RUNNING BUG FARM
  • Shop
  • Resources/Support/Policies
  • Reviews
  • Blog
  • About
  • Angora Rabbit Colors

The Plastic Problem

11/9/2019

0 Comments

 
This slender book does a brilliant job illustrating through text & photography, the damages that our overuse of plastic is causing to our environment. Most disturbing is that plastic is now inside all of us. In human stool samples, out of all the people sampled, 100% had plastic in their feces. Seriously concerning. Yet, on page 58 I felt like I was reading a different book.
The Ecological Ramifications of Plastic & What to do About it
The Plastic Problem by Rachel Salt

The Plastic Problem packs a lot of information in only 80 pages by utilizing real color photos, graphs, & drawings explaining what plastic is, how it is made, the various items in the typical home that are plastic, the plastic in our groceries, how plastic creates a lot of waste, the damage plastic causes to coral & islands, that it creates deadly debris such as floating garbage patches, how wildlife think plastic is food, microplastics, plastic through the food web, how there is plastic in humans, plastic toxicity, global issues, global solutions, & the future.

This slender book does a brilliant job illustrating through text & photography, the damages that our overuse of plastic is causing to our environment. Most disturbing is that plastic is now inside all of us. In human stool samples, out of all the people sampled, 100% had plastic in their feces. Seriously concerning. The book illustrates how plastic is in our water, soil, foods, & animals, islands of plastic floating in our oceans, beaches covered in plastic, on & on it goes.

Yet, on page 58 I felt like I was reading a different book.

The author argues why "we can't completely ban plastic" The reasons why are weak at best. She actually argues that using a reusable canvas shopping bag is more environmentally damaging because it contributes more to global warming than plastic bags. Fine. But a cotton canvas bag will break down naturally. A plastic bag will not. Remember plastic in our poop? Next, let's pick on a cotton t-shirt. It seems that a plastic polyester t-shirt requires less water, therefore the author feels it is better than a cotton t-shirt. I happen to grow organic heirloom cotton. I can't speak for conventional hybrid &/or genetically modified cotton, but I can speak for what I grow. The cotton I grow enjoys a nice drink, but it has never required more watering then any of the lettuces, herbs, squash, beans, peppers, strawberries, blueberries, or other crops I organically grow. And, let's not forget the whole thing about how polyester could take 1000 years to break down (but never disappear, now it's just nano sized), while cotton breaks down naturally because, it's natural. Sorry, but I'm sticking with cotton canvas & cotton clothing over stuff made from fossil fuels.

It doesn't end with picking on cotton. What about cars? Plastic is in our cars, so they weigh less therefore plastic is better than steel. The reason is because it will cost less in fuel. Fuel from fossil fuels. The same fossil fuels that made the plastic in the car. Yet, somehow it's better. Here we go with that little problem of plastic never truly breaking down. It amazes me that for the first 57 pages this is rammed home, but now it is suddenly better than something that does break down. What?!?!

Food packaging is also picked on for virtually the same reason. Glass weighs more than plastic. What about all the chemicals that leach into the foods & the garbage problem? But but but plastic weighs less so it costs less to transport; uses less fuel. Again, the fuel that fuels the transportation system is from the same source that fuels our plastic nations.

The only area where I mostly agree with the author is regarding the medical field. Plastic creates one time use which greatly helps to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

After this "why we cannot live without plastic" nonsense the book gets back on track with The 6R's: Reduce, Reuse, Rethink, Repair, Refuse, & Recycle. Here common sense advice is given to reduce our personal plastic usage. In my home we avoid buying foods in plastic containers & jars, opting for glass whenever possible. We also grow as much of our own food as possible. We then can that food in glass mason jars that are likely to outlive us. We buy clothing made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, hemp, & leather. If we can afford it, we buy these things organic. No polyester filled blankets or jackets. We opt for wool or down. I'd love if my home was Zero Waste, but even though it's not, we do strive to do our part to reduce our plastic usage.

The biggest way we as consumers have a voice is with how we spend our money. Corporations listen to dollar signs, not our voices. If you buy it, you support it.

Overall, if it wasn't for the 360 degree point of view change on page 58, I would have loved this book. It is laid out in a very user friendly way. It is educational & holds the readers attention. It is a keeper, suitable for kids & adults alike.

You may also like:
Picture
Picture
Book Corner Quick Links 📚
Links to the books I've read & reviewed for your convenience!

  • The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook: The Very Best Purees, Finger Foods, And Toddler Meals For Happy Families
  • The Organic Artist for Kids: A DIY Guide to Making Your Own Eco-Friendly Art Supplies from Nature
  • Art Starts In The Heart: Creative projects and inspirational ideas for learning to make Expressive, Mindful Art
  • The Autoimmune Keto Cookbook: Heal Your Body with Delicious AIP-Compliant Recipes and Meal Plans
  • The Paleo 30-Day Challenge: A Paleo Cookbook to Lose Weight and Reboot Your Health
  • The 5-Minute Stoicism Journal: Create Space for Joy, Positivity, and Reflection
  • The Big 10 Fish & Seafood Cookbook: 10 Seafood, 80 Recipes, 240 Variations
  • A Seeker's Guide to the Yoga Sutras: Modern Reflections on the Ancient Journey
  • The Probiotic Kitchen: More Than 100 Delectable, Natural, and Supplement-Free Probiotic Recipes
  • Life Unplugged Reset, Relax, Reconnect: A Digital Detox Workbook
  • IVF Meal Plan: Maximize Your Chance of IVF Success Through Diet
  • Kid Food: The Challenge Of Feeding Children In A Highly Processed World
  • The 28-Day Plan for IBS Relief: 100 Simple Low-FODMAP Recipes to Soothe Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Find Your Mantra: Inspire and Empower Your Life with 75 Positive Affirmations
  • The 30-Minute Low-FODMAP Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes to Soothe IBS and Other Digestive Disorders
  • The Old Farmer's Almanac Vegetable Gardener's Handbook
  • The SIBO Cookbook For The Newly Diagnosed: The Complete Guide to Relieving Symptoms and Preventing Recurrence
  • Mindful Simplicity: Practical Strategies for Finding Harmony in Your Home, Work, and Life
  • Beginner's Guide To Screen Printing: 12 beautiful printing projects with templates
  • Beginner's Guide to Tunisian Crochet: with 10 modern projects for you and your home
  • Stretching For Beginners: Improve Flexibility and Relieve Aches and Pains with 75 Exercises and 24 Simple Routines
  • The Green Juicing Recipe Book: 75 Recipes For Weight Loss, Glowing Skin, And Boosted Energy
  • 7 Days Of Christmas: A Season Of Generosity
  • Raising Happy Rabbits: Housing, Feeding, And Care Instructions For Your Rabbits First Year
  • The Plastic Problem
  • Seeking Slow Reclaim Moments of Calm in Your Day
  • A Year Of Creativity: A Craft Date Planner to Meet, Share, and Create
  • Canelle et Vanille: Nourishing Gluten Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood
  • The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook: 100+ Nourishing Allergen-Free Recipes
  • Good Husbandry: Growing Food, Love, and Family on Essex Farm
  • The Dirty Life: A Memoir on Farming, Food, and Love
  • You Are What Your Grandparents Ate
  • Good Mornings: Morning Rituals For Wellness, Peace,and Purpose
  • Healthy Eating For Life
  • Troubled Water What's Wrong With What We Drink
  • Beekeeping For Beginners How To Raise Your First Bee Colonies
  • Dreamland (YA edition): The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic
  • Yoga For Better Sleep
  • Everyday Healing with Essential Oils
  • Buzz Sting Bite Why We Need Insects
  • National Geographic Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness
  • Coffee House Knits
  • Feeding You Lies
  • Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life
  • Breakfast The Most Important Book About The Best Meal Of The Day
  • Complete Wellness Enjoy Long-Lasting Health and Well-Being
  • The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Beyond
  • The Complete Guide To Adaptogens From Ashwagandaha to Rhodiola, Medicinal Herbs That Transform and Heal
  • Beginning Beekeeping
  • Before The Evolution and Future of Processed Food
  • The Psychobiotic Revolution
  • Simple & Natural Soapmaking: Create 100% Pure and Beautiful Soaps with The Nerdy Farm Wife’s Easy Recipes and Techniques
  • The Flower Book
  • The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide: Over 250 Recipes for Natural Wholesome Aromatherapy
  • The Gut Makeover: 4 Weeks to Nourish Your Gut, Revolutionize Your Health, and Lose Weight
  • The Field Guide To Pregnancy
  • 101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home: A Nerdy Farm Wife's All-Natural DIY Projects Using Commonly Found Herbs, Flowers & Other Plants
  • The Chicken Health Handbook
  • Chickens In Your Backyard:  A Beginners Guide
  • The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health: More Than 200 New Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for Delicious and Nutrient-Rich Dishes
  • The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves: 200 Classic and Contemporary Recipes Showcasing the Fabulous Flavors of Fresh Fruits
  • The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle over Food Rights
  • The Joy of Pickling: 250 Flavor-Packed Recipes for Vegetables and More from Garden or Market
  • Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty
  • The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today's Most Visible Green Brands
  • Feed Your Skin, Starve Your Wrinkles
  • Sleeping Naked Is Green
  • Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting
  • Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything
  • Beef: The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World
  • Fortify Your Life: Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and More
  • Healing Herbs:  A Beginner's Guide To Identifying, Foraging, and Using Medicinal Plants
  • The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook
  • The Virgin Diet Cookbook: 150 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Lose Weight and Feel Better Fast
  • Flip Dolls & Other Toys That Zip, Stack, Hide, Grab & Go
  • Healthy at Home: Get Well and Stay Well Without Prescriptions
  • Cows Save the Planet: And Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth
  • Integrative Wellness Rules: A Simple Guide to Healthy Living
  • Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
  • How Stella Saved the Farm: A Tale About Making Innovation Happen
  • The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days
  • The Easy Organizer: 365 Tips for Conquering Clutter
  • The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food
  • Probiotics For Dummies
  • Beyond Sugar Shock: The 6-Week Plan to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Get Slimmer, Sexier & Sweeter
  • Small Business For Dummies
  • Starting An Etsy Business For Dummies
  • Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred: Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make with Your Kids
  • The Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You've Always Wanted
  • A Woman's Guide to a Healthy Stomach: Taking Control of Your Digestive Health
  • Holy Shit: Managing Manure to Save Mankind
  • Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It
  • Terra Madre: Forging a New Global Network of Sustainable Food Communities
  • The Hundred Year Diet: America's Voracious Appetite For Losing Weight
  • Twelve by Twelve: A One-Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream
  • Felties: How to Make 18 Cute and Fuzzy Friends from Felt
  • Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own
  • Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Small Indulgences
  • Success With Baby Chicks: A Complete Guide to Hatchery Selection, Mail-Order Chicks, Day-Old Chick Care, Brooding, Brooder Plans, Feeding, and Housing
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Do you dream about living the simple life?  Your own idyllic farm where the cows moo and the veggies are the best you've ever eaten? I've got a surprise for you, homesteading isn't easy! Join me at my small eco family farm where we stumble often, and learn as we go. This is indeed the good life, but it is also a very hard life that only rewards for that hard work... or not!  Back to the land, it's tough and I love it.Hi there! My name is Jen. I'm a "tree hugging dirt worshiper" who has been organically farming for well over a decade. It never ceases to amaze me at how much I've learned & how much I am still learning. I have studied natural health, nutrition, & herbs for over two decades. Our health & the natural world around us are connected in ways we don't often realize. How we treat the land & animals directly affects us in both body & mind. My goal is to provide others with truly natural humane goods from my own little piece of paradise, & to freely pass along whatever knowledge I pick up along the way. I am grateful every day to be able to have such a worthwhile & fulfilling job surrounded by the beauty & unpredictability of Mother Nature.

    Amazon Associates Disclosure

    Running Bug Farm is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to amazon.com

    Categories

    All
    Angora Rabbit Care
    Book Corner
    Garden Growing Guide
    Homesteading: The Quest For A Simple Life
    Recipe Corner

    Picture

    Archives

    April 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    May 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    April 2012
    October 2011
    September 2011
    June 2011
    January 2011
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    November 2008
    March 2008

    RSS Feed

    Copyright

    You're welcome to link to Running Bug Farm or use a single image with a brief description to link back to any post. Republishing posts in their entirety is prohibited.

Running Bug Farm Disclaimer: Nothing contained in articles &/or content is or should be considered, or used as a substitute for, veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Running Bug Farm, West Union, WV, USA 26456 | © 2008-2023 All Rights Reserved
RunningBugFarm.com
  • Shop
  • Resources/Support/Policies
  • Reviews
  • Blog
  • About
  • Angora Rabbit Colors