Tag Archives: sustainability

Are We Finally Doing Earth Day Right?

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As the United Nations’ Global Plastics Treaty talks in Ottawa conclude this week, I am wondering if we are finally beginning to heed the admonition that “every day is Earth Day.”

This article pictured above was part of the New York Times‘ Climate Forward newsletter

In some ways, it seems so. This Earth Day’s theme was “Planet vs. Plastics,” and indeed, there does seem a new sense of urgency on the question of the Plastic Waste Crisis. And justifiably so. It seems like every other week a new scientific study is appearing to tell us more places microplastics are showing up in the human body (absolutely everywhere, including every placenta of newborn babies tested) AND adding to the list of health consequences that can be linked to those microplastics and their related toxic chemicals (most recently: heart disease, stroke and premature death.)

On the other hand, by all accounts the United States is a less-than-enthusiastic participant in the UN’s plastic talks. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Big Plastic, is synonymous with Big Oil and wildly powerful.

On the OTHER, other hand, this is the fourth of five sessions of talks on the Global Plastics Treaty scheduled, and the number of lobbyists from the oil/plastic industry has jumped since the previous by 40 percent.

Which makes me think Big Plastic is worried.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, had this to say:

“We will continue to need plastic for specific uses… But there is growing agreement that short-lived and single use (plastics) can go.”

Amen.

Meanwhile, in the interest of doing Earth Day right, I have been running around talking everyone’s ear off. I’ve met so many engaged, passionate folks who want to know the truth about plastic.

This excitingly included having my OpEd published in the Washington Post on Earth Day entitled “Don’t Waste Your Time Recycling Plastic.” (You may have also seen it under the title “How to Celebrate Earth Day This Year? Just Dump This Toxic Stuff.”) It’s a quick read that it summarizes the argument that plastic is not recyclable and that we should stop focusing on this false solution. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read and share it with friends.

My OpEd in the Washington Post on Earth Day

ALSO exciting!: Here is a link to a six minute interview I did for the CBC /NPR explaining why plastic is not recyclable.

And I’m not done! Tomorrow I’ll be at the Cary Library in Lexington MA for a talk that is free and open to the public, and includes special guests. You can register for it here.

Visit the Cary Library website to register for this FREE talk!

Finally, here are a few pictures of me, mostly refusing to stop talking about plastic. The last picture is with Chris Conti who runs the amazing R and D space at MassMOCA in North Adams, MA (the most incredible books they have! Swoon!). I’ll be speaking there in August so stay tuned!

Being interviewed by the Weather Channel for Earth Day
Interview with a young filmmaker in NYC
Soledad O’Brien moderated this panel discussion with me and Meghan Olson from Ecovative
Over 100 folks at Williams College turned out to hear me bash plastic!
At MassMOCA’s amazing R and D Store with Chris Conti- I’ll be speaking there in August!

Earth Day is Coming- and Not a Moment Too Soon

Year Of No Garbage, , , , , , , ,

I learn more every day about the magical murderous material we call plastic. And I’m delighted to report that I’ve been hearing from folks all over as we gear up for Earth Day in April, for which the theme will be— are you ready?— Planet vs. Plastics!!

This message arrives not a moment too soon. Perhaps you’ve noticed that new studies seem to be coming out every day telling us all the terrible places plastic is showing up, and what it costs us: 

  • Did you know that a new study estimates that exposure to plastic chemicals was responsible for $250 billion in health care costs in 2018 alone?
  • Or that another study showed that 90% of food proteins- including chicken, fish, pork and plant-based meat alternatives- contain microplastics? 
  • Or that yet another study found that recycled plastic contains “an unknown number of chemical substances in unknown concentrations”?
  • Did you know that the plastics industry has started lobbying your kids?

The bad news keeps coming. I think the temptation is to see bad news as a bad thing, as in: “Ugh! Can it get any worse?” but honestly I think this information is JUST WHAT WE NEED. We need to know the shocking information in order to motivate people towards change.

My mantra has become: not by bamboo toothbrushes alone will we stop the Plastic Waste Crisis. Yes, personal responsibility is important, but AT THE SAME TIME so is legislation. And speaking of legislation, Greenpeace is asking folks to tell the Biden Administration that they care about the Global Plastics Treaty being negotiated at the United Nations right now, in the form of an online petition you can sign. Here is what it looks like:

I’ve done it and it literally takes two minutes, so I’m asking everyone to take a moment and weigh in here.

Finally, here is a link to an awesome and very fun podcast interview I did with Jeffrey Treistman and Matthew Schmidt of Impolitic. We cover A LOT of ground, including Darth Vader, adult diapers, some very bad Dad jokes, and the argument against recycling plastic. I hope you’ll check it out- you can listen here.