We all want to solve the plastic problem — but what if our solutions are making it worse? In this talk, Bengu challenges common assumptions about plastic and invites us to rethink what real change might look like. Bengu Mete is a chemical engineering researcher with expertise in materials science and bioengineering. Her work explores the complex role of plastics in modern society, from their essential applications in medicine and technology to their environmental impact. With a focus on sustainable materials and innovative solutions, she challenges conventional narratives around plastic use, advocating for smarter, climate-conscious strategies. Through her research, Mete aims to bridge the gap between sustainability and practicality, shaping a future where materials science drives positive change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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- 14:30The running community helping the local community | Sarah Donaghy | TEDxGosportSometimes kindness is measured in cans and miles. Sarah Donaghy shares how a running club turned compassion into action, fueling food banks and strengthening a community one step at a time. Sarah Donaghy is the welfare officer at Hampshire based Fareham running club. Having helped set up the club’s yearly ‘Food Bank Run’, Sarah was moved by the work of food banks in the UK. Following the death of her stillborn daughter Katie Louise in January 2022, she was touched by the help of the local community. Feeling the impact of those feeding her family at their lowest, Sarah was keen to see how the running community could help their local community. Her idea is to pay it forward getting as many UK running clubs to run their own ‘Food Bank Run’.Sarah is wife, mother to 4 children and Katie in heaven, currently working as a Special needs teacher. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 18:05AI Can't Kill Dreamland | Eleanor Hawkridge | TEDxGosportWhat if creativity could reconnect us to ourselves and each other? Eleanor Hawkridge shows how local art and culture can transform communities, inviting us to rediscover wonder in the everyday. Eleanor Hawkridge is a creative producer, curator and artist champion. A strong advocate for improving culture thorough arts engagement, she works to bring communities together for innovative moments of creative excellence that allow people to break free of the confines of the day-to-day and rediscover their own creative wonderland.Starting life as spreadsheets, her projects have led her to co-found several arts organisations and programmes including a digital creative agency in Marrakech, and a gallery, artist’s studios and creative social workspace supporting emerging artists in Liverpool. She has produced an annual arts festival creating a platform for the voices of artists with lived refugee experience, a Google ISD community-building project focussed on reducing hate crime through arts participation, and a VR experience exploring street art in Iran. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
