by 3.8% every year through 2030, and the full climate impact is not yet completely understood, nor often taken into consideration in climate policy. Analysis of cumulative emissions of the plastic life cycle and an understanding of the production process from a mechanistic perspective will better inform future advocacy work. This internship provided opportunities to improve my scientific writing and communication skills and to develop a professional work ethic while interning virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. I will share the results of my project and experiences in the program.