Glance through the peep holes on 29 September, onto a shocking reality that each and every one of us has had a hand in creating. Fifteen bird boxes will be hung from the trees in Great Siege Square with startling messages inside, all pointing to the fact that we are responsible for the creation of a hideous planet - a plastic planet.
Every single piece of plastic that has ever been made, even way back in the 19th century, is still somewhere on our planet. It never, ever goes away. Scientists are now looking into the devastating effects this waste is having on the planet.
We continue to use single-use plastic objects with reckless abandon. Maybe the shock of learning that the chemical composition of many types of plastic is a danger to the environment, animals and humans alike, would help people understand the need to curb their desire for all things plastic.
To see a change in the world we first need to understand the science of plastic, the substances being used, the toxins leaking into the environment, the potential effects of it on our health. Armed with the knowledge we can take informed decisions and become the change ourselves.
Compounds such as Bisphenol A (BPA), one of the most pervasive chemicals in modern life is a building block of polycarbonate plastic, used in thousands of consumer products, including food packaging. It may, for example disrupt normal breast development in ways that predispose women to later-life breast cancer. Join Wasteserv at Science in the City from 6pm till midnight, to get the low down on how to tackle this huge problem and learn all there is to know about proper waste management practices.
Science in the City is part of the EU-wide celebration European Researchers’ Night. It is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon 2020 Programme of the EU, and a number of corporate sponsors. It is recognised as a Festival by Europe for Festivals and Festivals for Europe (EFFE).
The event is organised by a National Consortium led by the University of Malta and the Malta Chamber of Scientists together with the Research Trust of the University of Malta, in partnership with the Ministry for Education and Employment, The Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, Jugs Malta, Studio 7, MEUSAC, MCST, Esplora, Valletta Local Council, Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology, PBS, Notte Bianca, Spazju Kreativ, Pjazza Teatru Rjal, the AquaBioTech Group, the Central Bank of Malta, Wasteserv and a number of other partners.
The full programme can be viewed on www.scienceinthecity.org.mt or follow the festival on Facebook for regular updates.