Plastic in the ocean is increasingly in the public eye, and often conjures thoughts of “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” But floating, large pieces of plastic in the North Pacific Gyre are only a small fraction of the much broader problem of plastic pollution in the environment. Importantly, becoming microplastic is the ultimate fate for nearly all plastic that escapes the solid waste management pipeline – and we can’t even see it. This talk describes the origin of microplastic, its pathways into the world’s oceans, and effective (and ineffective) ways to mitigate this type of pollution. It provides a framework by which we can start to understand and act to impact this environmental challenge. Dr. Sheila Hemami is the Director of Strategic Technical Opportunities and joined Draper to launch its Global Challenges initiative in 2016—applying Draper’s capabilities and expertise to challenges for humankind and the planet. She has built Draper’s Global Challenges program through the strategic selection of projects, partners and funders to design solution-oriented programs for impact, deployability and sustainability. Current projects in her environment and conservation-oriented portfolio span a broad range of cross-sector partners and include coral conservation, microplastic measurement, and counting hippos from space.

Sheila’s experience in developing interdisciplinary teams for impact was gained in her roles as a professor of electrical and computer engineering and academic leader at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and more recently as Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University, Boston. She has also served in various leadership roles for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization. She is an alumna of the University of Michigan and Stanford University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending as much time as possible outside in all seasons with her beagle Sam. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx