Plastic is Not the Answer- In Fact, It’s the Problem

New studies now show that regardless of growing concern over the use of plastic products, production has gone up and recycling rates have remained stagnant.

The biggest part of this problem are your everyday plastic grocery bags, of which only 1 percent are recycled globally each year. Plastic bottles are more readily recycled, yet in some countries up to 90 percent of all plastic bottles are eventually found in landfills.

Despite the stagnation in recycling, rates of production have done nothing but increase. In a statement from CNN:

“In the U.S., the world’s biggest consumer market for bottled water, sales hit a record 8.82 billion gallons in 2007, a 9.5 percent increase from 2005. Sales of bottled water in the U.S. have now overtaken sales of milk and are close to outselling beer. ”

Outselling BEER?!?!?! You know something is a problem when it is close to outselling beer.

Not all nations are as bad as the US however; Sweden (yay Sweden!) has managed to reach plastic bottle recycling rates of around 80 percent. The US clearly can do something differently.

A lot of blame is placed on a market that does not look favorably on recycling. One company may often be responsible for recycling all or most of a type of recyclable material. A single company in Virginia is in charge of recycling 70 percent of all plastic bags that are turned in for recycling, and they still are not even turning a profit, having lost $75 million in 2007.

SCARY FACT: In a 2007 national survey it was discovered that as much as 72 percent of Americans don’t know that plastic is an oil-based product (around 10 percent of U.S. oil consumption goes into making plastic); while 40 percent of them think that plastic biodegrades underground, in composts, in landfills, or incredibly, out at sea.

TRUTH: Plastic isn’t biodegrade at all, at least not for up to a thousand years or more.

So lets all do ourselves a favor- if it is made of plastic- don’t buy it, if you must buy it- recycle!!

Democratic Presidential Candidates Lay Smackdown on Oil Execs

Apparently, in Pennsylvania, its all about oil. At least, that’s what the Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been focusing on in their latest criss-cross of the “virtue, liberty, and independence” state this week. While dropping in at local gas stations and truck stops, the candidates re-enforced their own personal plans to take on big oil and the energy crisis.

Clinton, who likened herself to Rocky Balboa, has chosen to lash out at the oil policy of the Bush administration. Obama has stated repeatedly that a crackdown on oil copanies who exacerbate the problem with greed is needed.

Clinton wants oil companies to contribute to a $50 billion fund to invest in alternative energy and for car manufacturers to increase fuel efficiency standards and for the government to tap into its emergency oil reserves. Obama proposes a $150 billion investment over 10 years in clean energy and an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions over 40 years.

Whoever democrats decide to choose, they will no doubt be better than the current administration, whose policy, after an entire two terms of ignoring calls for clean energy and environmental protection, are just now noting that there is a problem.

Attending an International Renewable Energy Conference in March, President Bush said, “America has got to change its habits. We’ve got to get off oil.”

Duh, Mr. President- duh.