Grains of Salty Truth

At the outset, Covid-19 appeared to be an unexpected boon to many environmental movements. Carbon emissions in 2020 were at some of the lowest levels in decades. A lack of demand in manufacturing led to a reduction in pollution. Some Southeast Asian countries would shutter their wet markets while making wildlife tracking illegal. But one area of environmental outcomes has grown worse during the pandemic – plastic pollution.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste has partnered with IBM on a technological initiative to track and eliminate plastic waste. As a new and more environmentally minded administration takes office, it is encouraging that technology companies in the private sector are also marshaling their capabilities to address this persistent and pernicious problem. As with most endeavors, the follow through matters.

Along the way someone taught us that success comes only to those who work hard. Hard work is key. I’m not denying that. However, tying incessant work to success, especially if we define it in terms of material wealth, isn’t the reality for many. Luck also plays a role. When we think about achieving our dreams, we don’t address luck as a factor because it is inimical to narratives about personal sacrifice.

American consumers believe plastic consumption is without consequence because of waste management and recycling systems present in our advanced economy. However, a new analysis of worldwide plastic pollution casts these beliefs into serious doubt.

A coalition of conservation organizations released its Presidential Plastics Action Plan, urging Biden to craft and issue a series of executive orders intent on significantly curbing plastic production in the United States, given its capacity to pollute as well as its reliance on the petrochemical industry for production.

Littorary is part of a startup boom happening during the pandemic. Startups like ours are proof that the desire to refashion the world for the better is boundless. They are also proof that making dreams real, especially from the ground up, is such an age-old human struggle. In other words, we at Littorary see you, you fellow startups.

A consortium of environmental and community organizations is poised to release a plan intended to urge President-elect Joe Biden to craft a series of executive orders aimed at curtailing the plastic pollution crisis around the world.

“In the case of the United States, it is critically important that we examine our own backyard and take responsibility for our global plastic footprint,” said Jenna Jambeck, a professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia.

The story of plastics and their baleful impact on both the environment and human health continues to get worse. A study published in October found that babies are imbibing millions of microplastics and nanoplastics due to the ubiquitous presence of polypropylene, a common plastic, in baby bottles.

Plastics recycling is largely a fantasy perpetuated by the fossil fuels industry to provide a salve to the environmental consciences of consumers in the United States and abroad.

Just as the beach season is wrapping up in the northern stretches of U.S. shores, we are learning of a new beach hazard. Beachgoers were already concerned about too much sun exposure, the increasing population of great white sharks in the north Atlantic, and now a concern of our own making appears – Bisphenol A (BPA).

Beach cleanup efforts are losing ground to the wave of plastics coming from the ocean. What's the solution? The answer is simple but requires collective effort.