Kick-Off Event: PLENTY - Plastics in the Environment and Society

Monday, 26.11.2018, 18:00 at Sky Lounge, University of Vienna, Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1, 1090 Vienna

An initiative of the Faculty of Life Sciences, the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, and the Faculty of Social Sciences in cooperation with the Environmental Sciences Research Network of the University of Vienna

The new research platform PLENTY - Plastics in the Environment and Society has been founded by the Rectorate of the University of Vienna to explore global plastic pollution using a holistic approach. The kick-off event focusef on how to approach one of today’s most discussed environmental challenges.

Experts from various disciplines debated some of the most pressing questions:

• How efficient are clean-up campaigns like the Ocean Cleanup Initiative? – Insights on the performance of the installation after about one month of deployment in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
• How can industry, science and environmental organisations support the political agenda to reduce plastics in the environment? – Insights from the 2^nd Plastic Stakeholder Conference in Brussels
• What are major findings and innovations in the global scientific debate on microplastics? – Insights from the international Microplastics Conference 2018 in Ascona
  
  

Programme

17:30 Registration

18:00 Welcome Address & Introduction

Jean-Robert Tyran, Vice Rector University of Vienna

Gerhard J. Herndl, Head of the research platform PLENTY

18:15 Key Lecture & Contributions

Plastic and Society: Hubris, Humility, Hope

Olwenn Martin, Research Fellow - Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London

Eliminating Plastic and Microplastic Pollution: An Urgent Need

Georg Rebernig, Managing Director Umweltbundesamt

19:00 Input & Panel Discussion with PLENTY Project Team

Gerhard J. Herndl, Professor of Bio-Oceanography of the University of Vienna, Head of PLENTY and Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Ocean Cleanup Initiative

Thilo Hofmann, Professor Environmental Geosciences, Head of the Environmental Sciences Research Network of the University of Vienna and Deputy Head of PLENTY

Ulrike Felt, Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Head of the Research Platform Responsible Research and Innovation in Academic Practice and Co-Project Investigator of PLENTY

Moderator: Marlene Nowotny, Ö1

20:00 Get-together (until 21:00)