Thinking geographically about environmental impacts

Few items capture the essence of  Western consumerism that has enveloped the world like the plastic bag. Since the end of the Second World War, the omnipresence of the plastic bag, a petroleum byproduct, has become a symbol of worldwide dependence on oil. Oil's importance as a commodity has only grown since then, as its versatile properties continue to be discovered. Petroleum byproducts like polyethylene- the most commonly produced plastic- are now a universal part of everyday life. But it wasnt always this way. Heinz Schmidt-Bachem, a historian with a collection of over 150,000 bags illustrates the evolution of the shopping bag. From cloth reusable bags adorning the image of Hitler from the 1930s to '70s disco themed plastic bags with Tina Turner, the transformation of the shopping bag reflects broad cultural shifts.

However, the widespread use of plastic bags has not only shaped consumer habits but also had profound environmental impacts. In Mumbai, the plastic bag has been banned due to contributing to the deaths of cows. The bags when consumed by the animal block the digestive tract and they slowly starve to death. In Kenya, the bag has been implicated in the rampant rise in cases of malaria due to the bags ability to trap water. Overall, although issues surrounding widespread plastic bag use manifest differently geographically, I believe this issue should be dealt with globally. Due to plastic use, a majority of seafood in our oceans contains micro plastics. It is estimated that the average person consumes a credit cards amount of plastic a week. In order to alleviate a global crisis we need a unilateral global approach to stop or limit the production of plastic containers. The World Wildlife Fund is one NGO who is tackling plastic pollutions impact on wildlife.

To learn more visit: https://www.worldwildlife.org/initiatives/plastics#:~:text=Global%20action%3A%20WWF%20is%20advocating,bold%2C%20ambitious%2C%20and%20effective.






In the Pacific, a garbage patch the size of Texas sits stagnant, much of which is plastic

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Counting the Costs

Image
 Shopping at a local co-op provides consumers the ability to know the exact geographic region their produce comes from. In Minneapolis, co-ops have been popular since the ’70s, helping to bolster the demand for locally grown produce during the summer months. For my meal, I prepared a delightful red lentil curry with some mangoes for desert. As someone with food allergies, I have to take special care in finding what ingredients are in a given product. My red lentils were grown and processed in a facility in Turkey containing gluten. Because of this, I made sure to wash them extra well before cooking. Moreover, many products in the bulk section at local supermarkets today are processed in facilities that increase the risk of cross contamination. Facilities exist the world over to help sort through cashews, various nuts, flour and wheat products sifting through all possible contaminants before they arrive on our shelves. My Nam Doc Mai mangoes were grown in Mexico and were labelled as...
Read more

Summer of Sweet Content

Image
 Recently, I took a promenade to Seward Coop in Minneapolis. With all the fresh seasonal produce, I thought it an excellent time to checkout what they had available! Upon entering, I was greeted with a floral array of various fruits. After sometime browsing various fruits, I decided on Nam Dok Mai mangoes; a variety that is not so easy to come by. Next, I picked out some vegetables. I grabbed red onion, heirloom carrots, Thai Chili peppers, garlic and cherry tomatoes. I desired warmth after days of rain, so I thought to make a soup or stew. I went to the meat aisle but everything was expensive. I decided to venture into the bulk section to look for a legume or grain to fill the void. Lo and behold, the coop was having a sale on red lentils for 1.99/IB.  I purchased a couple pounds of lentils on this occasion and made my way back home. Upon arrival, I washed the lentils several times to ensure no possible contamination from gluten. They were labelled as having been processed in...
Read more