THE STORY OF STUFF PROJECT
THE STORY OF PLASTIC takes a sweeping look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people who inhabit it. Spanning three continents, the film illustrates the ongoing catastrophe: fields full of garbage, veritable mountains of trash, rivers and seas clogged with waste, and skies choked with the poisonous emissions from plastic production and processing.
THE STORY OF PLASTIC features interviews with experts and activists on the front lines of the fight, revealing the disastrous consequences of the flood of plastic smothering ecosystems and poisoning communities around the world, and the global movement that is rising up in response. With engaging original animation, archival industry footage beginning in the 1930s, and first-person accounts of the unfolding emergency, the film distills a complex problem that is increasingly affecting the planet’s and its residents’ well-being.
Mission
Donations to The Story of Stuff Project are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law in the United States.
The Story of Plastic, our first feature-length documentary,
has been years in the making.
Now, we’re just weeks away from its global premiere.
Learn about the three ways to watch the film – including
virtual community screenings.
Finally, action items for you, and
what to expect from us!
Let’s get down to it!
THREE WAYS TO WATCH
Here’s how you can watch The Story of Plastic, whether you’re an individual viewer or a group interested in organizing around the film:
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- BROADCAST (US) – Tune in on Earth Day, April 22, at 2:00 pm on Discovery Channel (same local time on both coasts).
BROADCAST (International) – The Story of Plastic will be broadcast on Discovery network affiliates in 134 countries and territories. Each of those affiliates makes independent programming decisions and announcements. We are working with Discovery to compile those programming details, and will publish them at storyofplastic.org/watch as they come in. You can also check your local Discovery Channel’s programming schedule directly. - DIGITAL – The Story of Plastic will pre-premiere on the DiscoveryGo subscription streaming service on April 15. It will also be available to rent on video-on-demand services like iTunes and Amazon following the April 22 television broadcast.
- VIRTUAL COMMUNITY SCREENINGS – We hope and expect that many members of The Story of Stuff Project community will watch the film by JOINING a virtual screening organized by a group in their region or by HOSTING a virtual screening for your own community. Keep reading for more details about these online events!
- BROADCAST (US) – Tune in on Earth Day, April 22, at 2:00 pm on Discovery Channel (same local time on both coasts).
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY SCREENINGS
Why virtual? The coronavirus pandemic has halted in-person gatherings for most of the world. However, it hasn’t put a stop to our work as a movement to shift the narrative about plastic pollution and work for solutions to this crisis. Virtual screenings will make it possible to achieve both reach and impact while staying home.
How do virtual screenings work? Virtual screenings will be free to organize and attend. Screening hosts register their event and will be provided with a secure link to stream the film online. This secure link will expire at the end of the viewing window set by the host, or after a maximum of 200 views. Subtitles will be available in Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian, Danish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (simplified and traditional), Polish, Portuguese (European and Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese. To volunteer to create subtitles in a language not listed here, please contact Brett at <brett@storyofstuff.org>.
Screening hosts will manage invitations and RSVPs for their event, and will provide the streaming link to “attendees.” We also ask that hosts also facilitate a discussion, panel, Q&A, or call to action via a group video platform like Zoom. We’ll provide hosts with a more detailed virtual screening organizing guide after they register their event – plus additional resources including Promotional Graphics, an Action Guide, FAQ & Industry Myths, Social Media Toolkit, and Press Kit.
Who can organize a virtual screening? Virtual community screenings are open to everyone! Individuals can organize a virtual screening for their friends and family. Groups can hold a virtual screening for supporters and stakeholders. Teachers can create a virtual screening for their students.Together, we can spread this film’s important messages far and wide!
When will these occur?
Virtual community screenings begin on Earth Day, April 22.
We are focusing our efforts around a “push period”
from Earth Day until World Oceans Day on June 8.
Community screenings will also continue after that date.
What are my next steps?
If you are interested in HOSTING a virtual screening, please fill out *this form*. You’ll get a response with more info and next steps from our partners at PictureMotion, a documentary impact agency helping us with the logistics of these virtual events.
If you want to JOIN a public, virtual screening organized by another group, stay tuned! We’ll be publishing a directory of virtual events that you can tune in to at storyofplastic.org/watch before April 22!
ACTION ITEMS
What you can do
- WATCH AND SHARE the brand-new trailer, featuring a new single by Jackson Browne! It’s on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
- Start making plans to HOST a virtual community screening and fill out the intake form when you’re ready to move on to the next step!
- STAY TUNED for more updates via email, on our social media channels, and at storyofplastic.org
What to expect from us
- More details about international broadcasts as soon as we receive them
- Invitations to JOIN a community screening in your region
- Remote learning curriculum for educators from our partners at Algalita
JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
The Story of Stuff Project runs on donations from people like you. Please make a one-time contribution, or better yet, sustain our work by signing up to be a monthly donor. Any amount makes a difference!
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Earth Day Live will feature a three-day livestream where millions of people can join activists, celebrities, musicians, and more in an epic moment of community and hope for the future.
STRIKE, DIVEST, AND VOTE
FOR OUR FUTURE!
From April 22 – the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – to April 24…
The fights against the coronavirus and the climate crisis go hand-in-hand, and as we work to flatten the curve of this pandemic, we must strive toward the longer term goal of building a society rooted in sustainability and justice.
FIND A LOCAL LIVESTREAM
https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/
The Earth Day Live stream will be viewable on this website and will be the full user experience. In addition, it will be simulcast across major streaming platforms such as Facebook Live, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Twitch to engage with broader audiences. Partner organizations and an extensive network of major websites will be embedding the live stream as well.
PARTICIPANTS
Featuring Al Gore • Amanda Palmer • Amber Valletta • Angela Rye • Angelique Kidjo • Bill McKibben • Chef Alexandra Shrader • Chef Dominique Crenn • Daniel Fernandez • David Wallace Wells • DJ Spooky • Dr Michael Greger • Dr. Sweta Chakraborty • Ed Begley Jr. • Emily Wells • Ilyasah Shabazz • Jack Johnson • Jameela Jamil • Jason Mraz • Joaquin Phoenix • John Kerry • Kathryn Budig • Lil Dicky • Lisa Edelstein • Local Natives • Louie Schwartzberg • Luke Baines • Madame Gandhi • Margaret Klein Salamon • Mark Ruffalo • Mary Heglar • Matt McGorry • Megan Boone • Michael Franti • Moby • Monica Dogra • Mustafa Santiago Ali • Nahko the Bear • Ndaba Mandela • Patricia Arquette • Patrisse Cullors • Questlove • Rep. Lauren Underwood • Rep. Ted Lieu • Reverend Dr. William Barber II • Robby Romero • Rosanna Arquette • Secretary John Kerry • Sharon Carpenter • Shepard Fairey • Soul Clap • Stacey Abrams • Talib Kweli • The Both -w- Aimee Mann and Ted Leo • Tim Heidecker • Tony Revolori
And many more to be announced soon!
STRIKE – Earth Day and Youth Climate Strikes – April 22
On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we will demonstrate our collective power and unity through community building and storytelling. This first day will focus on amplifying the voice of indigenous leaders and youth climate activists who are leading the movement to halt the climate crisis
DIVEST – Divestment and Climate Financing – April 23
Led by Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition, during this day of action we are calling for a global reset. We want to reprogram the economy so that it works for people and the planet, not polluters and politicians.
VOTE – Voter Registration and Political Engagement – April 24
We need leaders who will address this existential threat. It’s critical for all of us to show up at the polls this year and vote for our future. So the final day will focus on the importance of voting through a nationwide youth voter registration day.
The US Climate Strike Coalition and Stop The Money Pipeline Coalition, who together are made up of over 500 organizations, have come together to organize Earth Day Live.
The US Climate Strike Coalition is a coalition of over 400 organizations that formed ahead of the September 20, 2019 climate strikes. Led by the leading youth-led climate organizations in the US, the coalition works intergenerationally and collaboratively to coordinate the Climate Strikes in the US.
Stop the Money Pipeline is a coalition of over 100 climate, environmental and Indigneous rights groups that is demanding that the financial sector stops funding the fossil fuel industry and deforestation, and starts respecting Indigenous sovereignty and human rights.
Webinar Registration
Apr 26, 2020 at 1:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Link to register for this: https://zoom.us/webinar/
A welcome letter from the host…
Greetings friends…
We’ve all got to follow best practices for staying safe and taking care of each other during the pandemic. This online gathering is about best practices for your inner life.
How can you rest in your own presence and non-reactivity? How can you open in compassion and let your heart’s intelligence guide your actions? How can you stay open to your experience – not grabbing onto your emotion but not bypassing it either? How can your struggles deepen your practice and bring forward new capacities?
This Being & Doing gathering will give you a chance to hear from some extraordinary, open-hearted, generous mentors. The teachers will all be live – guiding practices, taking questions and joining with you in a supportive field of collective presence. Use this opportunity to help you stay open and free inside of yourself, to nourish your resilience, and to connect with a powerful community of like-minded souls.
Jeff Charno, Being & Doing Host
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You can use this Awakening in the Midst video collection right away.
From Loch Kelly, Craig Hamilton, Diana Winston, Caverly Morgan
These aren’t ordinary guided meditations. These four short programs lead you directly into natural awakened awareness – a state of flow and effortless presence. Clarifying this in yourself is life changing and it’s easier than you think.
PRACTICING IN THE MIDST is a free two-day LIVE online gathering bringing together ten extraordinary and generous teachers with a community of thousands of people. Challenging times can be a powerful catalyst for personal and collective evolution. Come join us in practice.
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Awakening
You will learn to rest in your already awakened nature. A subtle shift opens you to freedom from the endless agitation of your mind. Touch into your deep heart and let it energize your actions.
Transformation
Inquiry, mindfulness, and radical acceptance can each open doorways into unseen dimensions of your soul. Release what isn’t serving you and let your true nature lead the day.
Connection
Feeling like separate beings is a mistaken perception. Our interdependence and connection, usually buried in the background, has become more palpable than ever. We’re in these lives
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Teaching Schedule for the Live Gathering
Talks, Practices and Q&A
MONDAY – May 11th, 2020:
MAY 11 @ 12:00 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Effortless Mindfulness Teacher, Psychotherapist, and Author
“The important thing is to find the Self that has the capacity to bear what seemed to be unbearable, the self that can be present with all of our parts unconditionally.”
____________________________________________________________________
MAY 11 @ 1:30 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Meditation Teacher, Nonprofit Leader, and Visionary
“If you meditate to be a better person, you’ll always be busy trying to be a better person. If you meditate because you are in love with resting in your own luminous infinite being, you’ll always be in love.”
_____________________________________________________________________
MAY 11 @ 3:00 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Contemporary Meditation Teacher, Bestselling Author
“Fall in love with where you are. Turn towards this – a sacred moment, unrepeatable. Trust the ebb and flow of things. Say yes to uncertainty and the unresolvedness of your life.”
______________________________________________________________________
MAY 11 @ 4:30 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Founder of the Diamond Approach To Self-Realization
“We are not separate. Our sense of separateness is superficial and exists only in the physical dimension. Every other human being is just as precious as we are, and worthy of as much respect and love and consideration.”
______________________________________________________________________
MAY 11 @ 6:00 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Spiritual Teacher, Founder of Integral Enlightenment
“True meditation is about being fully present with everything that is – including discomfort and challenges. It is not an escape from life.”
______________________________________________________________________
TUESDAY – May 12th, 2020:
MAY 12 @ 12:00 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Founder of Gateway, Spiritual Facilitator
“Do you know how to be quiet and let go, when life challenges you and brings you to the edge?”
______________________________________________________________________
MAY 12 @ 1:30 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Wellbeing Research Professor, Director of Transformative Technology Lab
“The world’s largest scientific research project into fundamental well-being, sometimes called enlightenment, reveals the methods which actually work.”
______________________________________________________________________
MAY 12 @ 3:00 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Author, activist, authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) and founder of Bhumisparsha Sangha
“Let your love be the container for anger and despair. Love will not dissolve them, but will offer enough space to not get lost in them.”
______________________________________________________________________
MAY 12 @ 4:30 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA, Author
“Saying yes means surrendering to your experience, whatever it is. It means feeling your body when you’re in the midst of a strong reaction or emotion… and noticing that thoughts and feelings come and go.”
______________________________________________________________________
MAY 12 @ 6:00 PM (ATWATER, UNITED STATES)
Founder of Evolutionary Collective, Bestselling Author
“Right now, it feels more important than ever to come together and actively find our oneness, our goodness and our capacity to live a higher order of love as a social reality.”
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Practicing in the Midst
Being & Doing is committed to creating opportunities for people to come together to practice, to celebrate community, and to recognize unending mystery and beauty (even when the sky appears to be falling).
Recordings of the live sessions will be replayed for 24-hours on Wednesday, May 13th, in every timezone.
You can also purchase the recordings for a small cost.
Being & Doing Sponsors
https://www.njjl.world/message-sharon
“Waking Up Fabulous: Taking Refuge in The Time of Corona” – A Half-Day LGBTQIA+ Community Retreat
In the midst of this global pandemic, taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha has never felt more important for our community and this world. As LGBTQIA+ people, in these challenging and difficult times, we recollect the power of community to know that we are not alone; that together we can begin the healing of centuries of oppression and trauma within a deep knowing of our interconnectedness and interdependence. We learn to trust the unfolding of this life and act for the benefit of all beings.
This virtual retreat is an opportunity to come together and care for ourselves: to remember who we really are and to reconnect with our innate goodness. We will explore ways of sustaining a clear and open mind, a kind heart, and a strong body. And we will engage with the ancient teachings and practices offered by the Buddha that cultivate wisdom, kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, and skillful actions.
This virtual retreat is for all those who identify as LGBTQIA+. The program will include guided awareness and heart practices, Dharma talks, small and large group sharing, and gentle yoga.
This Virtual Retreat will be conducted on Zoom from 12:30pm – 4:30pm EST on Saturday, May 23. The virtual retreat link will be emailed to participants within twenty-four hours of your registration. Registration for this live webinar closes at 11:30am EST on May 23.
In keeping with the tradition of offering these teachings by dana, there are no fees associated with this retreat, it is by donation only. We invite you to consider making a tax-deductible contribution during the registration process. Suggested donation levels are listed, but if you would like to contribute more, please select the Participant option and type in your desired donation amount. We appreciate your support.
Teachers:
Madeline Klyne has loved the dharma since 1986. She is a co-founder and teacher of South Shore Insight Meditation Center (SSIMC), a core teacher at Cambridge Insight Meditation Center (CIMC), and a visiting teacher at Insight Meditation Society. Madeline teaches programs and retreats for LGBTIQ communities. Part of Madeline’s spiritual path was to come out at the age of 5. Madeline delights in exploring practice in daily life with all who are interested. Learn more at www.southshoreinsight.org.
La Sarmiento has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1998, is a teacher and senior retreat/event manager for the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, and has been the guiding teacher of the IMCW LGBTQ and People of Color Sanghas since 2006. A 2012 graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders Training Program, they also lead mindfulness retreats for teenagers with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education and retreats for Young Adults at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. This will be La’s 5th retreat at Garrison for the LGBTIQ community. La has been a bodyworker in private practice since 1992 and a Reiki Teacher since 2004 in Washington, DC, where they reside with their life partner Wendy and their two Cairn Terriers, Annabel and MacGregor.
Lama Rod Owens is considered one of the emerging leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. An author, activist, and formally authorized Buddhist teacher in the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, he is the co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice community as well as a visiting teacher with several Buddhist centers including the Natural Dharma Fellowship and the Brooklyn Zen Center. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Lama Rod has also been a guest faculty member at the Harvard School of Education’s program Mindfulness for Educators. He has been a regular guest on SiriusXM’s Urban Viewhosted by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Karen Hunter. He is also a co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and his next book project “Love & Rage” exploring transformative anger and rage is due out June 2020. Lama Rod can be reached at www.lamarod.com.
Jacoby Ballard has been teaching yoga for 20 years and now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his partner and child. His work sits at the intersection of spiritual practice and social change and has led him to consult with Insight Meditation Society, the Yoga Alliance, Lululemon, and speaking on college campuses. His current foray into study and taking the role of student is through his enrollment with the Community Dharma Leaders program at Spirit Rock. His teaching style is playful and profound, integrating the teachings of the dharma into how we move and breath on our mats and with each other. More at www.jacobyballard.net.
Isabel Adon, LCSW, FOT, IFOT is a Bilingual Psychotherapist with an Office in Midtown, NYC. Isabel Adon is an Aboriginal Focusing Oriented Therapist and Trainer. She has over 20 years of experience in the mental health and presently works with children and families in an outpatient psychiatric setting in the Bronx. Isabel has been a volunteer rape crisis and domestic violence advocate for over nine years responding to crisis at six different NYC emergency rooms as a volunteer for the Mount Sinai SAVI program. She has extensive training in diversity work and for the past 15 years has been a practitioner of Vipassana and Ascension meditation.
Registration Options
| 1 – Participant 2 – Friend (Donation) 3 – Contributor (Donation) 4 – Supporter (Donation) 5 – Patron (Donation) 6 – Benefactor (Donation) |
0.00 5.00 10.00 25.00 50.00 100.00 |
Garrison, NY 10524
https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesHub-1695905997109684/
Indigi-Aid, a live-stream event benefiting indigenous communities as a response to the Covid-19 crisis, will take place Thursday, June 11th from 5 to 9 pm eastern time. Artists and musicians from diverse indigenous and other communities around the United States will offer songs, dance, and storytelling.
As the Coronavirus has ravaged the Indigenous communities and threatened to inflict severe health casualties in Navajoland and many other Indigenous Nations, the Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church has partnered with the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan and scores of many Episcopal communities to raise money for food, basic need items, water, and medical supplies to aid our Indigenous communities across the Episcopal Church.
In addition to the performances, we ask our friends to share a 15 to 30-second message of hope and support to our Indigenous communities with the hashtag #indigi-aid. You can message us your support short support video.
The 8th Annual Children’s Global Wave Of Love
June 21 at 1:11 pm in your heart and time zone.
We collectively come together to cultivate and
send forth our mission
“Children Across the Planet in Love, Care, and Respect.”
Since everyday is children’s day, we create a year-long, free, activity platform for children, families, communities, schools, organizations and YOU to empower
heart space and help transform the world!
Our Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide complete and total support to all children with an entire month of activities that enhance all aspects of a child’s life.