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Apr 2023
36m 41s

The Trash Trail: Why is there so much pl...

American Public Media
About this episode
We use plastic for all kinds of things, from shampoo bottles to glitter. It’s useful but also a danger, because a lot of plastic is ending up in our oceans, where it’s sucked into swirly twirly whirlpools of garbage. The biggest of these is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Hop into the ExPLORERR with Molly and cohost Ana-Victoria to learn more about t ... Show More
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