A Closer Look
The Story Behind the Story
I was vacationing in Georgia one spring and my husband and I encountered this whale sculpture at the entrance to the beach. Look closely. See what’s inside? It is stuffed with just some of the beach plastic and trash that had been cleaned up by volunteers.
It’s a shocking reminder that real whales are dying all over the world because they swallow marine litter. In 2019 a young whale washed ashore in the Philippines with eighty-eight pounds of plastic bags, nylon ropes, and rice sacks in its stomach. The plastic clogged its digestive system and feeling full, the whale didn’t eat. With no way to expel the plastic, it died of starvation and dehydration. Nothing short of a tragedy.
For me, this was a long-overdue wake-up call. Soon I started seeing plastic everywhere, as indeed it is: in water bottles, takeout containers, grocery bags, toothbrushes, and much more. Did you know there’s plastic in gum? In glitter? In lint? In the air?
Researchers estimate we’ve created 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic since the 1950s. (That’s the weight of 80 million blue whales.) Scientists think it never really breaks down but just fragments into smaller and smaller bits.
Until now, I had reassured myself about my own plastic consumption because my family recycles. But a groundbreaking study by scientists at the UC Santa Barbara says 91 percent of plastic isn’t recycled. What? China used to handle nearly half of the world’s recycling, including waste from the United States, but no more. By the time today’s kids are grownup, plastic production is predicted to triple. There could be more plastic in the ocean (by weight) than fish.
The situation is dire. The more I researched, I was inspired to find that kids around the world are doing amazing things to tackle plastic pollution. For them, the fight is personal. With this book, I hope to help sound the alarm about this growing peril and showcase these inspiring kid activists.
Milo Cress delivered a congressional briefing about his “Be Straw Free” campaign on Capitol Hill when he was nine years old. Photo credit: Odale Cress
Mr. Trash Wheel is an innovative way to trap and gobble up trash floating down the Jones Falls River, protecting both the Baltimore, MD, harbor and the ocean beyond. Photo credit: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore
The book was written in consultation of the Chief Scientist of Ocean Conservancy, Dr. George Leonard, and has been endorsed by one of my all-time heroes, Dr. Jane Goodall:
“Through poetry and practical examples, The Last Straw shows how some dedicated children are tackling the plastic problem. I encourage everyone to read this book and be inspired by these young activists working on the front lines.” —Dr. Jane Goodall
See my Resources Page for more information, notes on the poetry forms used in the book, photographs, websites, videos, and a Curriculum Guide.