Plastic
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The dream and the nightmare of plastic
Every time I open a plastic wrapper and chuck it in the bin I feel a pang of guilt. I see my rubbish bin filling up, and the City Council kindly takes it away. Every piece of plastic that I add into the mix contributes to the massive problem facing our world, the problem that is forming a layer of plastic over the whole planet that will be visible in the geological structure of planetary history in millennia to come, a problem that is killing other living things at a shocking rate.
Much is being said in the media, advertising and politics about this problem. Many people are working on this problem, but it seems that more businesses are trying to add to the problem, more ways to package things in plastic, even plastic tea bags.
It seems like the world has produced more rubbish in my life-time than in every other human generation combined! We pile it up, bury it, burn it, squash it. But more keeps coming, more and more! When we throw it away, it might be out of sight but it changes slowly, with glacial horror, turning from a crinkly colourful gingernut wrapper into chemical sludge which will eventually drip toxins into the water that my great-great-great-grandchildren will drink.
Plastic, the dream substance for designers, manufacturers and marketers has become the nightmare of the future. Every corner shop and supermarket in the world is full of plastic. It’s hard to feed and clothe the family without getting a side-serve of plastic. Our homes, floors & seats are coated and padded by poly-this and poly-that, all of which will eventually become a waste problem, because it is not bio-degradable. Every foam mattress and nylon sock will add to the layer of chemical covering our planet.
The problems with plastic:
a) it takes a long time to break down
b) it gets progressively reduced to smaller bits (microplastic) which accumulates on beaches etc.
c) it enters food chains when animals eat it
d) it kills directly when animals get tangled in it
e) it can leach toxic waste like PBAs which can interfere with endocrine (hormone) systems
f) visual pollution & environment damage
Every time I open a plastic wrapper and chuck it in the bin I feel a pang of guilt. I see my rubbish bin filling up, and the City Council kindly takes it away. Every piece of plastic that I add into the mix contributes to the massive problem facing our world, the problem that is forming a layer of plastic over the whole planet that will be visible in the geological structure of planetary history in millennia to come, a problem that is killing other living things at a shocking rate.
Much is being said in the media, advertising and politics about this problem. Many people are working on this problem, but it seems that more businesses are trying to add to the problem, more ways to package things in plastic, even plastic tea bags.
It seems like the world has produced more rubbish in my life-time than in every other human generation combined! We pile it up, bury it, burn it, squash it. But more keeps coming, more and more! When we throw it away, it might be out of sight but it changes slowly, with glacial horror, turning from a crinkly colourful gingernut wrapper into chemical sludge which will eventually drip toxins into the water that my great-great-great-grandchildren will drink.
Plastic, the dream substance for designers, manufacturers and marketers has become the nightmare of the future. Every corner shop and supermarket in the world is full of plastic. It’s hard to feed and clothe the family without getting a side-serve of plastic. Our homes, floors & seats are coated and padded by poly-this and poly-that, all of which will eventually become a waste problem, because it is not bio-degradable. Every foam mattress and nylon sock will add to the layer of chemical covering our planet.
The problems with plastic:
a) it takes a long time to break down
b) it gets progressively reduced to smaller bits (microplastic) which accumulates on beaches etc.
c) it enters food chains when animals eat it
d) it kills directly when animals get tangled in it
e) it can leach toxic waste like PBAs which can interfere with endocrine (hormone) systems
f) visual pollution & environment damage
Pray:
God of all creation, thank you for this plastic.
Thank you for gift of oil that you made deep inside the earth,
made from ancient plants and the bones of animals long gone.
Thank you for the gift of human intelligence and skill,
for scientists and engineers who work the oil rigs and machines.
Thank you for the gift of creativity,
for designers who invent a million uses for plastic.
Thank you for the gift of plastic.
It is so very useful and it makes our lives easier.
God of all creation, we confess to you this plastic;
we like the convenience of colourful waterproof things.
But we do not like what happens to our plastic when we throw it away.
We hate that it floats out to sea and gets eaten by fish.
We hate that it releases chemicals that poison our land and our water.
We like this stuff and we hate it.
Help us, God of all creation.
We’ve made a huge problem and we don’t know how to fix it.
We confess to you our need for cheap easy things.
We commit ourselves to buy less plastic,
and to fight against plastic production and pollution.
God of all creation, renew the face of the earth
Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, save us from all that threatens to destroy this beautiful world you have given us. Amen.
God of all creation, thank you for this plastic.
Thank you for gift of oil that you made deep inside the earth,
made from ancient plants and the bones of animals long gone.
Thank you for the gift of human intelligence and skill,
for scientists and engineers who work the oil rigs and machines.
Thank you for the gift of creativity,
for designers who invent a million uses for plastic.
Thank you for the gift of plastic.
It is so very useful and it makes our lives easier.
God of all creation, we confess to you this plastic;
we like the convenience of colourful waterproof things.
But we do not like what happens to our plastic when we throw it away.
We hate that it floats out to sea and gets eaten by fish.
We hate that it releases chemicals that poison our land and our water.
We like this stuff and we hate it.
Help us, God of all creation.
We’ve made a huge problem and we don’t know how to fix it.
We confess to you our need for cheap easy things.
We commit ourselves to buy less plastic,
and to fight against plastic production and pollution.
God of all creation, renew the face of the earth
Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, save us from all that threatens to destroy this beautiful world you have given us. Amen.
Idols and immortality
Read: Exodus 20:1-4.
The first two of the Ten Commandments declare that God alone is to be worshiped.
All through the Old Testament God asks for exclusive devotion. The people kept on getting side-tracked by making idols. Their God was too brilliant to be seen, so they made objects they could look at. Their God was too powerful to be contained, so they made objects that they could hold. Their God was too wonderful, too holy, too magnificent, too demanding, so they made objects they could manipulate and control.
Time and time again the prophets called the people to bust their idols. ‘What’s the good of a statue?’, they cried, ‘It’ll just rust and rot. It has arms but can’t move, eyes but can’t see. It’s just a pretend thing, not the real thing! Come back to the Lord, Yahweh, the one true living God!’
The Bible calls us to honour the God who is the only eternal reality. So when we create objects that can practically live forever we are creating idols, created in our image and for our own convenience. This is a profoundly spiritual challenge, since scripture defines idolatry as rebellion, and the source of sin.
Discuss:
1. What are the idols in the world around us?
2. Which are your favourite ones?
3. How has plastic become the idol of the 21st century?
Read: Exodus 20:1-4.
The first two of the Ten Commandments declare that God alone is to be worshiped.
All through the Old Testament God asks for exclusive devotion. The people kept on getting side-tracked by making idols. Their God was too brilliant to be seen, so they made objects they could look at. Their God was too powerful to be contained, so they made objects that they could hold. Their God was too wonderful, too holy, too magnificent, too demanding, so they made objects they could manipulate and control.
Time and time again the prophets called the people to bust their idols. ‘What’s the good of a statue?’, they cried, ‘It’ll just rust and rot. It has arms but can’t move, eyes but can’t see. It’s just a pretend thing, not the real thing! Come back to the Lord, Yahweh, the one true living God!’
The Bible calls us to honour the God who is the only eternal reality. So when we create objects that can practically live forever we are creating idols, created in our image and for our own convenience. This is a profoundly spiritual challenge, since scripture defines idolatry as rebellion, and the source of sin.
Discuss:
1. What are the idols in the world around us?
2. Which are your favourite ones?
3. How has plastic become the idol of the 21st century?
Letters about plastic
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Occasionally I write to businesses that I personally use to challenge them on their plastic packaging. Many companies in NZ are actively working hard to reduce plastic, and as consumers we need to be congratulating them on achievements and pushing them to do more.
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