This new report claims to help these various governmental bodies by providing legal tools for engaging the producers of plastic. Getting this information into the hands of our local governmental bodies is critical. See https://www.ciel.org/news/new-report-helps-cities-states-legal-fight-plastic-pollution/. CIEL has been around since 1998 and you’ll be impressed with the work they’ve been doing.
Tag: Environment
Hopes fade for production curbs in new global pact on plastic pollution.
This article from Climate Home News is discouraging but tells us clearly what’s happening and isn’t happening WRT curbing plastic production: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2024/05/03/hopes-fade-for-production-curbs-in-new-global-pact-on-plastic-pollution/ .
Kudos to Drawdown and their Solutions Library!
These guys have been busy! What a marvelous collection of solutions and where we’re at with respect to their corresponding degree of engagement and development. Just visit https://drawdown.org/solutions.
Climate Forum to Focus on Threats to SalmonSunday March 3, Port Angeles
The Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sequim/Port Angeles will present its first Climate Forum of 2024 at the Fellowship,1033 N Barr Rd, Port Angeles on March 3 at 12:20PM. The Forum will focus on the threats salmon are facing in the Northwest and solutions that are currently being implemented. It’s part of the Fellowship’s Green Sanctuary climate actions to address the seriousness of our changing climate due primarily to the burning of fossil fuels. Nate Roberts of the North Olympic Salmon Coalition will be the speaker. The presentation will be about 45 minutes including Q&A. The Forum is free and open to the public. Parking is conveniently located adjacent to the Fellowship Hall.
Plastics Fact Sheet
Thanks to my friend, Dennis Ledden, who passed this along to me today. This is a chart showing categories/lists of how and where we’re affected by plastics. Here’s the link: FACTS
Some potentially GREAT news about a bacteria that eats plastic!!
Funny how I didn’t see this on any of the major news networks. Here’s the link to the story found on the goodnewsnetwork.org: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/scientists-engineered-a-bacteria-to-eat-plastic-bottles-and-transforming-them-into-useful-liquids/. We can only hope and pray that this research continues and can be made scalable. While we still think that reducing our production of plastics needs to happen, this brings new hope to an otherwise troubling future with plastics.
Consumer Alert!
This is being repeated because it’s too important not to do so. My wife and I do a lot of our shopping at our local Safeway grocery stores. They’ve been working hard, as do many grocers these days, in trying to provide products that are sustainable and organic. That said, they recently took a WRONG TURN in the plastic packaging of many of their O Organics product line and it’s up to us to remind them.
Please note the following statement from O Organics, one of Safeway’s premier product lines:
“Why O Organics® ?
With O Organics®, you know that what you feed your family is actually good for them. Because all O Organics® products are USDA Certified Organic. They are made responsibly, sustainably and safely (my highlighting). They are always non-GMO, and grown without synthetic pesticides.
Dear fellow consumers: feeding your family microplastics is NOT good for them and pumping MORE plastics into our environment is NOT helpful. https://www.safeway.com/shop/lp/o-organics-organic.html is the home of O Organics. Please write to them and express your disdain for switching from paper containers to PLASTIC containers in many of their dairy products, e.g. Half and Half, Heavy Whipping Cream, etc. This switch happened recently in 2021! They also have countless other products that are being sold in plastic that could be packaged in a more sustainable manner. We, as consumers, need to fight back or we will truly be even more awash in plastic.
Safeway is trying to do the right thing by going to a product line like O Organics. We LAUD their efforts to bring us higher quality products. Unfortunately, they’ve become distracted from their mission and it’s up to us to remind them that we DO care about our environment and the products we consume. Please go to https://www.safeway.com/shop/lp/o-organics-organic.html and at the bottom of the page, under Quick Links, click on “Contact Us”. Scroll down to the lower part of the next screen to the header ‘Contact Us’ and the right most of three boxes is a box “Other Ways To Contact Us“. Click on “Comments and Questions” and explain to them that their sustainable practices are going BACKWARDS instead of forwards in their packaging. This page also has addresses for Customer Support Center and Media Inquiries. ANYTHING you can do to help mitigate this senseless INCREASE in plastics will help. Your planet and your body THANK YOU!!!
DARIGOLD switching from paper packaging to PLASTIC!
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!
And Four to Go…
This is the follow-up to “One for the Money”, “Two for the Show”, “Three to get Ready”, and, as this saying goes, “And Four to Go”. I thought I had already posted this but couldn’t find it on the website and it begs to be read:
“All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis was written by no less than dozens of diverse women leading on climate in the United States – scientists, journalists, farmers, lawyers, teachers, activists, innovators, wonks, and designers, across generations, geographies, and race – and aims to advance a more representative, nuanced, and solution-oriented public conversation on the climate crisis.”[1]
“…Intermixing essays with poetry and art, this book is both a balm and guide for knowing and holding what has been done to the world, while bolstering our resolve never to give up on one another or our collective future. We must summon truth, courage, and solutions to turn away from the brink and toward life-giving possibility. Curated by two climate leaders, the book is a collection and celebration of visionaries who are leading us on a path toward all we can save.”[2]
[1] Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson, “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis”, Random House, LLC, New York, 2020. From Information Foreword in Kindle edition.
[2] Ibid.
… And Four To Go
You’re going to love this book: “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis” Edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Katharine K. Wilkinson. Penguin Random House LLC, New York. 2020
I found this book in my public library and was able to download via OverDrive software. This is a National Best Seller and I now understand why. You will too. It’s available for purchase, of course, but however you get your hands on it, you will be glad you did so.
With essays and poems by:
Emily Atkin • Xiye Bastida • Ellen Bass • Colette Pichon Battle • Jainey K. Bavishi • Janine Benyus • adrienne maree brown • Régine Clément • Abigail Dillen • Camille T. Dungy • Rhiana Gunn-Wright • Joy Harjo • Katharine Hayhoe • Mary Annaïse Heglar • Jane Hirshfield • Mary Anne Hitt • Ailish Hopper • Tara Houska, Zhaabowekwe • Emily N. Johnston • Joan Naviyuk Kane • Naomi Klein • Kate Knuth • Ada Limón • Louise Maher-Johnson • Kate Marvel • Gina McCarthy • Anne Haven McDonnell • Sarah Miller • Sherri Mitchell, Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset • Susanne C. Moser • Lynna Odel • Sharon Olds • Mary Oliver • Kate Orff • Jacqui Patterson • Leah Penniman • Catherine Pierce • Marge Piercy • Kendra Pierre-Louis • Varshini • Prakash • Janisse Ray • Christine E. Nieves Rodriguez • Favianna Rodriguez • Cameron Russell • Ash Sanders • Judith D. Schwartz • Patricia Smith • Emily Stengel • Sarah Stillman • Leah Cardamore Stokes • Amanda Sturgeon • Maggie Thomas • Heather McTeer Toney • Alexandria Villaseñor • Alice Walker • Amy Westervelt • Jane Zelikova
worthyvisions.com 