Like many, my earliest memories of science class include the infamous phrase: reduce, reuse, recycle. A phrase beaten into our adolescent heads from the moment we could first begin to understand it. Oftentimes, before we even knew the impact this phrase would have on our futures as individuals but also, the future of this planet.
These days, it seems trendy to be eco-conscious. Many social media influencers often plug content sponsorships with companies that claim to be “eco-conscious”. One example that comes to mind is Stasher Bag. Stasher Bags are a silicone ziploc alternative that are better for the environment and better for you.
But with this transition to silicone sandwich bags, comes a hefty price tag. One of their bags can cost you $25. A bundle can put you out $90. While the product is reusable and can save you money over time, these prices are not accessible for the average consumer.
This is a trend amongst many companies that are under the eco-conscious umbrella. The cost of producing sustainable products is increased because of the materials used to make the product, as well as the price of labor.
What is the most unsettling, is the lack of accessibility to eco-friendly alternatives. Many people continue to choose single-use plastics because it’s convenient and affordable. That is exactly the problem.
Why should I feel guilty for buying a water bottle when I’m thirsty? Why is the responsibility on me as an individual, when my carbon footprint is much lower than the company selling me the exact thing that is killing this planet?
According to the 2013 Carbon Majors Report, only 100 corporations are responsible for 71% of global carbon emissions. The companies highest on that list include ExxonMobil, Shell and BP. The report stated that if this trend were to continue, the average global temperature will increase 4 degrees Celsius before the end of the century. Any rise in global temperatures will have irreversible and disastrous effects on the planet.
In 2015, the UNFCCC Paris Agreement stated that it’s goal was to keep average temperatures from rising above 2 degrees Celsius and will pursue efforts to mitigate temperature rise at the 1.5 Celsius mark. On June 1st 2017, Donald Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the agreement.
While it is discouraging to hear this news, it is not surprising. In fact, oil and gas companies have been lying to us for a long time by using right-wing anti-environmental regulation think tanks to deny climate science. But they couldn’t just put out statements.
To deny climate science, their argument needed to look like science. Groups like Cato Institute, The Heritage Foundation and The Heartland Institute, which are funded by fossil fuel companies, were created to justify their denial.
Last weekend NPR reported that the possibility of recycling plastic is a lie, and it always has been. Oil and gas companies are responsible for much of the plastic production of the world.
We as the general public, were led to believe that plastic was this valuable, recyclable material that is revolutionizing production. But it isn’t valuable, and it never has been.
Oil and gas companies knew this from the beginning. Yet they continued to spend millions of dollars telling us the exact opposite. Larry Thomas, former president of the Society of the Plastics Industry, known today as the Plastics Industry Association told NPR “If the public thinks that recycling is working, then they are not going to be as concerned about the environment,” But recycling plastic isn’t working.
Most of the plastic, whether recycled or not, ends up being buried in the ground. After China closed its doors to American garbage, we had virtually no other choice. While plastic can be melted down and created into new things, the process is extremely expensive. Once it is recycled once or twice, it becomes degraded and unusable.
Yet in the 23 years of my life, after being force fed the idea of recycling, it is revealed to me that only about 10 percent of all plastic has ever been recycled. It is discouraging to learn. It is even more infuriating to be lied to by companies that are impossible to avoid investing money into.
Unfortunately, the responsibility falls onto individuals to avoid plastic and choose sustainability. Yet it’s time we start holding these corporations accountable for their actions. It’s time we take a stand against the older generations in power who will not be around to see the irreversible destruction they are creating.
I want to live in a world where my children don’t need to live in fear of climate change. Where they can learn about polar bears living on glaciers in the Arctic. Where natural disasters won’t drown out cities because sea levels are rising. Where summer vacation can be spent outside because we stopped burning fossil fuels. None of this is possible if we don’t start now.
We have known for far too long that time is running out. The time to take action is now. There will be no time to debate reproductive rights, fix economic collapses and create a better America if we don’t first address this.
Without first tackling the issue of our changing environment, all other issues cease to exist, because the human race will be extinct.
CNBC Article on Corporational Global Emissions: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/10/just-100-firms-attributable-for-71-percent-of-global-emissions-report-says.html
NPR Article on Recycling Plastic:
Climate Reality Article on Climate Denial:
