NEW HAVEN, Conn. (PRWEB) April 20, 2021
Author and illustrator Scott Bernier noticed that there was something missing from his middle and high school learning: how single-use plastics wreak havoc on the environment. First driven to participate in beach cleanups, he quickly saw the need to fill an educational gap and set out to create The Party’s Over!: Plastic Pollution Must End, a comical picture book focused on the very real and urgent problem of plastic pollution.
“There weren’t many books about this issue that were made for teenagers. Most were for younger kids and didn’t cover all the aspects connected to pollution caused by plastics,” states Bernier. “I realized that it was up to me to make the book I would have enjoyed reading in middle school or high school.”
Bernier’s mission has garnered acknowledgement from Captain Charles Moore, founder of Algalita Marine Research and Education in Long Beach, CA, and world-renowned oceanographer credited with discovering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Moore states, “Scott Bernier’s jarring illustrations are what sets his book apart from others focused on the plague of plastic infecting the modern world. Corporate polluters and careless consumers are both distorted in ways that make them what they truly are as willfully ignorant polluters, UGLY, just like the habitats they diminish with plastic waste . . . and will stay ugly until they see themselves like Scott depicts them and stop polluting with plastic.”
Bernier, who began the first sketches for the book during his freshman year and is now a senior, looks forward to seeing the finished book put to instructional use: “I truly believe that my book will help teachers start the conversation and provide a fun way to engage students on this important topic.”
The Party’s Over!: Plastic Pollution Must End contains 24 full-page illustrations packed with information about plastic pollution and its impacts on ecosystems, wildlife, and people. The storyline follows the journey of a red plastic cup from land to sea. Along the way, Bernier makes key concepts such as photodegradation, bioaccumulation, biomagnification, and the watershed refreshingly clear and accessible to students.
“This book is ideal for students who aren’t initially interested in this topic, but who’ll keep turning the pages to see the next picture,” states Bernier, whose approach is to entertain while educating. “My illustrations show the comical weirdness of everyday people but are also loaded with real-life information that’s highly accurate.”
Katie Allen, Executive Director of Algalita Marine Research and Education, enthusiastically agrees: “I’m INCREDIBLY impressed with what Scott has done. I’ve never seen anything like this . . . it really is unique and best of all, it’s so accurate!!!”
With demand for fossil fuels diminishing, petrochemical companies are increasing their plastics production, which is projected to double or even triple by 2050 according to the Center for International Environmental Law. Researchers are concerned that this dramatic increase will inevitably result in even more plastic pollution.
Despite the magnitude of the situation, Bernier remains hopeful: “I think my book clarifies the bigger story of plastic pollution, and makes it easier to understand what it's going to take to stop it.”
To learn more about the book, visit https://www.instagram.com/thepartysoverbook/
The Party’s Over!: Plastic Pollution Must End
by Scott Andrew MacNeil Bernier
ISBN-13: 978-0-578-76613-3
Available on Amazon in paperback (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578766132/) or by ordering online from your local bookstore.
