[SDG Forum Series 2021-22] Plastic free: are we there yet? — Impacts of Plastic Waste

Plastic free: are we there yet? — Impacts of Plastic Waste

Speakers: Professor TSUI Tsz Ki, Martin, Mr. Edwin LAU

Moderator: Dr. LI Ming, Kenneth (Lecturer, General Education Foundation Programme, Office of University General Education, CUHK)

Date：14 / 07 / 2022 (Thu)

Time：7:00 – 8:30 p.m. (GMT+8, HKT)

The talk will be conducted with ZOOM. Link will be provided later.

Seminar to be conducted in Cantonese

Brief Description

Plastic pollution has been a serious problem for quite a long time. However, the public and governments have largely ignored this environmental crisis until recent years. Today, plastics appear in almost every aspect of our daily life owing to excessive use. Failure in tackling plastic waste has already created a serious impact to nature and public health.

In this SDG Forum, Prof. Martin Tsui will introduce the source of plastic in the environment and explore the consequences of plastic waste in the marine food web. Mr. Edwin Lau will share his experience from the field and suggest practical ways to alleviate the plastic pollution problem where governments, businesses and individuals must rethink the way to use plastics and commit to reduction at source. This talk is highly relevant to a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) SDG 14 (Life below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). 

About the Speakers

Professor Martin TSUI is currently an associate professor in School of Life Sciences, CUHK. Martin obtained his Bachelor degree in Biology from HKUST and Master degree in Biology from CUHK. He pursued his PhD in Water Resources Science in the University of Minnesota (USA) and a postdoctoral study in Earth and Environmental Sciences in the University of Michigan (USA). Martin has been working on ecotoxicology of various pollutants especially toxic mercury over the last 20 years. He has worked in diverse environment including both freshwater and marine environment, forests, and wetlands. Martin is recently working on issues related to microplastics, especially focusing on its impacts in terrestrial agricultural environment.

Mr Edwin LAU is currently the Founder and Executive Director of The Green Earth, an environmental organization advocating resource conservation and zero-waste culture. He has been actively engaged in environmental protection work since the late 1980s. During the period, he placed great concern on several pressing environmental topics, e.g. waste management, air pollution, climate change and energy conservation.

Mr Lau is currently a member of the Advisory Committee on Water Supplies, a member of CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change Expert Committee and senior advisor of Hong Kong Solar Industries Association.

In 2009, Mr Lau was awarded the Medal of Honour by the HKSAR Government in recognition of his long-term contribution to the promotion of environmental protection and environmental education. In the same year, he was also awarded an Outstanding Earth Champion by The Earth Champions Foundation.

Free admission, all are welcome.

Enquiry：sdg-ouge@cuhk.edu.hk

Online reservation：https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=13651677

Co-organized by Office of University General Education, CUHK and SDSN Hong Kong