The Blue Paradox

Last week I was lucky enough to be able to attend the blue paradox exhibition in London. The exhibition gained popularity after social media platforms like TikTok talked nonstop about it, so I wanted to see what it was all about.

The aim of the exhibition was to raise awareness and educate audiences on the plastic issue in our oceans, and to say it was done in a beautiful manner is a severe understatement. Once inside you are guided into a room with around 25 other people where it's recommended you sit on the floor and make yourself comfortable. What followed was pure magic.

An Interactive video about the planet and our oceans was projected on all 6 surfaces of the room, with projections and images coming from all different directions making this a truly stunning piece of cinematography. It's extremely hard to describe the power of the sounds and sights of everything that was going on around you.

After this, you are guided into another room where you are then free to roam solo. The rooms each held interactive elements to it making the experience totally unique and new. Every section had tons to learn about plastic and the problems with our ocean.

Did you know that a single plastic teabag releases up to 11.6 Billion microplastic particles!

Or that by 2050 there is predicted to be 2.6 Million tonnes of microplastics in the oceans?

No neither did I.

And the realisation of these facts was shocking

The reality is, the plastic problem has been going on for decades, yet as humans, we have chosen to ignore it, until now where it is almost too late. The once clear blue seas filled with coral reefs and abundant wildlife, now lie with plastic zones filled with plastic bottles, plastic bags and six-pack rings. Despite supermarkets and shops trying their best to cut down on their plastic consumption by using 100% recyclable bags and recyclable bottles, it is, in reality, it's almost too late and too little.

One of the most shocking sections of the exhibit was a digital display of metric tonnes of plastic in the oceans, real-time, so it was rising as you were there. When I was there just last week the metric tonnes of plastic used in the UK statistic was a staggering 165922.64 tonnes. Mindblowing to be honest. So much so I struggled to even read the number at first.

"We are at a tipping point, which means that we still have the opportunity to tip things back in the right direction if we act now" was a quote displayed on the wall by Dr Sylvia Earle. We can turn back the damage if we want to but we really do not have long to act on this. The quote was displayed on a wall in a room by itself, showing the power and strength of this quote and suggesting a change in social and human behaviour. It was incredibly thought-provoking and acted as an opportunity to reflect on one's personal plastic usage.

The exhibit was accompanied by stunning blue lighting creating a memorable atmosphere as if you yourself were under the waters of the ocean which created a powerful and wonderful illusion.

It was stated earlier in the week via Instagram that The Blue Paradox gained enough attendance to help protect 22,800 square kilometres of ocean. The exhibition stated "We known it will take businesses, government and people working together to help protect our oceans, but we can do it"

The exhibition was absolutely worthwhile, especially with the fact that it was completely free. I gained a lot of knowledge from this experience and I enjoyed it a lot.

---

thomasjlblog

29 September 2021