Bionic Buzz® got to cover the Grand Opening of Turtyle at Nickelodeon Studios. Founding members of the Turtyle are environmentally civic minded individuals who value our planet and its ecosystem. After being advocates for recycling and reusing our pile of garbage, the viral video of the struggling sea turtle was seen on the internet, the person in the video was attempting to remove plastic straw from the nasal of the sea turtle. The entire process seemed so impacting and exacerbating, the turtle was in pain suffering from breathing and it was an emotional moment for the world to view. Observing this viral video, Turtyle Paper Straws was born.
Our interview with Marine Conservation Biologist Christine Figgener, who captured the video of the struggling turtle with a plastic straw in its nostril which went viral and inspired a movement.
Our interview with actor Craig Robert Young from The Last Ship, Lost, Fringe & The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
Our interview with actress Kat Kramer from Child of the ’70s , Little Fockers & Fate’s Shadow: The Whole Story.
Our interview with actor Nicholas Guest from MacGyver, Batman: The Brave and the Bold & Sons of Anarchy.
Our interview with Burbank Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy.
Our interview with Angela Underwoood Jacobs, Lancaster City Council Women.
Our interview with Councilmember Paul Koretz from the 5th District, City of Los Angeles.
Our interview with award-winning comedian & host of the event Paul Green.
Our interview with actor Miles Tagtmeyer (Aunt Cissy), actress Charlene Tilton (Dallas) and singer-songwriter / actress Lizzy Small (The Middle).
Our interview with actor Ed Begley Jr. from Young Sheldon, Bless This Mess, Pineapple Express & Ghostbusters. He was being honored that evening with the for his environmental activism with Turtyle’s ‘Pinnacle Award.’
Special guest at the event was singer-songwriter Reina Mora who performed two songs live on the stage.
Full ribbon cutting ceremony. Elected officials and dignitaries on hand were the city of Burbank Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy, Councilmember Bob Frutos, Assistant City Manager Chenin Dow, Vickere Murphy Representing Senator Anthony J. Portantino, LA County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, Jason Maruca Representing Supervisor Kathryn Barger, LA Department of Disability Executive Director Stephen Simon, LA 5th District Councilmember Paul Koretz, 43 District Assembly Member Laura Friedman,
City of Lancaster Councilmember Angela Underwood-Jacobs, LA Area Chamber of Commerce Chief of Staff Brian Barry and Lancaster Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Hemstreet.
Mayor Gabel-Luddy, Councilmember Underwood-Jacobs, Councilmember Koretz, Assessor Prang, and Assemblymember Friedman gave speeches praising Turtyle’s environmentally conscious paper straws, as well as Ed Begley Jr. and Christine’s Figgener for their significant contribution to the green movement.
ABOUT TURTYLE
At Turtyle, we take pride in producing sustainable products that provide environmental, social and economic benefits while protecting public health and environment over their whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials until the final disposal.
Our company was inspired after the world watched the viral video of the struggling sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose. Witnessing the pain and agony of a helpless animal caused by a man-made product is how Turtyle was found.
Founders of Turtyle took note of eco-friendly European Union and Southeastern Asian countries and decided to create socio-ecological products in the United States. Since the state of knowledge, technologies and societal expectation keep on developing, so sustainable products should also be continuously improved regarding social and environmental variation.
ABOUT ED BEGLEY JR.
Inspired by the works of his Academy Award-winning father, Ed Begley, Jr. became an actor. He first came to audiences’ attention for his portrayal of Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the long-running hit television series, “St. Elsewhere,” for which he received six Emmy nominations.
Since then, Begley has moved easily between feature, television and theatre projects.
Ed can be seen in “Book Club” with Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen & Jane Fonda, “Ghostbusters” with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy and a number of Christopher Guest films, such as “Mascots”, “A Mighty Wind”, “Best In Show,” and “For Your Consideration”. He has also appeared in the Seth Rogan/Judd Apatow film, “Pineapple Express”.
On television, Begley can be seen on “Modern Family” and “The Cool Kids”, “Future Man” for Seth Rogen, “Better Call Saul” with Bob Odenkirk, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” with Larry David, and the new ABC comedy “Bless This Mess” with Lake Bell and Dax Shepard.
He has starred in two HBO movies: “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” with Christopher Plummer, Danny Glover, and Frank Langella, as well as “Recount” with Tom Wilkinson and Laura Dern. He has also had recurring roles on “Six Feet Under”, “Arrested Development”, and “Portlandia”.
He starred in David Mamet’s “November” at the Mark Taper Forum and has appeared in several other works by this amazing playwright: “The Cryptogram,” in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles, as well as “Romance”, also at the Mark Taper Forum.
Ed has directed several episodes of the hit show “NYPD Blue” as well as a play that he wrote called “Cesar and Ruben” that won a Nos Otros Award and four Valley Theater League Awards.
He lives in a solar-powered home and drives an electric car. EdBegley.com
ABOUT CHRISTINE FIGGENER
Christine Figgener is a marine conservation biologist and ocean advocate and right now pursuing her Ph.D. in Marine Biology with Texas A&M University in College Station. She will defend her dissertation on olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) trophic and movement ecology in October 2019.
Before starting her Ph.D., Christine has worked in Central America for over a decade, where she has been applying her research-findings to the conservation of endangered species: in particular, marine turtles.
She is a founding member of two grass-roots organizations in Costa Rica: Costa Rican Alliance for Sea Turtle Conservation & Science (COASTS), which is meant to empower local conservationists, local women; and the Costa Rican Center for Cetacean Research (Centro de Investigación de Cetáceos Costa Rica).
She received international acclaim and applaud by a viral video she filmed and uploaded in 2015 that documents the removal of a plastic straw from an olive ridley turtle’s nose. That video provided fuel and a valuable tool for the global anti-straw movement, leading to several straw bans by businesses such as Starbucks, Disney, and Alaska Airlines. It has also given her a voice in the conversation around the use of single-use plastics and other environmental issues affecting marine life. She has made such an impact that she was recently named a ‘Next Generation Leader’ by Time Magazine and was a finalist of the feature “Texan of the Year” by the Dallas Morning News.
So, while the video might be years old at this point, her research, campaign against single-use plastics for the benefit and conservation of marine life, and her empowerment of women in STEM is still young, important, and necessary.