Do you consider it important to focus on the fight against plastic pollution?

Certainly. From an ethical perspective, which is what I am dedicated to, it is very important to promote responsibility when acting, making us see that our actions have consequences and through them we may be harming other people or the environment.
 

How can this problem be addressed from your research area ?

First of all, it is important to emphasize something that might seem obvious but is often overlooked: behind every piece of plastic found in fields or oceans there is a person—someone who may simply have been careless in dropping it, but who is usually unaware of the harm they are causing, or even someone who simply does not care about what happens to others. Therefore, it is essential to make it very clear what damage plastic causes to the environment and to other people. It will then be easier to encourage at least well-meaning people to be more careful when disposing of their bottles and containers. Finally, we can pose a modern version of a famous Socratic question: Which would you prefer—that your own garden be filled with plastic through no fault of your own, or that this happen to your neighbor’s garden because of you? By convincing someone that it is better to suffer an injustice than to commit one—as classical ethics holds—many individuals or business leaders may be persuaded that the effort is worth it, even if it means enduring certain inconveniences or reaping fewer benefits.
 

Are you participating in any project related to this issue? Tell us briefly! If not, what project or idea would you like to implement to tackle plastic pollution from your discipline?

I’m not project involved in any project . I think it would be interesting project a project examines the relationship between the presence of plastic waste and certain characteristics of the places where this occurs. As a girl who lives in a small town once told me: “In my town, it’s unthinkable for a child or teenager to litter, because they know that someone they know will have to come and clean it up later.” It seems that the opposite happens precisely in societies where there is a lack of community spirit, individualism prevails, and there is a lack of appreciation for the land (fields, forests, and rivers).

* Miguel Pérez de Laborda is a member of the School of Science. Learn more about his research.