https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/event/ppc-webinar-082725
Plastic bottled water is the most consumed beverage in the U.S. and worldwide. It has become the default option when communities distrust their tap, lack safe water access, or are looking for a “convenient” drink. Yet this reliance on plastic bottled water puts human and environmental health at risk while actually undercutting safe, accessible, public drinking water—which is an internationally recognized human right.
On Wednesday, August 27, Plastic Pollution Coalition will host a webinar to address how plastic bottled water connects to issues of water injustice, undermines investment in safe drinking water infrastructure, and contributes to the growing global water and climate crises. We will hear how activists, communities, and cities are taking action to envision a world of safe drinking water access without plastic bottles.
Joining the discussion will be: Mary Grant, Public Water for All Campaign Director at Food & Water Watch; Daniel Jaffee, Professor of Sociology at Portland State University; and Amira Odeh-Quiñones, Hydrologist and Community Organizer at 350.org’s Caribbean Climate Network. The webinar will be moderated by Sofia Johansson, Campaign Coordinator at Plastic Pollution Coalition.
Date: Wed., August 27
Time: 2-3 pm PT | 5-6 pm ET
Click here to convert to your timezone.
Panelists
Mary Grant, Public Water for All Campaign Director, Food & Water Watch
Mary Grant (she/her) is the Public Water for All Campaign Director at Food & Water Watch, a national environmental organization that mobilizes regular people to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. Mary has nearly two decades of experience in U.S. water utility policy and research. Since 2015, she has overseen Food & Water Watch’s campaigns to support universal access to safe water in the United States by promoting responsible and affordable public provision of water and sewer service. Prior to becoming campaign director, Mary was a senior researcher on water issues for seven years. She is a leading policy analyst on water privatization in the United States.
Daniel Jaffee, Professor of Sociology, Portland State University
Daniel Jaffee (he/him) is an environmental and rural sociologist and Professor of Sociology at Portland State University. His research examines conflicts over water privatization and commodification; the social, environmental, and economic impacts of bottled and packaged water; and social movements around bottled water and water justice in both the global North and South. He is the author of Unbottled: The Fight against Plastic Water and for Water Justice, published in 2023 by University of California Press. His first book, Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability, and Survival, received the C. Wright Mills Book Award. He received his Ph.D. in 2006 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Amira Odeh-Quiñones, Hydrologist and Community Organizer
Amira Odeh (she/her) is the Senior Organizing Specialist for the Caribbean Climate Network at 350.org and a geographer with a Masters of Science degree in Water Resources from the University of Puerto Rico. Since an early age, she has been interested in solving the most pressing environmental issues she has experienced around her. At the University of Puerto Rico, Amira organized to ensure accessibility to clean water and reduce plastic use. Additionally, she has led leadership training to support new leaders in developing their own community campaigns. Amira has also led work in reforestation, food security initiatives, and international climate activism in the Caribbean.
Moderator
Sofia Johansson, Campaign Coordinator, Plastic Pollution Coalition
Sofia Johansson (she/her) is a Campaign Coordinator at Plastic Pollution Coalition, working on the Filtered Not Bottled campaign in the Great Lakes region. In her previous work and advocacy, she has gained experience researching, writing, and community organizing around environmental injustice issues and their intersections with migration, economic justice, and participatory planning. Sofia recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental and Urban Studies from the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate studies, she focused on public health, regenerative green spaces, and ensuring equity and care in the urban landscape.
