Tag: climate crisis

A Comprehensive Article from Greenpeace: “Plastic Merchants of Myth: Circular Claims Fall Flat”.*

On By Brian BerardoIn Environment, Health, Plastics, Politics, Uncategorized

*PUBLISHED by Greenpeace U.S. DECEMBER 2025 GREENPEACE INC. 1300 Eye Street, NW Suite 1100 East Washington, D.C. 20005 – http://www.GREENPEACE.ORG

This is an incredible article. It is illuminating and packed with charts, summaries, and tables. Here’s the table of contents:

Executive Summary Circular Claims Proven False (2025 Update) Introduction: Unmasking the Merchants of Myth
1 Timeline of Deceit
2 Circles of influence
5 1. Mapping the Merchants of Myth: Members, Messages, Tactics
7 1.1.2 Petrochemical Industry 7 Propaganda techniques used by Petrochemical Industry trade associations
9 1.1.3 Consumer Products Industry
11 1.1.4 Organizations funded by the Plastics and Products Industries
12 1.2 Merchants of Myth: Main Deceptive Messages
14 1.3 Merchants of Myth: Primary Propaganda Tactics
16 1.4 Merchants of Myth: Circular Blame Game for Causes of Plastic Recycling Failure
21 2. U.S. and California Legal Requirements for Claiming Plastics Are Recyclable
23 2.1 U.S. FTC Green Guides Requirements
24 2.2 California Legal Requirements
25 how2recycle labels prohibited under the Truth in labeling Law
26 3. U.S. National Post-Consumer Rigid Plastic Waste and Recycling Assessment
29 3.1 Summary of Results
31 3.2 2025 U.S. Plastic Waste Generation by Type
32 3.3 U.S. Population Access to Curbside Recycling (Factor 1)
33 3.4 Percentage of U.S. MRFs That Accept a Specific Item (Factor 2)
33 3.5 Existing U.S. Recycling/Reprocessing Capacity (Factor 3): Assessment of U.S. Post-Consumer Rigid Plastic Waste Recycling/Reprocessing Facilities
35 3.5.1 Assessment Scope
35 3.5.2 Assessment Results
36 4. 2025 California Post-Consumer Rigid Plastic Waste and Recycling Assessment
41 4.1 2025 California Plastic Waste Generation by Type
43 4.2 Acceptance of Items in California Curbside Recycling Bins (Criterion 1)
44 4.3 Sortation of Items into Defined Streams in California MRFs (Criterion 2)
44 4.4 Recycling/Reprocessing Capacity for California’s Post-Consumer Plastic Waste (Criterion 3)
45 4.5 Contamination Levels in Plastic Waste Bales Produced by California
46 MRFS and Compliance with Basel Convention (Criterion 4)
5. Conclusion: what we are calling for
48 Appendix A: U.S. EPA 2018 Sustainable Materials Management Report – Table 8 for Plastics
50 Appendix B. 2025 Survey of U.S. Materials Recovery Facilities for Plastic Waste Item Acceptance in Curbside Recycling Bins: Survey Methodology and Public Transparency
52 appendix C: Survey of u.s. post-consumer rigid plastic waste recycling/ reprocessing facilities
53 Appendix D: Survey of U.S. Post-Consumer Rigid Plastic Waste Recycling/ Reprocessing Facilities
55 Appendix E: Master Survey of All U.S. Plastic Waste Recycling/Reprocessing Facilities
55 REFERENCES
62 endnotes

A bit of good news for a change:

On By Brian BerardoIn Environment, Forestry, Good News, Health, Plastics, Politics, Uncategorized

With all of the environmental setbacks we’ve been experiencing of late, there’s some heartening news from the United Nations. At the very least, it’s a step in the right direction. U.N.’s top court says failing to address climate change could violate international law:
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/un-top-court-icj-climate-change-international-law-reparations-rcna220528

Join a Nationwide Protest on April 5th

On By Brian BerardoIn Environment, Forestry, Health, Politics, Uncategorized

Until this evening, I was unfamiliar with the website wardrobeoxygen.com, but they’ve done a splendid job of laying out the various groups that are organizing and why they’re doing so. We’re at a pivotal time in our nation’s history and this is not the time to sit on the sidelines. Please check out this website if you care about what’s going on in the United States today and want to understand the scope of this event: https://www.wardrobeoxygen.com/details-on-the-april-5th-national-day-of-protest/ .

Per CNN’s  Laura Paddison in an article published 3/6/25, Trump’s Canadian tariffs include lumber. He is pushing to cut down American trees instead.

On By Brian BerardoIn Environment, Forestry, Uncategorized

According to Paddison, “…The Trump administration quietly issued an executive order Saturday for the “immediate expansion” of commercial logging on federal lands, setting out deadlines for officials to figure out how to fast-track permits and circumvent restrictions set out in the Endangered Species Act and other environmental protections.” For details, visit the article at https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/06/climate/trump-logging-national-forest-tariffs/index.html.

The Future of our National Forests is at Risk!

On By Brian BerardoIn Environment, Forestry, Politics, Uncategorized

Passing along an alarming deadline that is rapidly approaching. Please read and understand why we need to contact our Senators about the “Fix Our Forests Act” that has already passed the House:

Date:Tue, 4 Feb 2025 12:23:16 -0500 (EST)
From:Adam Rissien <action@wildearthguardians.org>


Dear Guardian,
On January 23, Arkansas Representative Bruce Westerman introduced the “Fix Our Forests Act” (H.R. 471), which passed the House on a bipartisan vote, 279 – 141 (see how House members voted here). 
The Senate is now bypassing its normal rules to schedule a vote this very week or next, or it may move its own version. Many Democratic Senators are considering supporting the bill. 
The Fix Our Forests Act does little to reduce wildfire risk, which it is purported to address. Instead, the legislation is a green light to bypass critical environmental laws, restrict scientific input, and limit public engagement in how our forests are managed. The bill, if passed, would have devastating consequences for the environment and endangered species.
Take Action – Call Your Senator Today! 
Phone number: (202) 224-3121
A U.S. Capitol Switchboard operator can connect you directly with your Senate office. Not sure who to ask for?
Click here to find your Senator.



Sample Phone Script or Voicemail:
Hi, I’m [Name] and I live in [Town]. I’m reaching out about the Fix Our Forests Act, which passed the House and is expected to be introduced in the Senate. 
Sen. _____________ should vote no on the Fix Our Forests Act. I oppose this bill because (pick any/all talking points)This legislation will open millions of acres of federal land to logging without scientific review or community input. It prohibits the courts from weighing in by limiting judicial review. This bill allows for cutting of large old trees that store massive amounts of carbon and are key for mitigating against climate change. The bill guts key pieces of the Endangered Species Act and weakens the National Environmental Policy Act. The bill does little to invest in proven wildfire mitigation measures such as defensible space, emergency planning, and home hardening. Instead it focuses on opening up federal lands to logging interests. The bill would allow harmful road construction, creating highroad densities. Roads increase the risk of human-caused fires, fragment forest habitat, and are sources of chronic sediment that harm water quality in rivers and streams. Thank you, guardian, for taking action to protect climate-critical forests.

For the Wild,

Adam Rissien
ReWilding Manager

Investing in Climate Chaos in 2024

On By Brian BerardoIn Environment, Health, Plastics

My friend, Dennis Ledden, passed along a very illuminating article and report entitled “Investing in Climate Chaos 2024: Institutional Investors $4.3 TRILLION Deep Into the Fossil Fuel Industry.” This article clearly identifies who these investors are and just how deep they are into supporting this industry. You can also download the brief report from the link provided in the above article which just came out on July 9th. Knowledge is power.

DARIGOLD switching from paper packaging to PLASTIC!

On By Brian BerardoIn Environment, Plastics

I wrote to Darigold.com this morning:  they’ve switched from paper packaging for decades of their Half & Half dairy product to PLASTIC!  (Barcode is 264002760) I sent the following to their contact URL:

“Good day!!  Your website talks about Sustainability & Stewardship, the Environment, and then you switch from paper packaging to PLASTIC for your dairy products, e.g., Half & Half?  Are you kidding me?  For your reference that’s Barcode 2640022760.  I am OUTRAGED!!  Talk about hypocritical!  You have such a wonderful product and then you put it in PLASTIC?  WAKE UP!!!!  Not only will I not buy your product now, but I’ll do everything in my power to spread the word of your hypocrisy, including reporting you to Green Peace, Ocean Conservancy, Oceana.org, 5gyres.org, my own church, and worthyvisions.com.”

I urge you to PLEASE go to darigold.com and click on the Contact button and beg them to stop adding PLASTIC to our environment. Thank you!