Green Nudists
A group to network green ideas for a cleaner world. Topics may include but not limited to renewable energy, clean and abundant water, organic farming, homesteading, composting, and conservation.
- created by sailor1
Plastics
Return to DiscussionsI could go on and on about how our actions are destroying this planet and everything in it, but I'm not going to. Why? Because I would be typing for an eternity. So, if you haven't got a clue as to what we are doing to this world, then you need to start reading articles published by scientists and books by sea captains. A great place to start is a book by Capt. Charles Moore, called Plastic Ocean. If this book doesn't piss you off and get you motivated to help, then I hope you choke on a plastic bottle cap. That may sound harsh but the reality is that animals are dying from what we have created, all because plastics are cheaper to produce and then throw away.
SO, what are YOU going to do about it!
I could go on and on about how our actions are destroying this planet and everything in it, but I'm not going to. Why? Because I would be typing for an eternity. So, if you haven't got a clue as to what we are doing to this world, then you need to start reading articles published by scientists and books by sea captains. A great place to start is a book by Capt. Charles Moore, called Plastic Ocean. If this book doesn't piss you off and get you motivated to help, then I hope you choke on a plastic bottle cap. That may sound harsh but the reality is that animals are dying from what we have created, all because plastics are cheaper to produce and then throw away. SO, what are YOU going to do about it!
You are right on! Throwing plastic away is both stupid and irresponsible. Most everywhere recycles the crap. In the town I live in we have no recycling program but the neighboring county does so I use that county's recycling facilities. Walmart accepts plastic bags for recycling and Lowes has the old Christmas light recepticles. Most everywhere has salvage yards that will purchase old cans, metal, and vehicle batteries. I have made thousands of dollars picking up metal garbage and selling it at my local salvage yards. It takes alot less energy to melt down and recast metal than to do it all from raw materials. We do need more drop off points for light bulbs and small battieries, but those are out there too. Composting is an option for paper and cardboard for us gardeners. Plastic is most likely the biggest issue. As a sailor I have seen more plastic crap floating around. Most of the worlds populations live within a short distance of waterways. Used for both commerce and recreation these resources are indeed stressed. We have explored the Universe more than our oceans. I am sure upon further exploration the amount of plastic trash discovered out there will cause a great deal of alarm. You are right too as it is our responsiblity to change our habits as how we deal with our plastic. Plastic is not a disposable.....It is a renewable resource. Good job SD. Keep sounding the alarm.
Great post SD, we are surrounded by the bloody stuff, here in France as in many places these days people are buying drinks in plastic bottles many of which end up in the wrong place. I am pleased to say that people in France are now very good at recycling and the local councils (communes) are excellent at providing collection points for recycling pretty much everything. We have a local 'dechetterie' where everything is separated and recycled. This has been a leap in progress from the not too distant past when most people in the countryside used to bury their rubbish, some still do, particularly glass bottles. We unearthed thousands of them buried all over the place, they have now been deposited in our local bottle bank. Of course all this is looking at things form the wrong end, what we need to concentrate on is consuming less, repairing things where possible when they break rather than replacing them thus putting more strain on the planet. Undeveloped countries are good at this as they don;t have the choice, the USA is a great place to live if you want to keep things going, parts are generally much easier to obtain for cars and household appliances etc. Getting such things where I live is nigh on impossible, I end up ordering parts from all over the world, usually easier to obtain, cheaper and quicker than sourcing them locally!! Bizarre but true. Our contribution to reducing our impact on the planet extend to composting, growing as much of our own food as possible, eating things that are in season rather than having them flown from all corners of the world simply for the lack of thought. What annoys me most of all is that supermarkets say we demand beans and baby corn from Kenya, sweet potatoes form New Zealand etc etc, if they were not there to buy we would chose a cabbage or what have you grown locally. Likewise we export some foods to other countries and buy back similar food from others, why not just grow and eat the things we can grow locally and be happy with that. Millions of gallons of fuel are burned every year just to provide a wide variety of foodstuffs all year round, it's crazy!! Geteting back to your original point, why do we need to have cocktail tomatoes in plastic boxes, why do supermarkets use plastic bags and not paper ones! French supermarkets were banned form giving away plastic carrier bags here around 5 years ago, people now take their own reusable bags and boxes to carry home their shopping, and excellent move which should be instigated worldwide.
Stay on your soapbox and keep shouting out the message, people do listen and given a small nudge they can develop their own thoughts and hopefully change their habits.
Naked hugs to all, Paul x
In my biology 101 class last week, i did a 30 minute presentation on how we are hurting the oceans life with plastic, i had a lot of fun doing it and it helps that i got an A on it too :)
Help me and the sea and use less and recycle more (plastic), especially the stray trash you see outside along the streets and what not
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