Discarded
This is the story of a modern-day Erin Brockovich, set on the Mississippi River in an area known as “Cancer Alley." Her name is Sharon Lavigne, her community is St. James Parish in Louisiana, and her fight is to keep out one of the largest plastic manufacturing companies in the world.
In this investigative four-part series, hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist Gloria Riviera, we discover how our plastic world came to be. Because plastic is everywhere - it has advanced our world, but it has damaged our environment and our health. So what do we do? We look at what’s next for all of us, and how we can learn from communities like St. James to make a difference in our own backyards.
This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generation — with your help. Visit only.one to learn more and get involved.
Our Editor's Take
The Discarded podcast tells the story of how plastic is destroying communities. It pollutes, causes incurable diseases, and destroys lives. Plastic makes up so much of today's world that many people don't think about how they use it. Grocery bags, kids' toys, and many items come from plastic. But who manufactures plastic, and where? What is the cost of living near a plastic manufacturing plant? This podcast tells the stories.
Residents of "Cancer Valley" know these costs all too well. On the Discarded podcast, listeners will hear the story of "Cancer Valley" and one woman's fight against plastic manufacturing. Anti-plastic activist Sharon Lavigne tells host Gloria Riviera what living near plastic plants is like. The smell of chemicals in the air is horrific, like rotten eggs. There's no escape. Large chemical manufacturers tend to build plants near poor rural communities. They choose places where they think no one will fight them. But this time, they chose the wrong Black neighborhood. Residents of St. James Parish decided to fight back.
The Discarded podcast explores how plastic pollution harms the environment and people. St. James Parish wasn't always synonymous with "Cancer Valley." This once-happy community now exists alongside two hundred chemical refineries and plants. The cancer risk in this region is much higher than the national average. To live in this region means watching loved ones become ill and die at an alarming rate. It also means seeing the landscape become a sick shadow of its former beauty.
On Discarded, listeners learn about the impact of plastic on this planet. It makes space travel, artificial heart valves, and millions of everyday items possible. But the cost may be more than this world can bear. This series investigates where plastic comes from and how it affects today's world. Many communities may become more habitable thanks to Sharon Lavigne and fellow activists. This podcast may educate listeners on how to make the planet more habitable, too.
Episodes