Prayer

Let us pray for an end to the waste and desecration of God's creation, for access to the fruits of creation to be shared equally among all people, and for communities and nations to find sustenance in the fruits of the earth and the water God has given us.

Almighty God, you created the world and gave it into our care so that, in obedience to you, we might serve all people.

Inspire us to use the riches of creation with wisdom, and to ensure that their blessings are shared by all; that, trusting in your bounty, all people may be Empowered to seek freedom from poverty, famine, and oppression.
- Author Unknown

Source: Xavier University.

Knowledge

Yesterday I watched the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing on Plastics. It is fascinating to see how perspectives differ depending on who is making a profit and who is not. The panel consisted of a scientist, the head of Beyond Plastic, a spokesperson for the plastics industry, and a CEO of a chemical recycling facility in Atlanta. I’ve always heard “follow the money” and it is true.

The more I learn, the more there is to learn. For environmentalists, there are no real answers down the recycling road. Yes, we are still encouraged to recycle, but we are asked to acknowledge only 9% of plastic put into the recycling stream is actually recycled. In Cincinnati, we are very lucky with Rumpke’s state-of-the-art recycling facility and with our Recycle and Reuse Hub. However, generally, plastic recycling is shipped off to other countries that burn it (releasing toxins), bury it (putting toxins into the soil), or send it out to sea (loading our seafood with plastic, killing birds, and affecting the basis of our food web.)

Microplastics are everywhere. These are the plastics that have broken down so small they are taken up through the soil into our produces, are too small to be filtered from our water, and are in the meat we eat. Microplastic is found deep in our lungs. It is in breast milk. Baby poop has been found with it. Those chemicals that are released into our bodies contain endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs) that affect our hormones. Microplastic crosses the blood/brain barrier. Some initial research shows that the EDCs and other toxins in plastics (including bioplastics) may be causing an increase or severity of ADHD and Autism Spectrum disorders. It makes me wonder about the increase in dementia disorders.

We know that there are some uses of plastic that are essential, i.e. the health care industry. But things like plastic packaging, food/beverage containers, and mailing/shipping items are simply not necessary. We have to move beyond plastic if we do not want to be swimming in a sea of it.

Action

The Senate hearing discussed the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act (SB 984) currently in Congress. If passed, it would legislate more control over plastic. You can get involved by advocating with your elected officials. The fossil fuel industry spends billions on getting politicians to turn their heads. And the Plastic Industry is making a lot of money from the current use of plastic.

There are several state and local governments that have passed “bottle bills” which require a small deposit on every plastic bottle as well as plastic bag bans. These local efforts can help make the change on a national level. Working on the local level is imperative.
Other efforts are moving through Congress to require plastic producers to be a part of the solution through Extended Producer Responsibility. So, there is hope