Arielle goes on a "toxic tour" of Port Arthur, Texas to experience the local impact of plastics: the fossil fuel industry's strategy to survive the clean energy transition.
I worked in Ghana for 3 years - 2015-18. A few colleagues traveled there to see the mountain gorillas and when they came back they said Rwanda had banned plastic bags. Rwanda!
Before Ghana, I had spent 3 years in Cairo, Egypt. In both countries, plastic bags are ubiquitous. There are roadside stands everywhere, selling anything from fresh fruit & vegetables to every imaginable sort of trinket or gadget. Plastic bags are used by EVERYONE in both countries, and I'm guessing most other nations on the planet. And why not? They're cheap, strong, versatile, etc.
But - Rwanda!! They banned those things nearly 10 years ago. Europe is not far behind - many countries in Europe charge a fee for plastic bags, instead of giving them away by the millions like our stores here in the US.
There are plenty of replacements for single-use plastic out there; what we lack is the political will to stand up to the fossils.
It's a shame that the corporations get away with killing people like this. A slow death. But then, I am retired military and I get the same treatment from the government. 'Oh we're sorry we exposed you to toxins or made you take toxic medicines. It's incurable so here is some money for you trouble. Have a nice life'. Much the same for people like those living in Port Arthur. The corporations are sorry but carry on anyway.
airalliancehouston.org has some great resources - it also includes a map where you can protest facilities near you or at least know what is in the works. they have other maps and data.
One thing I appreciate about HEATED is that it has imo the right balance between industry responsibility and personal responsibility. Like the article says, fossil fuel and petrochemical companies have basically sold a myth we can recycle our way out of the problem of plastic, but like also stated, and I think the headline exemplifies, personal consumer consumption does play a substantial role too and there are activist groups people can join to make change.
It might be a small thing but I think a lot of other climate or pollution reporting miss that and also doesn't direct people to groups to help solve the problem like HEATED does.
But really excellent reporting Arielle! That HEATED can do in person reporting like this is awesome.
Also great to hear your mom is doing well Emily! I went through something similar with my mom and the healing/physical therapy process takes some time. Again take as much time as you need.
When the Kaiser’s army deployed Chlorine gas in the trenches of ‘The Great War’, the French opened the tomb of one of their late great scientists as he had buried with him the secret to the ultimate weapon; it was poison gas. No prosecutions for its use in killing tens of thousands of troops in that war nor was the chemical industry restricted after Hitler’s use in Death Camps nor again after American sprayed Agent Orange (willfully used by the industry to dispose of the waste product Dioxin) all over the wildlife in Southeast Asia. The Graduate in the movie of that name is advised one word “Plastics”, in Jurassic Park Dr, Malcolm says “Just because you can does not mean you should!” Decades ago, in Anchorage, a ‘bottle bill’ public vote was defeated by well funded unknown actors. Apparently they did not like the continued use of glass bottles that were recycled or even waxed cardboard containers. So, what if plastics break down to particles so small that they can disrupt even single cell organisms leave alone insects. Maybe that is not our doom but it has not even been considered, hell, there is money to be made supplying fools with the tools of their trade! Money as the only real value, really?
This reminds me of a few things. A few years ago the NYTimes profiled two lead-acid car battery recycling facilities. I think they were both owned by the same company. One was in MN, the other in FL. One seemed to be poisoning its employees, maybe the local land and water, the other not. It all came down to whether the state enforced its own regs or the federal regs it was supposed to be enforcing, or not. I think y'all can guess the state with the foul factory.
I'm not versed in pollution control from plastics plants, but likely in other places they pollute less than in TX. Sadly, the manufacturers often convince the workers ("industrial men" as Emily once wrote) that enduring slow poisoning is macho, and to join up with enviros risks their jobs. Recently outside the local fossil gas compressor station I met the pipefitters replacing some methane-venting valves with air-powered ones. They seemed kinda horrified when told they were doing a "green" project.
I don't worry too much about GHGs from plastics manufacturing or landfilling vs. other products and packaging. I worry more about land conversion to bio-based anything crops. And I just hope my "recycling" isn't getting burned!
The process called cracking is not about making ethane into a smaller molecule. It has only 2 carbon atoms. Ethane is a product of cracking, where large hydrocarbons are cracked to from small molecules like ethane that can then be used to make plastics like polyethylene.
Pollution is always a worthy cause but must not to be confused with the pointless mitigation of CO2 and the futile effort to attack climate change.
We need to accept the definitive need for the ongoing need for fossil fuels to support our modern prosperity, and they will be essential to support any adaption to a naturally warming planet.
Any notion that fossil fuels can be quickly displaced with other technologies is unrealistic, foolish and irresponsible.
Here are some key points for the future...
Plastics are an essential material element in our future products and going backwards without such materials will be impossible.
What we need to do is apply “sustainability thinking” to our whole economy.
We do need to make mine and grow much more of what we consume so we can have more of a circular economy, so that we can recycle, reuse, re-purpose, reclaim and avoid throwing away any materials we dig out of the ground or grow and process for our use. This is a mutual responsibility by all involved.. consumers, governments, and industry.
Our land fill sites are a direct measure of the waste as it relates to the cost of potential pollution.
We have enough regulations, and we just need to ensure they are enforced. But eliminating our industries and jobs and then our prosperity with over-indulgence in unrealistic advocacy action is not the solution, and just wont work.
There are some technological alternatives to meet cost, quality and environmental balance, but they need to be planned correctly and it means working with the industrial players as partners in our economic future, not framing them as the enemy!
I worked in Ghana for 3 years - 2015-18. A few colleagues traveled there to see the mountain gorillas and when they came back they said Rwanda had banned plastic bags. Rwanda!
Before Ghana, I had spent 3 years in Cairo, Egypt. In both countries, plastic bags are ubiquitous. There are roadside stands everywhere, selling anything from fresh fruit & vegetables to every imaginable sort of trinket or gadget. Plastic bags are used by EVERYONE in both countries, and I'm guessing most other nations on the planet. And why not? They're cheap, strong, versatile, etc.
But - Rwanda!! They banned those things nearly 10 years ago. Europe is not far behind - many countries in Europe charge a fee for plastic bags, instead of giving them away by the millions like our stores here in the US.
There are plenty of replacements for single-use plastic out there; what we lack is the political will to stand up to the fossils.
It's a shame that the corporations get away with killing people like this. A slow death. But then, I am retired military and I get the same treatment from the government. 'Oh we're sorry we exposed you to toxins or made you take toxic medicines. It's incurable so here is some money for you trouble. Have a nice life'. Much the same for people like those living in Port Arthur. The corporations are sorry but carry on anyway.
airalliancehouston.org has some great resources - it also includes a map where you can protest facilities near you or at least know what is in the works. they have other maps and data.
One thing I appreciate about HEATED is that it has imo the right balance between industry responsibility and personal responsibility. Like the article says, fossil fuel and petrochemical companies have basically sold a myth we can recycle our way out of the problem of plastic, but like also stated, and I think the headline exemplifies, personal consumer consumption does play a substantial role too and there are activist groups people can join to make change.
It might be a small thing but I think a lot of other climate or pollution reporting miss that and also doesn't direct people to groups to help solve the problem like HEATED does.
But really excellent reporting Arielle! That HEATED can do in person reporting like this is awesome.
Also great to hear your mom is doing well Emily! I went through something similar with my mom and the healing/physical therapy process takes some time. Again take as much time as you need.
Another activist group, and their founder also recently visited Port Arthur: Beyond Plastics (https://www.beyondplastics.org/)
When the Kaiser’s army deployed Chlorine gas in the trenches of ‘The Great War’, the French opened the tomb of one of their late great scientists as he had buried with him the secret to the ultimate weapon; it was poison gas. No prosecutions for its use in killing tens of thousands of troops in that war nor was the chemical industry restricted after Hitler’s use in Death Camps nor again after American sprayed Agent Orange (willfully used by the industry to dispose of the waste product Dioxin) all over the wildlife in Southeast Asia. The Graduate in the movie of that name is advised one word “Plastics”, in Jurassic Park Dr, Malcolm says “Just because you can does not mean you should!” Decades ago, in Anchorage, a ‘bottle bill’ public vote was defeated by well funded unknown actors. Apparently they did not like the continued use of glass bottles that were recycled or even waxed cardboard containers. So, what if plastics break down to particles so small that they can disrupt even single cell organisms leave alone insects. Maybe that is not our doom but it has not even been considered, hell, there is money to be made supplying fools with the tools of their trade! Money as the only real value, really?
Important post that features “Davids” fighting “Goliaths.” I really appreciate this kind of grass roots reporting!
This reminds me of a few things. A few years ago the NYTimes profiled two lead-acid car battery recycling facilities. I think they were both owned by the same company. One was in MN, the other in FL. One seemed to be poisoning its employees, maybe the local land and water, the other not. It all came down to whether the state enforced its own regs or the federal regs it was supposed to be enforcing, or not. I think y'all can guess the state with the foul factory.
I'm not versed in pollution control from plastics plants, but likely in other places they pollute less than in TX. Sadly, the manufacturers often convince the workers ("industrial men" as Emily once wrote) that enduring slow poisoning is macho, and to join up with enviros risks their jobs. Recently outside the local fossil gas compressor station I met the pipefitters replacing some methane-venting valves with air-powered ones. They seemed kinda horrified when told they were doing a "green" project.
I don't worry too much about GHGs from plastics manufacturing or landfilling vs. other products and packaging. I worry more about land conversion to bio-based anything crops. And I just hope my "recycling" isn't getting burned!
The process called cracking is not about making ethane into a smaller molecule. It has only 2 carbon atoms. Ethane is a product of cracking, where large hydrocarbons are cracked to from small molecules like ethane that can then be used to make plastics like polyethylene.
So glad to hear that all are doing well (re: mom and doggo - not the horrors that are going on in Port Arthur).
Forget NetZero… its not going to happen in Canada.
Here is an article that is just about where most of our voters are now…
We will be changing governments and going back to normal and sound reason soon.
Joe Oliver: Liberals need to ditch Steven Guilbeault’s radical activism (msn.com)
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/topstories/joe-oliver-liberals-need-to-ditch-steven-guilbeault-s-radical-activism/ar-BB1j28QQ?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=dc7833b993a84c3cbf51a30d58bb3b9a&ei=67
Dear Emily,
I wish a speedy recovery for your parents!
Pollution is always a worthy cause but must not to be confused with the pointless mitigation of CO2 and the futile effort to attack climate change.
We need to accept the definitive need for the ongoing need for fossil fuels to support our modern prosperity, and they will be essential to support any adaption to a naturally warming planet.
Any notion that fossil fuels can be quickly displaced with other technologies is unrealistic, foolish and irresponsible.
Here are some key points for the future...
Plastics are an essential material element in our future products and going backwards without such materials will be impossible.
What we need to do is apply “sustainability thinking” to our whole economy.
We do need to make mine and grow much more of what we consume so we can have more of a circular economy, so that we can recycle, reuse, re-purpose, reclaim and avoid throwing away any materials we dig out of the ground or grow and process for our use. This is a mutual responsibility by all involved.. consumers, governments, and industry.
Our land fill sites are a direct measure of the waste as it relates to the cost of potential pollution.
We have enough regulations, and we just need to ensure they are enforced. But eliminating our industries and jobs and then our prosperity with over-indulgence in unrealistic advocacy action is not the solution, and just wont work.
There are some technological alternatives to meet cost, quality and environmental balance, but they need to be planned correctly and it means working with the industrial players as partners in our economic future, not framing them as the enemy!