The aftermath of the Palisades Fire got me thinking about a past project. All the burned runoff seeping into the earth and flowing out to the ocean set off some familiar old alarm bells: the downplayed danger and long-term impacts on people and land were overlooked in favor of fast-tracking hazardous materials cleanup, spinning in my head.

On February 28, 2009, I began formally working on an experimental project simmering on my brain’s back burner. I titled it “Deep Deep Trouble” and started posting to deepdeeptrouble.blogspot.com (it's still live...long live the blog.)

Here’s what I wrote:

Plastics are poisoning our oceans. This is my take on a problem that needs immediate attention.

Some people collect shells and sea glass; I collect plastic. It all began at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, on the heels of a particularly tempestuous winter storm. In addition to the heaps of sea monster-like bulb kelp, the beach was littered with a dizzying array of all shapes and sizes of plastic. My mind began working on how I could create a message out of this cast-off garbage material. I wanted to draw attention to my discovery that plastic is just as much a presence in our ocean and on our beaches as naturally occurring rocks, shells, and driftwood. I began writing small phrases that I'd use as ironic commentary with each piece, intent on calling attention to the danger and plague of plastics coupled with our convenience addiction. I excerpted lines from environmental research, alarmed by the finding that we carry microplastics in our bodies each day. (New research was just released verifying that our brain houses a full teaspoon of nanoplastics.) I also drew on plastic-positive cheerleading spaces such as advertising, manufacturing, and pop culture.

From the 1967 dark comedy, “The Graduate,” Mr. McGuire quips to Dustin Hoffman: “There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?”