Jan Lundberg at Culture Change is at the forefront of this important issue.

 

 

"Petroleum-based plastics have only in the last several years been discovered to be an unmitigated disaster. Oceans are being filled with this mess of nonbiodegradable poison that cannot be cleaned up. Plastics, their additives and toxins attached to them in the oceans enter our bodies and damage our hormones and genes."

 

So what are the alternatives? Bioplastics have some of the same problems as biofuels. Glass? Still breakable.

 

The container you get your soymilk in -- even from Organic Valley -- is lined with plastic that may be contaminating your milk. Your organic yogurt comes in plastic etc. I shudder when I see the plastic baby bottles and pacifiers going into the mouths of infants.

 

Lundberg follows the activities of various pioneers in the anti-plastics movement. The "Plastics Plague" section on his website (www.culturechange.org) is a useful source of the latest info.

 

Some cities are banning plastic bags, plastic water bottles.

 

What about Santa Barbara?

 

Linda