I love documentaries.
Especially when they are filmed well, funny and well researched. I watch a lot of them and thought I would share my thoughts on an amazing one that I recently watched.
It's called Bag It.
I'm a relatively eco-conscious person. I could definitely do more and I know that. I've done a bit of research into the type of lifestyle I want to be a part of and over the past few years I can honestly say I have taken pretty significant steps towards a more clean way of living. For me, a huge part of clean living was the way I eat. Organic, local, humane, hormone free, etc... Even more recently the packaging what I eat comes in has become of concern to me. Coincidentally, I just watched this documentary and it is enough to jump start my concern with plastics and other terrifyingly prevalent chemicals in our world.
Plastic.
It's gives me a weird feeling just to say it. It seems like everything is made out of plastic. Just looking at my desk I have my computer, my sunglasses, telephone, head set, cords, pens, notebooks, spray bottle, lotion bottle, paper clip holder, cell phone, pill bottle, lighter, DVD case and who knows what else. And how about all the plastic we throw into the garbage every day? Plastic bags, plastic soda/water bottles, plastic food bottles, plastic safety seals, plastic packaging for your sexy time toys and let's not even get started with your sexy time toys themselves. Imagine the chemicals you are inserting directly into your lady parts... it's everywhere. So, where does this all go?
It's gives me a weird feeling just to say it. It seems like everything is made out of plastic. Just looking at my desk I have my computer, my sunglasses, telephone, head set, cords, pens, notebooks, spray bottle, lotion bottle, paper clip holder, cell phone, pill bottle, lighter, DVD case and who knows what else. And how about all the plastic we throw into the garbage every day? Plastic bags, plastic soda/water bottles, plastic food bottles, plastic safety seals, plastic packaging for your sexy time toys and let's not even get started with your sexy time toys themselves. Imagine the chemicals you are inserting directly into your lady parts... it's everywhere. So, where does this all go?
According to "Bag It" there are some parts of the ocean where there is now 40 times more plastic than food. Plastic is killing 100,000 marine animals annually. Sea turtles are facing the very real threat of becoming extinct in my life time. This is where your vibatron 3000's packaging is ending up. In the stomach of large wales and asphyxiating seals. All lady parts jokes aside, these are terrifying facts.
http://www.reallynatural.com/archives/baby/avoid_hot_beverages_in_plastic.php
We all see the "BPA Free" signs on everything plastic these days. Which is awesome considering it is synthetic estrogen and linked to ADHD, gender neutrality, cancer, early puberty, autism and just about every other terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing you can imagine. What about all the Persistent Organic Pollutants (DDT, PCB's, etc...)? Something interesting I learned about these is that they latch onto plastic. The plastics are ingested by an organism, whom is then, in turn, ingested by a larger organism and on up the food chain it goes. Within each individual organism the amount of these pollutants are then multiplied and concentrated in their flesh. Which we then eat. And spend a ridiculous amount of money on (read: tuna, swordfish, dolphin... the fish).
OK, so I won't keep rambling about all the infuriating facts that you can learn all by yourself by taking about 90 minutes out of your very busy schedule of watching crap TV and porn and eating over-processed garbage. I'll just ramble about how angry it makes me instead.
I would like the American Chemistry Council to explain to me who the hell they think they are and then I would like an average American to tell me why the hell they are so ignorant. The truth is, as a whole, we are stupid. Slap a tan, leggy blond with a round ass and visible ribcage on anything and we'll buy it off the shelves at record speed. Sure! Buy my brand of water! We filter it directly through Jessica Alba's asshole providing you will all the necessities to also be an exotic goddess with perfect lips and a washboard abs.
The whole idea of bottled water has always been a little strange to me. Don't get me wrong, I partake in the occasional convenience of using fossil fuels to house my "clean" drinking water, but I have made a concerted effort to reduce how often I partake in such an absurd ritual and from here forth vow to do everything in my power not to utilize such vessels any longer. But seriously. Let's talk about bottles of water. What. The HELL!? I mean, c'mon. Is your tap water really that bad? OK, so it is. I understand.. mine tastes metallic and gross and I just couldn't handle it. So, I bought a Brita. Also made of plastic, yes. But, if you use that Brita to filter your water and then pour that filtered water into a re-usable (preferably glass or stainless steel) bottle and take that with you, you'll find your pockets padded with hundred dollar bills and albatross will fly until the end of time. Seriously-- environmentalists need to hire me for their marketing. I'll tell you lies. Just buy my bullshit.
Something that really drives me nuts is that pens are sold in plastic casings. I mean, I get it. It makes them look super fancy and special. But there has to be a better way. Or what about Styrofoam peanuts to ship things like toilet paper! When I was working at my previous job, we got a shipment from (gag) Walmart. The shipments were of paper towels and toilet paper. Each package was shipped in an individual card board box about twice the size of the paper products then stuffed with packing peanuts. Annnnnnnnd right on cue, my eyes began to bleed. I just truly do not understand.
The most unfortunate part about my plastic self-evaluation is how difficult it feels to get away from the whole thing. It's been taking over my life since the day I was born. I feel trapped in a plastic prison. I don't know how to get out of my saran wrapped hell.
Anyway, that's all for now. I need to get away from my computer before I implode. I'm not going to give you some proper citation unless you really wanna be a bitch... It's all from Bag It or my own brain. So just watch the movie and stop being such a douche.
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