The Problem with Plastic

Many aspects of our lives are dependent on the use of plastic. Most of the food we purchase is wrapped in plastic. And our leftovers are often stored in plastic bags and containers. The cords we plug into the wall, and the things that attach to those cords are frequently plastic or made primarily of plastic. Our toothpaste tubes, ketchup bottles, sponges, cosmetics, baby bottles, shower curtains, mattresses, cups, power tools, garbage cans, laptops, and automobiles are usually plastic or made up of plastic parts. Most medical equipment, containers, and devices are primarily plastic. And let’s not forget that many synthetic fabrics are essentially plastic too.

It’s no mere coincidence that the word plastic also can mean “phony,” because the overuse of plastic crowds out natural fabrics and substances and comes with a significant price tag. Plastic exacts a heavy carbon footprint, especially for single-use plastics that are used once and then thrown away. 

Plastic is manufactured from oil and uses a large amount of energy in the process. Furthermore, plastic waste is a major ingredient in our landfills and our oceans. But the story doesn’t end there. That landfill plastic slowly breaks down, becomes microplastics, and enters our water tables and our oceans and the food systems via the tiny sea creatures who consume those microscopic plastic particles and then who are consumed by larger sea creatures and the fish that ends up in our diet.

But it’s not just microplastics that are wreaking havoc to ecosystems. An article from 2019 in the Washington Post profiled a massive die off of hermit crabs on islands in the South Pacific caused by the crabs mistaking plastic trash for shells. And we’ve all read about birds being regularly strangled by plastic six-pack rings.

Plastic enters our bodies through the aforementioned microplastics, but also via utensils, bottles, cups, and containers we use to consume food and beverages. BPA plastic is surprisingly still quite prevalent in our food system, lining most of the cans in our grocery stores. 

Reducing the use of plastics has numerous advantages: less plastic means lower greenhouse gases, less environmental waste, less chance to entangle birds and other animals, less toxins in the food chain, and less toxins in our bodies and the bodies of our children. Yes, despite its convenience, our planet and the life on it would benefit from far less plastic. 

Next week, we will talk about how to reduce our exposure to plastics.

If you live in the Seattle area, you may be interested to know that Suzanna and Paul Litwin will be giving a talk entitled Eat for the Planet on Sunday, March 8th, 2020 at 7pm in the Admin Building at St John’s Catholic Church at 106 N 79th Street, Seattle 98103. Please consider joining us for lots of tips and tricks on eating more plants.

Paul Litwin

Eat More Plants

We make many decisions in our lives each day that impact our carbon footprints. Surprisingly, one of the most significant decisions to affect climate change is the food on our plates. 

The food on our plates you say? Yes, and here’s why: The raising of livestock for meat, eggs and milk generates 15-20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the second highest source of emissions and greater than all transportation combined. According to the EAT-Lancet report written by a team of 37 leading scientists and published in the prestigious Lancet medical journal in 2019, “A diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal source foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits.”

So how do you shift your diet towards plants? There are a number of different approaches, but the key is to be motivated (you are!) and to take the first step. 

As a first step, focus on adding more plants to your diet. Add fruit to your breakfast. If you only eat salad with your dinner, consider adding a small salad to your lunch as well as your dinner. And eat an apple, orange, banana, or other piece of fruit for a midday snack. Try a plant-based milk in your coffee.

Once you make these small additions, shift to slowly removing animal products from your diet. Replace the eggs and bacon on your breakfast plate with whole grains like oatmeal and fruit. At lunch, replace your cold cuts and cheese sandwich with a bean burrito, veggie burger, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. At dinner, move to meat as a condiment rather than the main course. Replace your typical meat pasta sauce with a meatless red sauce and add more vegetables to your plate. 

Beans and lentils are your new friends. So are greens, tofu, and more veggies. There are a plethora of vegan cookbooks and websites to help you on your journey. Try the recipes here: https://www.meatlessmonday.com/favorite-recipes/. Another great resource  is the Vegan Starter Kit from the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine at https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets/vegan-starter-kit.

You’ve likely been eating the Standard American Diet for a long time (i.e., your whole life), so don’t expect to be able to ditch meat, eggs, and dairy in a single day. Go slowly; give your body, your palate, your biome, and your mind time to adapt to the change. And any step you take, no matter how small is a step in the right direction.

If you live in the Seattle area, you may be interested to know that we will be giving a talk entitled Eat for the Planet on Sunday, March 8th, 2020 at 7pm in the Admin Building at St John’s Catholic Church at 106 N 79th Street, Seattle 98103. Please consider joining us for lots of tips and tricks on eating more plants. 

Paul & Suzanna Litwin

Recycle

As I mentioned in prior posts, my approach to consumption of resources can be summed up with these five words: reduce, reuse, renew, reconsider, and recycle. In prior columns, I discussed reduce, reuse, renew, and rethink. It’s time now to talk about recycle.

It’s not an accident that I put recycle last on my list of words. Certainly, recycling is admirable and you should not throw away recyclable materials. Nor should you muck up your bins by practicing what is called “wishful recycling,” when one ignores the rules and throws non recyclable items in the recycling bin according to recent article on kuow.org:

Industry-wide, an estimated 20 percent of what we recycle is trash, according to the Washington Refuse & Recycling Association.

Even when you get it right, recycling is not a panacea:

Alli Kingfisher, recycling coordinator for Washington state, said no one should be too smug about their recycling. “Recycling is only one step above disposal,” she said. Don’t get her wrong: recycling is important, but it’s not the end-all-be-all of green living. “If you really want to increase your overall environmental impact, try to reduce or reuse before you even get to the recycling part,” Kingfisher said.

Are you practicing wishful recycling? Perhaps it is time to reread the Seattle recycling/composting rules and teach your family members (including children) to follow the rules. You can view an online version of the SPU recycling guide at https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SPU/Services/Recycling/EnglishRecyclingdodont.pdf.

What about reducing your usage of single use items such as plastic water bottles and utensils, even when they are potentially recyclable? When possible, are you using reusable containers and purchasing bulk items that reduce packaging waste?

Reducing your consumption, reusing an item multiple times, or not making a questionable purchase is always better than purchasing an item that can later be recycled. But when you do use a recyclable item, make sure it ends up in the right recycling or compost bin.

Rethink

As I mentioned in prior columns, my approach to consumption of resources can be summed up with these five words: reduce, reuse, renew, rethink, and recycle. In prior columns, I discussed reduce and reuse. This time, I’d like to introduce rethink.

Reconsider could also have been “reconsider” or “re-assess”. The idea is to reconsider your normal patterns towards a more sustainable lifestyle. For example, if you currently drive to work, could you consider taking the bus or riding your bike instead?

This can also be applied to potential purchases. Most mobile phone manufacturers release new models of phones annually and many people have gotten into the habit of buying the latest each year. Should you reconsider if you really need to upgrade to the latest and can delay that upgrade for an extra year or two? Similarly, do you really need that new fill-in-the-blank appliance, piece of clothing, appliance, or other cool new gadget?

What aspect of your life might you rethink to come up with a more sustainable path?

Renew

As I mentioned last time, my approach to consumption of resources can be summed up with these five words: reduce, reuse, renew, rethink, and recycle. In prior columns, I discussed reduce and reuse. This time, I’d like to talk about renew.

When I think about renew, I think about the use of renewable resources. We need to reduce our usage of non-renewable resources such as oil, coal, and gas, and move in the direction of renewable resources. Making use of renewable resources is not something that is easy, but it can and must be done. When purchasing your next car, will you consider an electric or hybrid automobile? How about installing solar panels on your roof? Yes, I realize that this is a bit more of an investment than purchasing a steel water bottle. Nonetheless, these are viable options for some of us.

Another way you can work on “renew” is to lobby your state and federal elected officials for greater investment in renewable resources. An easy way to communicate with the governor and your state representatives is to go to the website https://access.wa.gov/. At the federal level, you can go to https://www.senate.gov/, https://www.house.gov/, and https://www.whitehouse.gov.

How about contacting one federal or state official this week and making a pitch for investing more in renewable resources?

Reuse

As I mentioned last time, my approach to consumption of resources can be summed up with these five words: reduce, reuse, renew, rethink, and recycle. Last time I discussed reduce. This time, I’d like to talk about reuse.

Using something multiple times is always a better alternative to the use of single use items, even if those items are recyclable since there is a cost to recycling an item. After years of using plastic utensils at work, I recently realized that a better approach would be to bring in a set of stainless steel utensils from home. At my office, I also keep a steel mug for coffee and tea, and a steel water bottle.

Reuse can also mean reusing someone else’s things. Instead of purchasing a new car, book, dress, laptop, children’s clothing, or mobile phone, have you considered purchasing a used version of the same?

The other side of this, of course, is to sell or donate used items when you no longer need them.

You can donate used baby items in the back of many churches and Goodwill, the St Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, and other thrift stores will gladly take most other used items.

What items in your life can you reuse that you are not currently reusing? What items can you donate?

Reduce

It is up to each of us to change our lifestyles, and reduce both production and consumption. Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, but don’t we want to preserve this beautiful planet for our children and grandchildren?

My approach to resource consumption can be summed up with these five words: reduce, reuse, renew, rethink, and recycle. Let me explain.

Reduce: Try asking yourself these sorts of questions to help you reduce your consumption: Do I need to turn the heat on or can I put a sweater on? Do I need to drive to the store or can I walk there? Or maybe it can wait until tomorrow? Batching up your needs and reducing the number of times you drive to the store is another good way to reduce your use of fossil fuels. Do I turn the lights off when I leave the room? How about shortening my showers? When I use the dishwasher or washing machine can I reduce the amount of soap I use? Anytime I can reduce my usage of consumables, it will also reduce my carbon footprint.

What one thing can you reduce your use of starting today?

Next time, we will talk about reuse.

Why Drawdown?

In a prior post, I introduced Project Drawdown and the Drawdown book, edited by Paul Hawken. Drawdown represents a carefully researched and curated list of the top 100 “climate solutions that had the greatest potential to reduce emissions or sequester carbon from the atmosphere.”

Many feel that in order to avert climate disaster, the big push must be for systemic change at the national and global level and that this means political change at the top. There’s no doubt that true leadership at the top is sorely needed and that many of us, including myself, will lobby, protest, and vote for change. But alas, we can’t sit on our hands while we wait for a favorable set of leaders to be voted in and make the sustained systemic changes that are so desperately needed.

Politics is what it is: warts and all. A lot of sound-bite-driven, short-sighted leadership that moves at a snail’s pace. (That does not mean your vote is not important; by all means vote in every election at all levels of government and always vote your values.)

But the world is burning and we need to act now, and act on all four levels as prescribed by Will Grant (see his excellent video below): 

  1. individual
  2. family and friends
  3. community and local institution 
  4. the economy and policy change and changing laws
Will Grant on the Four Levels of Action

Drawdown is not about waiting for change to happen at the top. Rather, Paul Hawken and his esteemed group of scientists, researchers, and students have done the hard work to research the top 100 solutions for stopping and reversing climate change. This represents a path forward; a recipe for the change that is needed.

Is Drawdown the only path? By all means, no. But it sure looks like a good one and could be the roadmap that world leaders and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) need to put them on the road to saving our planet.

But it’s not just for our leaders and the IPCC. Project Drawdown is also for each of us to get started working on climate change at the first three levels: personal, household, and community. We can drive the change that is needed and drive it all the way to the top, while also pressuring those at the top (or replacing those at the top), to do the right thing, the sane thing, the thing that is needed to save the planet.

Additional resources to learn more about drawdown:

Project Drawdown

Many people and many organizations are working in the climate change space. At St John the Evangelist catholic church in Seattle, my wife, Suzanna, and I formed the Saint Francis of Assisi ministry about a year ago to create a group to discuss, educate, and act on this crisis. We have also reached out and, in some cases, joined forces with a number of other groups, including the Global Catholic Climate Movement, Seattle Climate Change Meetup, Climate Reality Project, and Project Drawdown.

Drawdown book cover

Paul Hawken was tired of the naysayers who said nothing could be done about climate change, so he he founded Project Drawdown, assembling a coalition of researchers, scientists, students, and scholars who put together a list of “climate solutions that had the greatest potential to reduce emissions or sequester carbon from the atmosphere.” The group also published a book entitled “Drawdown: the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming” in 2017.

Kathy Dawson will be speaking at St John the Evangelist about Project Drawdown on Sunday, February 9th, 2020 at 6pm. If you live in the area, please consider joining us to learn more about this exciting initiative.

In both the Project Drawdown book and the website, you will find 100 comprehensive solutions, grouped by broad area (e.g., energy, food, etc.) and ranked according to their ability to reduce or sequester carbon. Each “solution” includes the facts and references to back up their projections, including the number of Gigatons of reduced or sequestered carbon dioxide (or equivalent reduction in other greenhouse gases) between 2020 and 2050, the net cost, and the net savings. 

Project Drawdown represents hope in a sea of despair; a blueprint for solving the climate crisis and reversing global warming. Yes, reversing! I encourage you to buy or borrow the book or checkout the website which contains plenty of information for free. And, by all means, join us on February 9th, when Kathy Dawson will talk about Project Drawdown. Hope to see you there.

Read the follow-up post: Why Drawdown?

The Post-Throwaway Culture

Pope Francis talks about a “throwaway culture” in his encyclical on climate change, Laudato Si:

These problems are closely linked to a throwaway culture which affects the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish…We have not yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption, maximizing their efficient use, reusing and recycling them.

How can we move away from a throwaway culture of convenience towards a culture of renewal and sustainability?

Here’s one idea to start with; expect more suggestions in future posts: Do you visit coffee shops like Stumptown, Blue Bottle, Caribou, Costa, or Starbucks, or the espresso stand at work?

Are you bringing your own reusable coffee mug to your coffee shop? If not, why not purchase a steel coffee mug and bring that with you. Just think of how much paper cups and plastic lids you will save by doing this.

Suzanna and I have been using double-walled steel coffee mugs that we bought over 10 years ago at Starbucks. Okay, I may have lost one of them and replaced it, and we may have a spare, but you get the idea. I estimate we have saved over 6,000 single-use cups and lids over the past 10 years. Bonus: many coffee shops give you a discount when you bring your own mug since it also saves them money. This can be a good first step away from a throwaway culture.