Is plastic bad for our Environment?

Answer 1

There are a handful of ways plastic is bad for our environment. First of all, most plastic today is made from coal. Due to regulations put in place by President George W. Bush, coal mining companies no longer have to mine for coal. They simply blow the tops off our mountains. When this happens, deposits of pyrite are exposed to the air, which contain a large amount of sulfur. When it rains, the sulfur becomes sulfuric acid, which dissolves harmful metals and distributes them in our natural water ways. President Bush has also ensured that these companies are no longer vulnerable to legal action for polluting our waters. The process of refining coal, which distributes large amounts of sulfur and other toxins into the air, is regulated by the refinery itself rather than an outside party. This is also the handy-work of George Bush, Jr. Alas, we have our finished product which is mostly toys, plastic bags, and water bottles. In recent months in the US, there have been television commercials warning of the risk of reusing plastic water bottles. The bottles have been proven to release harmful chemicals, especially when heated. Keep in mind that your bottled water is transported around the country in trucks that are not refrigerated. This means that in those hot months, your bottled water may already be toxic. All plastics are capable of becoming toxic, but the softer, flexible plastic used in bottles breaks down easier, releasing lead into your beverage. Interestingly enough, PVC pipes have replaced the lead pipes of yesteryear in order to stop polluting the ground with lead, but over time, they are guilty of causing the same contamination they are supposed to prevent. Now, along with your plastic grocery bags and broken or unwanted toys, you discard your water bottles. It's not really known how long it takes for plastic to degrade, which means it takes a very long time. All in all, it piles up much faster than it goes away and when it goes away, its chemical make-up continues to poison the environment. In one of the deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean, a short distance off the coast of California, the water swirls indefinitely, collecting small plastic bits as it churns. Plankton is a broad category of tiny sea life consumed by an enormous amount of fish and birds. One biologist wanted to find out how bits of plastic may effect the animals that feed on plankton. He noticed small fish and birds would waste most of their time collecting plastic bits in their mouth, spitting them out, and trying again. When he collected samples for measurement, he found that for every pound of edible plankton, there were six pounds of plastic. Now that I've spelled out just how detrimental plastic is on our environment, the next question is what can be done. I don't know what we can do to clean up the mess we've already made, but there are alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. As far as bottle water goes, stop buying it. Instead, buy a filter for your faucet at home or one of those water pitchers with a filter. They work great and often taste better than bottled water. Use a glass or stainless steel bottle to drink from. Stainless steel is hard enough not to release deposits into your beverage. However, the real contender for petroleum-based plastic is bio plastic. Bio plastics were discovered in the 1920's and can be made from bacteria, algae, and cellulose from plants. There were, however, two major hurdles: cost-effectiveness and the flexibility of the material. Thankfully, we have found an answer for both in genetic engineering. Also, when using algae, we have discovered an easier way to farm them. Instead of exposing them to sunlight so they can produce the sugar they consume, we can simply feed them sugar. The result is the ability to farm vastly larger amounts at a time. On the other hand, it is not likely that bio plastic will replace petroleum-based plastic any time soon. Unless you've been living under a rock, it is obvious that oil companies run the show around the world. It would be careless to wait until the oil reserve dry up. Instead, we the people need to demand the change. There are a few bio plastic companies today and, as consumers, we should let them know how much we appreciate their effort. Put their products on the top of your shopping list and show other entrepreneurs how lucrative this market can be. Yes, speaking out about it may be of benefit, but ultimately, we should hit them in the pocket book.