Response to the “Save the Ocean” documentary
Dr David Muirhead says that we all must embrace science because we humans are the core problem regarding marine pollution, not plastics. He says that cleaning up the plastics already in the ocean is just closing the door after the horse has bolted.
This all came about after David read my report about Flinders University’s Farbod Faeghnia’s short documentary titled “Save the Ocean”.
During September 2020, Farbod Faeghnia and other students from Flinders University filmed our President, Steve Reynolds, at both the Port Environment Centre and the Queen’s Wharf at the Port Adelaide River for a short documentary titled “Save the Ocean”. Our Secretary, David Muirhead provided the students with a lot of underwater video footage to assist with the documentary. The 8-minute long footage also briefly features Emma Sandery, the Coordinator at the Port Environment Centre.
Farbod reports that his short documentary video assessment was successful and video footage can be found at https://vimeo.com/473330393 .
David Muirhead’s response to the video was: –
“Resonates well with the micro-plastics presentation (that) Steve and I heard at the recent Friends of Gulf St Vincent AGM and seminar.
“One question I have wanted to ask but never got around to it is: –
I recall some years back hearing that a new age was dawning where plastics could and would be made from ‘sustainable ‘ plant crops (vegetable oils perhaps?) rather than the then usual base material, fossil fuels.
I have not kept up-to-date on this topic.
I would guess that while some plastics are now manufactured using plants, not fossil fuels, the end product is still as toxic and as persistent in toxicity and non-biodegradability terms.
In other words, plastics are plastics, regardless of base materials used for their production.
Am I correct? Just wondering.
And of course, I am aware that should the shift to using vegetable oils to make plastics be a real alternative in this modern world, the ethical dilemma of prioritising use of the planet’s limited cropping lands for other than food for the human plague (overpopulation remains the basis for global warming, economic hardship, major healthcare problems, especially mental illness (now the leading cause of death and disability globally in humans), and lastly, but most importantly, loss of biodiversity, according to the WHO, but who listens?)…(…about the ethical issues of making plastics from food crops)…
However, my somewhat radical and contentious view of this whole matter is: –
Plastics are not the core problem. We are.
Getting everyone involved in cleaning up the plastics already out there, in the ocean and on the land and in the atmosphere, plus education to reduce consumption of plastics as food wrapping, etc.., etc.., is closing the door after the horse has bolted.
Admirable and worthwhile, but a distraction from the inconvenient truth: –
We must reduce our total population, across the whole planet.
Developing and developed countries alike.
Which means putting all the other species ahead of H.sapiens as legitimate planetary inhabitants.
We must abolish religion and embrace science, faster than ever.
Cheers, Dr David Muirhead”