N_LaRUE
New member
Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!
OK now onto that article.
So, full disclosure here. I work in engineering and I typically have worked in the oil and gas industry for the past decade. As much as I hate it, it pays well. This is the dilemma but I am hoping to get out of it within the next couple of years.
Why I am saying this is that most people don't realise that plastic is a product of the oil and gas industry. It's a petrochemical. There are many of these oil products about but plastic is the big one. We often don't realise how much plastic and in general oil there is in our lives. Your average household is full of oil, to put it simply. It's even in your clothes - polyester.
Did you know that plastic fiber gets released into the air when you walk wearing polyester and that during a wash cycle plastic fibers get washed into the drain? You're breathing in plastic fiber anytime you're outside around others. The clothing industry has a very bad environmental impact on the planet.
As with all things related to the oil and gas industry they WANT to keep things going as they are. What this means is the 'status quo'. They want us to think recycling, reusing and reducing are the ONLY way to do things. Why? Because it makes them tonnes of money of course and it's a lot easier for THEM. The plastic industry sees 'no reduction' in it's production of polymers in the near future, in fact it sees an increase. This means, you guessed it, MORE PLASTIC.
Companies are slowly (crawling is more like it) to full cycle product production but this is way late in the day. Not only that but companies still to this day just keep producing plastic products without contributing one single cent into it's recycling, reusing, reducing. When I mean companies I mean everything from manufactures of cars to planes to your grocery store (don't get me started with them...) No company is currently taking ANY responsibility for the plastic they produce and expect US and government to HANDLE the situation. They're expecting SCIENCE and others to sort things out FOR THEM.
This is complete and utter BS. Recycling is no longer a viable option and it never really was. Neither is reusing. The simple truth is NOW, reducing and preferably elimination is the ONLY option. Our planet and the life on it (including us) are being overwhelmed with plastic. To suggest that companies are expecting an INCREASE in the use of plastics when we should be going in reverse is obscene to say the least. Not only that but expect US to bear the responsibility for it is even more ridiculous.
But that's what you get when dealing with powerful industries like oil and gas. Keep in mind this the same industry that kept battery tech from getting better and putting clean energy down for decades.
We are so screwed. Especially when you add in the right wing political ideology that 'everything is fine'.
So as much as I like the ideas in the article it is very small comfort in the grand scheme of things. Do I think we should stop working on solutions? Of course not but I think the better one to start with is reducing and eliminating the single use plastic industry all together. That would be real progress. Then clean up, recycle and reuse what's already out there.
Most western countries have pretty pathetic recycling methods so to suggest in anyway we're ready for things is ludicrous. Even China couldn't handle the amount coming in... That should tell you everything.
OK now onto that article.
So, full disclosure here. I work in engineering and I typically have worked in the oil and gas industry for the past decade. As much as I hate it, it pays well. This is the dilemma but I am hoping to get out of it within the next couple of years.
Why I am saying this is that most people don't realise that plastic is a product of the oil and gas industry. It's a petrochemical. There are many of these oil products about but plastic is the big one. We often don't realise how much plastic and in general oil there is in our lives. Your average household is full of oil, to put it simply. It's even in your clothes - polyester.
Did you know that plastic fiber gets released into the air when you walk wearing polyester and that during a wash cycle plastic fibers get washed into the drain? You're breathing in plastic fiber anytime you're outside around others. The clothing industry has a very bad environmental impact on the planet.
As with all things related to the oil and gas industry they WANT to keep things going as they are. What this means is the 'status quo'. They want us to think recycling, reusing and reducing are the ONLY way to do things. Why? Because it makes them tonnes of money of course and it's a lot easier for THEM. The plastic industry sees 'no reduction' in it's production of polymers in the near future, in fact it sees an increase. This means, you guessed it, MORE PLASTIC.
Companies are slowly (crawling is more like it) to full cycle product production but this is way late in the day. Not only that but companies still to this day just keep producing plastic products without contributing one single cent into it's recycling, reusing, reducing. When I mean companies I mean everything from manufactures of cars to planes to your grocery store (don't get me started with them...) No company is currently taking ANY responsibility for the plastic they produce and expect US and government to HANDLE the situation. They're expecting SCIENCE and others to sort things out FOR THEM.
This is complete and utter BS. Recycling is no longer a viable option and it never really was. Neither is reusing. The simple truth is NOW, reducing and preferably elimination is the ONLY option. Our planet and the life on it (including us) are being overwhelmed with plastic. To suggest that companies are expecting an INCREASE in the use of plastics when we should be going in reverse is obscene to say the least. Not only that but expect US to bear the responsibility for it is even more ridiculous.
But that's what you get when dealing with powerful industries like oil and gas. Keep in mind this the same industry that kept battery tech from getting better and putting clean energy down for decades.
We are so screwed. Especially when you add in the right wing political ideology that 'everything is fine'.
So as much as I like the ideas in the article it is very small comfort in the grand scheme of things. Do I think we should stop working on solutions? Of course not but I think the better one to start with is reducing and eliminating the single use plastic industry all together. That would be real progress. Then clean up, recycle and reuse what's already out there.
Most western countries have pretty pathetic recycling methods so to suggest in anyway we're ready for things is ludicrous. Even China couldn't handle the amount coming in... That should tell you everything.
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