Plastic: The Destruction of Earth

[the global threat]

Hi folks! I am very happy to have found an online community that shares a common interest for the film "Avatar" and its metaphorical portrayal of western notions of destruction and colonization. While this film brings up the destruction of all that is natural through manmade structure, I would like to bring up another important issue which falls under this category. Plastic.

When I first read about plastic and its atrocities toward our environment in Derrick Jensen's "What We Leave Behind" I was utterly shocked. I did not know that such an everyday piece of material was so malignant toward our environment and the animal kingdom. Plastic is killing off an enormously huge amount of marine life in our oceans right now which will drastically damage the food chain of the animal kingdom. It makes up 80% of the litter on our roads and sidewalks. In every square mile of ocean there are estimated 46,000 pieces of plastic debris. It is also estimated that 100,000 different birds, seals, and whales consume plastic every year confusing it with their prey they seek out for a meal and die due to the toxins and the inability to digest the plastic.

I would like to conclude this with what we need to do to solve this issue. Search for environmentally friendly alternatives to plastics and in the meantime, limit our uses of plastic when possible. Say no to the plastic bags at your supermarkets, department stores etc.. Bring your own bags! Instead of purchasing plastic cups or beverages in a plastic container, purchase reusable mugs and glasses or beverages in glass containers. And the golden rule toward living a co-existant life with nature, NEVER LITTER. Always dispose of garbage properly. The earth provides us with food and clean water. The only way this can continue is by us retaining our civic duties as a human being and keeping it clean! Thanks for your time friends and I wish to hear some feedback from all of you.

Websites to check out
Plastic Bags: Friend or Foe? - Home
http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/conten...-pollution.pdf
*Garbage Patch

Images
http://fojailnohel.files.wordpress.c...ef023cdc31.jpg
http://pixdaus.com/pics/gkPdSqBqXF2ieQCxMi.jpg
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Oce...-PG5oct05a.jpg

[Elyannia]

Very nice post I agree 100% Plastic is becoming a huge issue with the environment.

[PnkMaister]

And yet it is a material that can be recycled and it is not being recycled as it should be, but then again so many other materials are nearly 100 recyclable and yet we still strip mine the Earth when there is no need for it as the materials are already available through recycling.

[Gogo]

/agree

Ocean dead zones. I also read an article about tiny plastic dots being used in many consumer products like body wash for abrasion. Evidence shows this gets consumed by all those tiny bottom of food chain organisms.

[the global threat]

Originally Posted by PnkMaister

And yet it is a material that can be recycled and it is not being recycled as it should be, but then again so many other materials are nearly 100 recyclable and yet we still strip mine the Earth when there is no need for it as the materials are already available through recycling.

While many companies provide proper recycling of plastics, there are many places that blatantly lie to their customers about it. I remember working at a supermarket a few years ago and my boss told me to take the recycled shopping bags out back. When I went back there I noticed that there wasn't a recycling area for them. I asked my boss about this and he replied by saying "We just dump them in the trash compactor. We put that sign on the barrel so it looks good for the customers". I was in utter disgust when my boss told me this. He just did not care whatsoever.

[PnkMaister]

Originally Posted by the global threat

While many companies provide proper recycling of plastics, there are many places that blatantly lie to their customers about it. I remember working at a supermarket a few years ago and my boss told me to take the recycled shopping bags out back. When I went back there I noticed that there wasn't a recycling area for them. I asked my boss about this and he replied by saying "We just dump them in the trash compactor. We put that sign on the barrel so it looks good for the customers". I was in utter disgust when my boss told me this. He just did not care whatsoever.

That is also a big problem I really don't like big brother type governments at all being a conservative libertarian as well as an Environmentalist but stricter regulation of plastics and other materials and how they are handled needs to be in place.

[rapunzel77]

Originally Posted by the global threat

While many companies provide proper recycling of plastics, there are many places that blatantly lie to their customers about it. I remember working at a supermarket a few years ago and my boss told me to take the recycled shopping bags out back. When I went back there I noticed that there wasn't a recycling area for them. I asked my boss about this and he replied by saying "We just dump them in the trash compactor. We put that sign on the barrel so it looks good for the customers". I was in utter disgust when my boss told me this. He just did not care whatsoever.

Ugh, that is terrible. I agree that plastic is a waste. I'd much rather use natural or reusable materials. Sadly, at my apartment complex they have one large compacter for the whole complex and no recycling :(. Its difficult to try to help the environment when there is silly stuff like that going on. I hate using the plastic. I have so many plastic bags that I don't need them anymore. I just need to find those cloth bags that some grocery stores, etc are using.

[Avatarguy004]

I hear you. We need to reduce our use of plastic while simultaneously reducing its presence in the environment. The alternatives you mentioned are great, and I am currently trying to decrease my plastic usage. I posted a thread on the pacific garbage patch and yes, the amount in the ocean surprised me too, it's a big problem that I feel is not getting appropriate attention.

[rhun]

We shouldn't be demonizing plastic as a whole. As almost everything, it serves a certain purpose, which might be useful when we begin to realize that the problem in fact is recycling. It's all about that. I'm glad my parents have always been aware of this, and that's why I don't use plastic bags at all, don't buy cans and so on. Some things are unavoidable though. Just take a look at all those packages of...whatever - always the same = more waste than content. That's a real shame.

It's also quite shameful when you ask people why they throw their litter on the street or anywhere else. Many of them actually don't know why they did, as they didn't even thought about it. Even if there's a garbage can right beside them, they don't mind. They seem to think that there are garbagemen who are "certainly" gonna clean it up. Sometimes I ask myself why I still ask them if they know what they do. 1 out of 20, roundabout, probably realizes what this may cause, if everyone would do so, and that's so disappointing.

Anyways, both nature and technology (chemistry here) have to compromise, as this is the answer on everything. Quite easy, but unachievable, as history tells us :( Sounds pessimistic, but I'll do my best to save myself a rest of pride, fulfilling my own duties, at least.