The Softer Side of Plastic

(Image of a "oxo-biodegradable" plastic bag from PG.com--International Packaging)

More and more, the use of plastic bags at grocery and retail stores are being questioned. As I have experienced in France--you have to either bring your bag or buy one at the store. In the United States, the state of Oregon is examining a law that will eliminate single-use plastic bags. (Read more here)

One of my friends lent me a plastic bag full of CDs. Yet instead of being mesmerized by the CDs, I found myself playing with a purple plastic bag from Etam--as I found an interesting message in the bottom of the bag:

"Ce sac est oxo-biodégradable. Sa durée de vie est limitée dans le temps car après fragmentation, il devient biodégradable. De par son mode d'élimination, il préserve l'environment."

This sac is oxo-biodegradable. It has a limited life because, after fragmentation, it becomes biodegradable. Its elimination mode preserves the environment.

Using words like "mode d'élimination" made the bag seem like a prop from a sci-fi novel, so I decided to read what oxo-biodegradable actually means. As many people know, plastic itself is very durable and takes at least 3 to 6 decades to decompose (other studies show up to a thousand years--but since plastic bags have only been around for 50 years, let's not get ahead of ourselves). This is why research has gone into trying to speed up biodegradation in plastic. Oxo-biodegradable bags contain metal salts that speed up biodegradation by breaking down molecular chains in the polymer (compound of large molecules made up of repeated, linked monomers). At the end of the plastic bag's use, it begins to fragment. Once this process begins, the bag is consumed by bacteria and fungi--as the added chemical allows the molecular weight of the bag to be accessible to micro-organisms. The biodegradation process continues until all that is left of the plastic bag is: CO2, water, and humus--not leaving behind petro-polymers that damage the environment. This process, unlike many other "sustainable" projects, will not cost much--as these bags can be made using the same machines as normal plastic bags and the added chemical only accounts for 3% of the bag. (Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association)

There are strong arguments for and against the use of these plastic bags: for one, using these bags will maintain current jobs and lives that depend upon the plastic industry--and will abandon some of the unsustainable practices they once held. On the other hand, a large part of our environmental crisis is our overproduction and over-consumption--the exploitation of our resources; rather than making our plastic bags less harmful, we should simply stop making them altogether. Another argument against the use of oxo-biodegradable plastic bags is that they are advertised with a misleading message. My response to this claim is that with any new technology, one must understand what it is and how it works before he or she uses it.

Whatever the better answer is, one thing is certain: there are so many innovative projects and ideas to be realized that will help us better live in the world. It is our responsibility to continue to educate and challenge ourselves on these matters.

Viva Las Vegans

(Viva Las Vegans is a delicious, well-priced vegetarian (with Vegan options) restaurant in the St. Michel neighborhood of Bordeaux, France)

As winter in the Charente always comes with continuous rain, the landscape around me has changed since I arrived in October. For one, all the dry creek beds and low rivers have filled with water. Even in my small town--beautiful canals have begun to flow with water, giving life to the formerly silent and desolate dirt.

These rivers and canals were not always dead during the summer and autumn. Actually, they used to be even more full in the dry seasons than they are now in the rainy season. Upon asking the villagers why this could be, they told me about the problem of agriculture in the region. All around the Charente region are fields--grapes for pineau and cognac, vegetables for produce markets, grains and cereal for bread and breakfast foods. Yet the most common field use is maize for beef cattle. In fact, many people in the region blame the beef business for irrigating water for corn feed to the point of seasonal desertification.

Despite this problem, vegetarianism and veganism is nowhere near as culturally accepted in France as it is in other countries like England and the United States (at least in certain regions). Vegetarianism and veganism, however, are receiving serious consideration in France due to the ecological motivation: it is more sustainable to eat a vegetarian diet than a omnivorous diet.

Putting aside the ethical motivations, many people are changing their diets to be more sustainable. Beyond the rare vegetarians I have met in France, almost every person who realizes I am a vegetarian tells me that they are interested in either becoming one or reducing their meat and dairy intake. Even by reducing meat intake, one can reduce their carbon footprint, land-space use, energy consumption and resource consumption.

Livestock agriculture is the fastest growing sector in agriculture and is also "one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation" (FAO). Livestock agriculture generates more CO2 emissions than transportation--and accounts for 37% of all human-induced methane. Furthermore, livestock now accounts for 30% of the world's land-use. And, beyond the space and gas production, livestock also produces land degradation--and poor policies and execution lead to desertification of formerly arable land (just like in my region).

Not only does livestock agriculture take away water, but it also leads to pollution and eutrophication (when substances like nitrates and phosphates are so concentrated in a water source that it diminishes oxygen and kills inhabitants--like the Dead Zone in the Gulf). Some of these pollutants are animal wastes, antibiotics and hormones used to artificially improve the "quality" of production, and the fertilizers and pesticides for feed production. While water filters get a number of things out of the water, we are still drinking these hormones and antibiotics in our purified water--a feat that has lead many studies on whether or not there is a correlation between a decline in fertility and oral contraceptives) In attempt to feed all these animals, water cycles are often disturbed (again, like in the Charente) and can even damage entire ecosystems. (All of the previous information can be read about in more detail here)

By choosing not to eat meat, you are choosing not to add to the demand for businesses that are causing ecological harm. There's a lot more to think about here though--as dairy production can also be blamed for these problems. Even soy products can be questioned, as the soy industry has grown so much in recent years that it is causing significant problems in countries like Paraguay (read more).

The bottom line is that we must think about the ecological cost of what we are putting into our bodies. The next time you go to the supermarket--or hopefully the farmer's market--ask yourself how that product was produced. The more aware you are of how every thing you do has a consequence, the more able you will be to take responsibility for yourself.