The Poly cartel annual summit buzzed with exuberance. A cheering crowd welcomed Ethel,* Vinny, Proppie, Sty and Carbby as they were ushered to their usual places of honor in front of the multitude. This year’s chairperson, Ethel, stood to address the eager assembly.
“Thank you! We’ve had another very prosperous year. Worldwide, we’ve multiplied ourselves to over 400 million tons of plastic produced in just one year! And we’re on track to triple that to over a billion tons annually by 2060.” The crowd roared with delight. “These humans just can’t seem to get enough of us! And our benefactors, the fossil fuel companies, continue to supply 99% of our raw materials. They couldn’t be happier. With the rapid advance of alternative forms of energy eating away at their profits, the petro-crowd loves having us as an excuse to keep drilling.”
“Excuse me.” A small voice came from the back of the hall. Ethel ignored the interruption as the other panelists boasted about their successes. “Excuse me!” The young man called louder and louder while waving his arms. Finally, an exasperated Ethel shot back, “This is highly irregular! Just who do you think you are, and what do you want?”
“I’m Will, Will B. Bornsoon.” He strode up to the panelists and continued. “Look, I know you’ve all made life more comfortable, convenient and prosperous. But at what cost?
The panelist were stung and embarrassed by Will’s words. They knew they’d put profits over people and the planet. That’s no way to treat our only home! Because we’re all forever… Earthbound.
Coming soon – Will and Ethel work for solutions to plastimania pollution.
*Polyethylene, Polyvinyl, Polypropylene, Polystyrene & Polycarbonate
“Thank you! We’ve had another very prosperous year. Worldwide, we’ve multiplied ourselves to over 400 million tons of plastic produced in just one year! And we’re on track to triple that to over a billion tons annually by 2060.” The crowd roared with delight. “These humans just can’t seem to get enough of us! And our benefactors, the fossil fuel companies, continue to supply 99% of our raw materials. They couldn’t be happier. With the rapid advance of alternative forms of energy eating away at their profits, the petro-crowd loves having us as an excuse to keep drilling.”
“Excuse me.” A small voice came from the back of the hall. Ethel ignored the interruption as the other panelists boasted about their successes. “Excuse me!” The young man called louder and louder while waving his arms. Finally, an exasperated Ethel shot back, “This is highly irregular! Just who do you think you are, and what do you want?”
“I’m Will, Will B. Bornsoon.” He strode up to the panelists and continued. “Look, I know you’ve all made life more comfortable, convenient and prosperous. But at what cost?
- Fossil fuel extraction and plastic use and disposal negatively impact a boatload of diseases including cancer, diabetes, obesity, respiratory issues, reproductive and hormone problems, asthma and more.
- Plastic items and ‘microplastics’ fly across the planet threatening the health of wild animals, plants, and the interconnected ecosystems we rely on to survive.
- Instead of being recycled, most plastic is sent to landfills or illegal dumps, or it becomes trash fouling our beautiful landscapes.
- In the oceans, marine creatures and birds become entangled in and ingest plastic. Once eaten, plastic pieces and particles can inflict deadly injuries on their digestive tracts, including perforation of stomach and intestinal walls.
The panelist were stung and embarrassed by Will’s words. They knew they’d put profits over people and the planet. That’s no way to treat our only home! Because we’re all forever… Earthbound.
Coming soon – Will and Ethel work for solutions to plastimania pollution.
*Polyethylene, Polyvinyl, Polypropylene, Polystyrene & Polycarbonate
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