After a long absence, I'm back, and crankier than ever.

Gonna edge into this.  Just start with a mini-rant, and see where this goes.

I look at a lot of STUFF.  I like looking and learning by looking.  And being verrry opinionated, a lot of stuff I look at results in me having an opinion and getting into controversies. 

So I look at all the products we buy enveloped in what may kindly be referred to as excessive packaging, generally comprised of plastic.  Lots of plastic.The huge businesses that produce all the products we buy LOVE plastic, and use it in a manner that an enormous percentage of the plastic used is disposable.

Now we all know about how difficult it is to dispose of plastic, and that all sorts of people are taking all sorts of actions to stop the use of disposable plastic items, particularly disposable packaging.  And this is, indeed, a very serious problem that urgently needs to be solved.

What is not discussed so much is the fact that all that plastic, which is basically hydrocarbons, the processing of which releases a number of toxic gases, and at least one technically non-toxic gas without which life of the planet would cease.  That gas is, however, also capable of changing the planetary climate so drastically that it can diminish and alter, if not extinguish, an enormous portion of life on earth.  Oh, by the way, that gas is carbon dioxide.

Plastic, therefore, is a material that can have ginormous toxic effects on life.  Meaning that its use should not be taken lightly.  Keep in mind that there are a huge number of uses of plastic that truthfully improve life on the planet, that contribute to sustainability, that can even reduce other even worse toxins.  But disposable packaging, extraneous decoration, wasteful uses for which plastic can be substituted with renewable and carbon neutral materials.

But if one looks at the products in any mercantile enterprise, one sees the ever-INCREASING use of plastic packaging.  It is increasing because it is cheap and efficient, and despite the life-negating effects excessive plastic causes, it is used because the businesses that use it simply do not care about life.  They are concerned only about profit. And they will do anything to increase profit, even if it means the eventual extinction of life as we know it.

What is amazing is that, in general, humanity seems oblivious to business behavior killing us all in the long run for profit in the short run.  Yes, it is true that business plays humanity like a violin, convincing us that plastics are good for business, and that their business is good for us, ergo, plastics are good for us. 

If businesses came from space in flying saucers and started poisoning the planet, we would revolt fiercely.  Instead, we welcome them to engage in their anti-human behavior.  Is the fact that, instead of coming from somewhere else, they come from our midst that we let them hurt us? 

We need to learn why we let businesses prey on us to feed their need for profits.

Just wait

New to blogging, you'll just have to wait until I get up to speed.  But when I do...