plastic

This Halloween, don't be fooled into thinking that your choice of candy will help destroy or save the planet. Environmentalists and reporters will tell you otherwise. They're mistaken.
We hear a lot about the tons of plastic that pollute our oceans, but the solution to this troubling problem gets much less airtime. Let's take a closer look at the answer. Hint: it isn't paper straws.
Eating at Panda Express recently in Seattle, it was hard not to notice that after just a few bites some diners found their forks to be completely bent out of shape. A quick look at the handle revealed why: It was marked "compostable."
People want to do what makes them feel good and – perhaps more importantly – makes them look righteous in the eyes of others. Going organic and avoiding straws accomplishes that moral grandstanding, and companies are happy to oblige in order to make a buck. And, in the process, the companies also look good. It's a win-win for everyone, except Mother Earth.
Plastic pollution in the ocean is almost exclusively due to the actions of Asia and Africa, not the United States. Banning straws and plastic bags will do nothing to solve the problem.
By encouraging her students to do incomplete research on a scientific topic and to lobby politicians for political change, a teacher of 3rd Grade is showing kids how to be environmental activists. What a shame.
Our oceans, rivers and landfills are getting clogged with plastic bags — especially the kind we get in grocery stores. It's a real problem, since they're not biodegradable. But now researchers have discovered that a caterpillar that lives in bee hives — the wax moth caterpillar — can actually eat the plastic and thrive!
Yes, you heard that right: the Wonderful Lizard of Oz is at it again, spreading fear about toxic chemicals, apparently snuck into our food by evil corporations. Bottom line: nothing to fear in the real world.
ACSH friend and author Jack Dini published a very informative article countering many fears regarding common substances found in plastics. The article, titled Don t fall victim to plastic leaching from items, was recently published in the Canada Free Press.
The NYTimes Well blog tries, again, to scare women about bogeymen toxic chemicals. Another Deborah Blum special, based on zero science and plenty of hype and half-truths (if that much).