Dead whale on beach (courtesy Corolla, NC Rescue Service)
In the month of February of this year, the coast of North Carolina and Virginia have noted a high number of dead whales washing up on the beach. Four were found within a two week period. Now, of course, the global pundits have come out and immediately charged it's due to the use of plastic and it should be totally banned. They have also, as they usually do, put their push behind the United Nations as the organization which should govern the process to direct and lead enforcement for the world, a body that has continually shown more and more hostility to America. I don't know about others, but I have no desire to see a group of bureaucrats in Brussels tell Americans what to do. And while I do believe we need to look at cutting down on plastic for bags and drink cups and plates and other such things, I think we need to be very careful before we blame plastics for the total blame, at least as far as the United States is concerned. Yes, we do have some who are inconsiderate in the way they dispose of thing, turning beaches at times into a litter field, but we have to look much deeper than that to find the real sources of the problem.
As it turns out, sixty percent of the waste plastic which gets into our oceans comes from five nations in Asia. These are China. the Philippines. Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. China is by far the worst nation on earth generating approximately five million tons a year. This came from a report published by the Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey Center for Conservation and Environment in 2015, the most recent such report available. No other nation on earth came close and while the UN pushes for strict limits under its control on the use of plastics for convenience, China always promises but never delivers on its commitments to follow such a plan. Russia and India often follow a similar tack, but none with the massive impact of China. We also need to take into account that a large number of whales wash up due to hitting a ship propeller, something that is really unavoidable unless we stop sea travel and transport which is totally ridiculous. So, what can we do within reason to limit the unnecessary death of these great sea mammals at least on our part?
Well, being both a believer in conservation within reason and the requirements of a modern society, I think that the limit of use of plastic convenience items such as bags, plates and utensils is a good idea as long as we can find an economic solution that is affordable by not just the elites and rich, but everyone. For one thing, I remember when we used to go on picnics with real utensils, just putting them back in the picnic basket and bringing them home to wash. And, of course, the strong and durable plastic plates are a great idea, for we can bring them home and wash and reuse them as well. As for the cheap plastic bag at the grocery store, I think we could easily eliminate them and go back to paper which is both biodegradable and recyclable as well. Individually owned cloth bags are fine, but they won't work for large and poor families, so that's why I favor paper, just like we used in the old days. Finally. being good citizens and not throwing waste certainly needs to be taught to children, especially if their parents will conduct themselves in a way to lead the family in this effort.
The United States has taken great strides to bring the largest economic engine in the world to a much more appropriate level of resource use that will provide both convenience and a higher level of conservation approach to business. A nation like China must also do its fair share which it routinely shows that it will just disregard. We can't become alarmists to the extreme in America if sixty percent of the source is on one continent and it's not ours. We can find answers since America always has used her sovereignty and the genius of her people to do things better than most of the world combined. Let's do what me must, but do it the American way and use the leverage of our leadership to make it happen worldwide. The UN has proven time and again that it can't lead, it would rather try to dictate for its own one world government goal. If you love America as most of us do, that is never acceptable.
As it turns out, sixty percent of the waste plastic which gets into our oceans comes from five nations in Asia. These are China. the Philippines. Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. China is by far the worst nation on earth generating approximately five million tons a year. This came from a report published by the Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey Center for Conservation and Environment in 2015, the most recent such report available. No other nation on earth came close and while the UN pushes for strict limits under its control on the use of plastics for convenience, China always promises but never delivers on its commitments to follow such a plan. Russia and India often follow a similar tack, but none with the massive impact of China. We also need to take into account that a large number of whales wash up due to hitting a ship propeller, something that is really unavoidable unless we stop sea travel and transport which is totally ridiculous. So, what can we do within reason to limit the unnecessary death of these great sea mammals at least on our part?
Well, being both a believer in conservation within reason and the requirements of a modern society, I think that the limit of use of plastic convenience items such as bags, plates and utensils is a good idea as long as we can find an economic solution that is affordable by not just the elites and rich, but everyone. For one thing, I remember when we used to go on picnics with real utensils, just putting them back in the picnic basket and bringing them home to wash. And, of course, the strong and durable plastic plates are a great idea, for we can bring them home and wash and reuse them as well. As for the cheap plastic bag at the grocery store, I think we could easily eliminate them and go back to paper which is both biodegradable and recyclable as well. Individually owned cloth bags are fine, but they won't work for large and poor families, so that's why I favor paper, just like we used in the old days. Finally. being good citizens and not throwing waste certainly needs to be taught to children, especially if their parents will conduct themselves in a way to lead the family in this effort.
The United States has taken great strides to bring the largest economic engine in the world to a much more appropriate level of resource use that will provide both convenience and a higher level of conservation approach to business. A nation like China must also do its fair share which it routinely shows that it will just disregard. We can't become alarmists to the extreme in America if sixty percent of the source is on one continent and it's not ours. We can find answers since America always has used her sovereignty and the genius of her people to do things better than most of the world combined. Let's do what me must, but do it the American way and use the leverage of our leadership to make it happen worldwide. The UN has proven time and again that it can't lead, it would rather try to dictate for its own one world government goal. If you love America as most of us do, that is never acceptable.
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