National Geographic Partners CEO Garry Knell, National Geographic Chief Scientist Jonathan Baillie and 21CF EVP of Public Affairs Chip Smith deliver remarks
Earlier this month, National Geographic and 21CF kicked off Capitol Hill Ocean Week with a reception for Members of Congress and staff to celebrate Nat Geo’s new “Planet or Plastic?” campaign, a multiyear effort to raise awareness about how single-use plastic waste is polluting the world’s oceans and promote solutions to this growing problem.
“Single-use plastics are having devastating effects on the health of our oceans, but the good news is that this is a problem we can fix – that’s what this campaign is all about,” said National Geographic Partners CEO Garry Knell in his introductory remarks at the June 8 event. “Through ‘Planet or Plastic?,’ we’re raising awareness of this global crisis in hopes of reducing the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans.”
Surrounded by striking images from the June issue of National Geographic magazine, Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), lead author and co-sponsor of the Save Our Seas Act that unanimously passed the Senate last year, thanked National Geographic for calling attention to these issues and expressed optimism that bipartisan cooperation in Congress would continue to drive progress. National Geographic Chief Scientist Jonathan Baillie and 21CF EVP of Public Affairs Chip Smith also delivered brief remarks.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), co-chair of the Bipartisan Senate Oceans Caucus
To learn more about the campaign and take the “Planet or Plastic?” pledge yourself, visit the “Planet or Plastic?” website.
Caption for header photo: National Geographic Partners CEO Gary Knell and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), author of the Save Our Seas Act
