Science in the Cinema Presents Plastic People
Plastic is used everyday in the packaging of our food, in the toys our children play with and in health care. Plastics can break down into smaller and smaller pieces called "microplastics". Join us for a conversation that explores important questions about the impacts of microplastics on the environment and on our health.
Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Location: Calgary Central Library, 800 3 St SE, Calgary, AB
Doors Open: 5:00 pm
Movie Starts: 5:30 pm *NEW TIME*
Discussion: Immediately following the screening
About the moderator
Dr Claire Barber, MD, PhD, is the Associate Vice Chair of Planetary Health for the Department of Medicine. Dr Barber is a rheumatologist and clinician scientist with expertise in optimizing healthcare quality to enhance sustainable healthcare practices that are better for patients and the planet.
About the panelists
Dr. Steve Wilton, MD, is a Cardiologist and Associate Professor of Cardiac Sciences and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. He has a research program focusing on the prevention and treatment of common, high-impact cardiovascular diseases. Steve is passionate about research and advocacy on issues surrounding the health impacts of climate change and other environmental problems. He is the Co-Director for Planetary Health at the Cumming School of Medicine, and the volunteer Co-Chair of the CAPE Alberta Regional Committee.
Dr. Srijak Bhatnagar, PhD, is an environmental microbiologist and an Assistant Professor at Athabasca University. He also holds the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary. His Enviromics Research Group studies microbes associated with the impact of humans on the environment, like microplastics, herbicides, and oil spills. He uses DNA-based tools to identify microbes and their capabilities so they can be used for environmental cleanup and restoration. For the last few years, he has been studying the microplastics in Alberta’s rivers to understand our impact on the rivers and the potential impact of microplastics on us. How much microplastic is in our rivers when it enters the town, and when it leaves the town? What are the microbes on these microplastics? Are they different on the surface of the water and at the bottom of the river? What are these microbes doing? Are they good or are they bad? Can they eat the plastic? These are some of the questions that his research is trying to answer.
Jennifer Koole is the Executive Director of the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA), a non-profit, member-based organization committed to advancing the circular economy in the province. She will bring perspective on ways to reduce personal exposure to plastics and microplastics through actions like refusing, reusing, and rethinking packaging design. She will be able to share highlights of key provincial and local initiatives aimed at improving how plastics are managed at the end of their useful lives.
Learn more about this month's partnersPlanetary Health is one of the foundational principles of the Department of Family Medicine's strategic plan. To have a healthy and thriving population, we must respect and maintain a healthy planet. Recognizing interconnection within nature is a fundamental part of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, which will anchor and guide this work within the CSM.
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