UNTANGLING PLASTICS
Book Reviewed: Untangling Plastics: The Missing Link in Mitigating Climate Change
Author: Bob Gedert
Reviewed By: Arley Owens
Bob Gedert’s “Untangling Plastics” is more than a book—it is a wake-up call to humanity. It is a powerful, urgent, and deeply alarming examination of one of the greatest environmental threats facing our planet today. Through compelling facts, practical insight, and unwavering honesty, Gedert exposes how plastics have silently infiltrated nearly every aspect of modern life, while simultaneously poisoning ecosystems, threatening wildlife, contaminating oceans, and contributing
to the worsening climate crisis.
As Founder and President of Earth Team Green, I found this book to be both inspiring and disturbing. It forces readers to confront a difficult truth: society has become dangerously dependent on plastics without fully understanding the devastating long-term consequences. From landfills overflowing with waste to microscopic plastic particles entering our water, food, and even human bodies, the evidence
presented in this book paints a chilling picture of a world slowly suffocating under mountains of plastic pollution.
Gedert skillfully explains how plastics are directly connected to climate change. Many people fail to recognize that plastics are largely produced from fossil fuels and continue releasing greenhouse gases throughout their lifecycle—from production to disposal. This book clearly demonstrates that plastic pollution is not just a litter problem; it is a climate problem, a health problem, an economic problem, and ultimately a human survival problem. What makes “Untangling Plastics” especially powerful is that it does not merely describe the crisis—it also challenges governments, industries, educators, environmental leaders, and citizens to become part of the solution. Gedert emphasizes the importance of systemic change, responsible production, recycling
innovation, policy reform, and environmental education. His message is clear: if humanity continues down its current path of reckless plastic consumption and disposal, future generations may inherit a planet that is polluted beyond repair.
For educators, students, policymakers, and environmental advocates, this book should be considered required reading. It provides both the scientific understanding and emotional urgency needed to inspire action. The book reminds us that protecting the Earth is no longer optional—it is an obligation.
As someone who has dedicated much of my life to environmental education and youth empowerment through Earth Team Green, I strongly believe this book can serve as an important tool in awakening communities to the environmental realities surrounding them. Young people especially must understand that they have the power to reshape the future through awareness, innovation, and responsible stewardship of the planet.
The alarming truth is this: plastics are becoming one of the defining environmental menaces of our time. Without bold action, the damage to oceans, wildlife habitats, public health, and climate stability could be irreversible. Bob Gedert courageously shines a spotlight on this crisis while offering hope that change is still possible—if society chooses to act now.
“Untangling Plastics” is thoughtful, informative, and profoundly important. It is a book that should ignite conversations in classrooms, boardrooms, government agencies, and households across America and around the world.
This is not simply a book review.
It is a warning.
Reviewed By:
Arley Owens
Founder & President
Earth Team Green April, 22, 2026