Friday, August 03, 2007

Purposeful Polymer Paranoia

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Plastics."
-- Mr. McGuire, the "Graduate"

Not. We're polluting our oceans with microscopic plastic at an alarming rate. Orion Magazine published this great article in their May/June issue on the disturbing accumulation and durability of plastics in our environment, especially the oceans. “Except for a small amount that’s been incinerated,” says Tony Andrady, “every bit of plastic manufactured in the world for the last fifty years or so still remains. It’s somewhere in the environment.”

So now I'm adopting and hopefully spreading purposeful polymer paranoia. I hate the stuff, avoid it wherever I can and I hope you will too.

Here's tow easy places to stop using plastic: reuse grocery bags and say 'no' to bottled water. Tap water will do just fine according to this recent New York Times article which also points out that rich folk buying imported bottled water relieves important political pressure on local governments to ensure high quality tap water for all.

Photo by Andy Hughes published in Orion Magazine, May/June 2007

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