Plastic Bag Bans – Big Money Involved

Its been awhile since I did some blogging – a very busy summer takes you away from the computer.  I just returned from the Hawaiian Islands – one of my favorite places in the world.  Its one of the first times that I can remember NOT pulling a ton of trash out of the reefs.  Hopefully a good sign and trend.  Recently there have been several attempts at banning plastic bags – in California, and once again the battle has been taken up in Oregon.  Oregonians are known for their environmentalism, but, big money is always at the point of the battle.  Our state senators and representatives are easy prey for big corporate dollars.  Amercian Chemistry and the Plastic Council will end up spending millions to save their precious industry. 

Banning plastic bags and helping stem the tide of plastic pollution in our environment is an uphill battle – and will be.  The public really doesn’t give a crap about it, its just a quick use product that is thrown away or used in the garbage.  99% of the public doesn’t see the damage, doesn’t know the harm caused to marine animals, or care much about the toxicity – because they just don’t see it.   We live in a society that thinks that once something is convenient, and regularly used – it must ALWAYS be so.  Which is damaging and stupid.  Change is hard, and explaining why something needs to be changed is even harder.  Since corporations are now considered having the same rights has living, breathing people (thanks Supreme Court), we are now in for money battles that will dwarf anything we’ve seen before.  Which means that grass roots, blogs, internet campaigns, and giving speeches and seminars are more important than ever.

Oil, toxins, pollution: Where does it end?

I honestly do not think the average person realizes what a monumental disaster the latest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico means.  The amounts of toxicity – not only from the oil but the highly dangerous dispersants (a nice name for a toxic cocktail that kills just about anything it touches).  Try to image the untold millions of gallons of oil, dispersants and other toxic by products that are now part of our eco-system.  We will be living with this hidden toxicity for years, long after the visible effects are gone.

How many cancer victims in the next 20 years, how many neurological disorders, how many deformities, how many people losing their quality of life earlier than they should.  Well guess what, we will never know.  It will be out of your mind in a few weeks, and you’ll go about your business, your life and think what a beautiful day it is…

Or, are you going to push for change?  Our dangerous addiction and affliction to oil needs to end.  Our air, water and land (and now oceans), are damaged. You want to see cancer rates drop, you want to see less Autism, ADD, and all the modern plagues that are harming our children?   Kick the oil habit, kick the toxicity habit, make that change happen…

The Truth about Off Shore Drilling: A Planet Protect perspective

If I learned anything this past week about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill (eco-disaster) is that we have no shortage of oil rigs in the Gulf.  Perhaps I was like most American’s who thought that we had a few rigs, that the oil companies wanted more, more leases, more access and more profit.  I come to find out that there are 3,500 rigs being used off 90 platforms.   Excuse me?  So basically, the big ugly oil rigs we see off the coast, have lines leading to hundreds and hundreds of well spots a mile under the sea.

The other disturbing fact – in the past four years there have been 500 fires on these few platforms (according to the Feds), and dozens have been hurt and killed.  So this accident was only a matter of time.  This accident could have happened – hundreds of times before.  We’ve just been lucky – until now.  Obama should have a review of all rigs, and all safety protocols before these 3,500 wells deep under the sea – which we can’t even reach (nor fix) - have problems.

Creating our First Ever Planet Protect Clothing

I used to think those fashion reality shows were a bit overdone.  Not any longer.  We here at Planet Protect Sportswear Co. are about to unveil our first line of Northwest made clothing.  The challenges have been amazing, finding US grown and milled material, finding local sewers, non-toxic dyes, trying very hard to keep everything state side.  We flat-out refuse to ship overseas, and we might make a little less profit, but we feel its worth it. 

Our goal is to get retailers around the country to look at our line, and seriously consider buying our brand.  We are excited at the look, very fresh and contemporary, with our ocean based messaging.  If you are a retailer, please contact us, we’d love to show you are photos, samples and pricing.

After our first runway show next week, I’ll be posting a few photos!

Oregon’s Plastic Bag Ban Update: Fear Wins

We at Planet Protect Sportswear were thrilled to hear that a bill was circulating in our capital of Salem that would have finally banned the menace of plastic grocery bags.  That battle ended a few weeks ago with a whimper from the State Senator that enacted the bill.  Not citing his reasons, he mentioned that it started some good discussion.  Which is “politic speak” for I didn’t want to make anyone mad, rock anyone’s boat, or have to take on Big Plastic and their legions of highly paid lawyers.

The most interesting part about this chickening out of taking an extreme problem – one which 11 cities in our country have stood up and said enough – is that people (read conservatives) seem to have this mind-set that anything that we use for convenience is somehow now a right.  Meaning we have legal rights to use environmentally damaging products, simply because we can.  Or we have for a certain period of time, so it must continue without end or modification.  These change-less agents are quick to label anyone wanting a better life, healthier life, or less eco-damaging life as liberal nut jobs.   They feel that industries such as Coal, Oil, and Plastic somehow would never steer us wrong, never tell us an untruth.  Big Plastic is smart, well-funded and is launching mis-leading web sites constantly promoting plastic and demonizing paper products (especially those made from recycled paper).    Change starts at home, buy reuseable bags, use less plastic, buy glass, aluminum and paper, and keep recycling.  Plastic can’t be recycled (it can be downcycled into items like park benches and yes, reuseable totes).  Keep fighting for bans in your city, our oceans, waterways and marine animals need your help.

The Environmental Movement’s Biggest Problem? Few Solutions.

As an ocean conservationist and owner of Planet Protect Sportswear, I’m guilty of telling all about the problems, and offering few solutions.  I feel its one of the biggest flaws in the environmental movement, we sound the alarm, and quickly pass the buck to someone else to solve.  I’m sure for many it seems like the problems are so massive, where do you start.  The other problem is there are too many preachers and not enough workers. 

The days of educating the public needs to end.  The days of signing petitions and holding candle lite vigils needs to end.  Joining causes on Facebook does not make you an activist it makes you in-active.  We love to sit at home and watch Whale Wars and marvel at these people fighting to save whales.  We are quick to watch documentaries, stream videos on our laptops, and recycle once a week and somehow we are doing our part.  Your are not doing your part.  Your $35 donation to Sierra Club makes a club member not an environmentalist.

Embracing the eco-lifestyle is not a trend, its a way of life we need to promote, not hide from.  Right now I’m watching the Tea Party participants protest, raise money, fight like hell, and for what – politics!  When the hell are we going to fight like hell for the only damn world we have?  When do one-million environmentalists show up in Washington DC and demand the end of pollution, toxicity, corporate influence and corruption? When do we take over the air-waves with our message – “we are done being poisoned, we are done being lied to, we are done with business as usual.”

Or maybe you can join a Facebook cause and call it a night…

Forget Climate Change – Focus on the Oceans for a Change

With all the focus on climate change – which is always difficult during winter as it tends to be cold, and hence the problem is instantly solved in the minds of many. We at Planet Protect keep beating the drum about ocean change, the drastic and immediate effect of CO2 on our oceans.  The nay-sayers about climate change stay far away from Ocean Acidification (the increase of acidity in our oceans).  Why?  Because the science is too solid, too complete to ignore.  The nay sayers can’t blame solar cycles, moon beams, or liberal plots by the Obama Administration (probably add in Al Gore too).  The PH balance of the ocean is shifting  – quickly and with devastating results.  The culprit is CO2, it’s the CO2 we produce and we are to blame.  Hey Fox News, ask me to be on the Glenn Beck show or Hannity and I’ll rip apart your hosts with facts…

Nature is a remarkably resilient and strong process, it can change and adapt in amazing situations, and life on our planet has endured much.  It will endure our tampering with the bio-chemistry, atmospheric chemistry of our world, the problem is, all the beauty, all the elements and life we have come to enjoy will also be changed.

What if all coral reefs died off in the next 15 years?  What if most shelled creatures died off (clams, oysters, shell-fish) in the next 20 years?  What if seas of weeds become the norm?  Yes, life would go on… but would we enjoy this changed world? What kind of world do we want to preserve?  What do we want to conserve?  Its time we focused on our water world, our planet of seas, and its time to see the change happening to our oceans.

Planet Protect Sportswear supports the Plastic Bag Ban in Oregon

Oregonians are typically supportive of environmental measures and laws.  It will be very interesting to see how a bill currently being circulated in our capital of Salem will be received.  The infamous “save the plastic bag coalition” is already circulating its talking points and mis-information.  Our major daily paper – the Oregonian – was quick to use the plastic industry PR bullet points (as fact), and report on the story.  These days, fact checking is rare, propaganda rules, and blogs are the news source… (please don’t use this as a news source, this is my opinion). 

Another disturbing fact, is that governmental agencies now routinely use industry stats as their own.  The EPA, is littered with Plastic Industry stats – provided by the Plastic Industry and once again presented as fact.  Sorry, I want third party measures for this kind of discussion.  The Plastic Industry’s new ploy is to make paper a dangerous and potentially devastating green house gas provided (when it decomposes) and a huge energy drain on our already over taxed power generation plants.

I agree, having millions of people shift to paper bags at grocery stores makes about as much sense as wiping your rear end with paper or using it to print out our email, spreadsheets, letters and faxes, or using paper for presents, milk cartons, boxes, greeting cards, posters, flyers, brochures, steamers, labels, confetti or really any other use…

Yes, paper is truly a menace as it is recycled over and over again and eventually ends up as insulation, mulch and degrades back into the soil.  Oh, for those of you who don’t know this.  Plastic has never been recycled in the history since its creation.  It can’t be recycled, its down-cycled into something else.  Let me repeat this – no milk jug has ever been made into another milk jug…  The plastic industry refuses to use used plastic in its manufacturing process.  So if no one wants it… guess what… its put into the landfill.  Go and research this for yourself..

This “save the plastic bag coalition” is all about keeping you hooked and misled.  Its time to end plastic bags. Go get bunch of  canvas bags, and use them, its really easy.

Save The Plastic Bag Coalition – here we go again

We here at Planet Protect Sportswear try to keep up on the plastic bag bans around the world, and today, unfortunately the lawyers for the Save The Plastic Bag Coalition, won a victory. Manhattan Beach, Ca was the second LA county to ban plastic bags back in July 2008 – today: “The City of Manhattan Beach must fully analyze the environmental impact of increased paper bag use before it can ban retailers from providing plastic bags to customers, a divided panel of this district’s Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. In a victory for the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition, a group of manufacturers, distributors and suppliers, Div. Five held that the California Environmental Quality Act required an environmental impact report given evidence increased paper bag use might significantly affect the environment”

Believe it or not, we all had to use paper bags before the proliferation of non-recyclable plastic bags become the mainstay.  When I was a kid, everywhere we went that is how we carried groceries.  Today, of course, we use sustainable and re-useable bags in our home.  I absolutely love them.  They are made from down cycled plastic waste or we use canvas bags.  We rarely end up with a plastic bag in our home.

The Save the Plastic Bag Coalition is pushing for environmental impact of paper.  Let me repeat that – the environmental impact of paper on our oceans, water ways, air quality and living standards.  It’s a desperate ploy, and the justices bought into it – sadly. As a diver, snorkeling enthusiast, budding surfer and ocean conservationist, I don’t find paper in our oceans, I find plastic debris – unending plastic crap in the reefs, beaches, and floating along.  Our oceans are at the breaking point with plastic debris.  There is millions of tons of plastic that is choking the life out of 100,000 marine animals each year, millions of birds, and endangered animals.

 The court got it wrong, seriously wrong, and special interests from the heavily funded plastic companies won – this time. 

Visit our web site at www.PlanetProtect.com.

ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Waste Edition

Talk about being the last one to discuss a subject – Extreme Makeover home edition has been on the air for years, and honestly, I never watch the show.  Well there was nothing on TV last night, and the kids wanted to watch – so I did – up until the part where the demo crew comes in.  What a colossal waste of materials, resources and ultimately a landfill nightmare.

OK, let me back up a minute, and explain why this show caught my ire. Two years ago, I was part of a remarkable project entitled the Reuse Everything Experiment (REX).  My job was to market the project, and do my PR thing to get reporters and writers interested.  Here’s the premise – take an old dilapidated home, de-construct the home – saving every single piece, and reuse everything back into a new home construction project – all on the same lot. 

Sounds challenging – and it was.  It was the first ever project that truly reused every part (including the rusty old nails), back into a new home – and 99% of everything was reused.  Obviously, the reason I was involved was the eco-nature of the project, and it was something I believe in. 

Here’s what I learned – you can do it, and save money.  60% of all landfill waste is construction related – and 40% of that waste is still useable.

Now let’s jump back to last night’s show.  Nothing was reused, not even the functional appliances, not one 2X4, not one brick, nothing.  A colossal waste.  Sure, I’m not heartless to the fact that the family got a new home and they are happy.  I’m just not happy with overflowing landfills for the sake of ratings.  This is classic of our broken thinking – out of site, out of our minds…