Community | February 04, 2011 | 15 comments

Van Jones: The economic injustice of plastic

treewolf39
Van Jones lays out a case against plastic pollution from the perspective of social justice. Because plastic trash, he shows us, hits poor people and poor countries "first and worst," with consequences we all share no matter where we live and what we earn. At TEDxGPGP, he offers a few powerful ideas to help us reclaim our throwaway planet.
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    Community,   Green,   Actual News,   Earth Care,   7 more
  2. tags:
    Ted,  van jones,  plastics are toxic
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15 comments // Van Jones: The economic injustice of plastic // Video

  • JuliaBellafloresBlake
    • +1
      JuliaBellafloresBlake  

    • I am opening a restaurant at a food court in a mall in Houston, Texas, and have proposed to the mall management to back me up in becoming a green food court. They are all for it. We would have to do things step by step, starting with what I think would be the biggest change, offering the alternative of reusable dinnerware for in-house diners. I have written the mayor's office, greenhoustontx.gov, the Houston Chronicle, and the local Going Green tv show on channel 39, asking for help and counsel for this project. No one has even acknowledged us. What am I doing wrong? I thought everyone would jump at the opportunity of saving the landfills of no less than a million Styrofoam boxes a year. Anyone with experience have any suggestions? Thanks!

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
  • rodstradamus
    • +1
      rodstradamus  
    • Image

    • All plastic can be made from the plant Hemp, in addition to many other environmentally friendly, economy boosting, job creating products, including oil. Injustice and tyranny since 1937.

    • 1 year ago
  • coolplanet
  • treewolf39
    • +1
      treewolf39  
    • coolplanet:

      My local crunchy coffee spot is sporting to go cups made from corn. They supposedly compost though I still do not use them. I have been using the same stainless steel coffee mug for the last ten years.

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
    • +1
      treewolf39  
    • rodstradamus:

      Paper should defiantly not be made from harvested trees. It seems that the slash and waste from logging could make all the paper we need. Instead it gets burnt in huge fires in the late fall, thus adding to overall pollution.

    • 1 year ago
  • coolplanet
    • +1
      coolplanet  
    • treewolf39:

      The only reason wood is the primary source for paper today is because back in the 1930s newspaper magnate William Randolf Hearst wanted a monopoly on paper from his vast ownership of forests. Hearst used yellow journalism to outlaw hemp by calling it "marijuana" in his national newspapers and scaring the bejesus out of readers with concocted tales of "lazy" Mexicans introducing "marijuana" to their children, much like the Reifer Madness propaganda films years later.
      It wasn't until hemp was outlawed by Congress that millions of farmers who grew it as a primary source of livelyhood discovered that "marijuana" was hemp.
      But I'm sure you must know this already.
      I'm just preaching to the choir.....

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
    • 0
      treewolf39  
    • coolplanet:

      I do but it is rather enjoyable to be among others who know. I agree with making hemp paper but there is still the logging waste that I would much rather see get turned into something besides global warming.

    • 1 year ago
  • MotherForTruth
    • +2
      MotherForTruth  

    • Yes to "No disposable anything" mindset! Once and for all we must realize that each and every one of us must stand up against disposing people just as disposing plastic. US is 5% of global population with 25% incarceration rate and 25% of green house gases.

    • 1 year ago
  • postlapsaria
    • -2
      postlapsaria  

    • What?! plastic helps poor people!

      when i'm done with my $6 cup of coffee (i know, spendy... but only the best -- logo's for me) and I throw it away along with my enhanced water (my family needs more than that tap bullshit) and it sits in my driveway's trash cans, then everyone is free to rummage and collect the plastic. BAM! sell it for money. and I don't know if you know this... but they're paid in cash, which you don't have to report... CHA CHING! tax free income.

      the way i see it, plastic is the backbone of this country, and the oil that we use to make it is clearly our life blood. those people who get to live by the plastic factories of our great nation should consider themselves lucky!

      they get to take in a piece of mericah with them everytime they drink they're plastic chemical infused water, how's that for "enhanced" water-- enhanced with patriotism i say. the chemicals leeched into the sky just help to give us those wonderful sunsets we know and love.

      van jones needs to go back to being a terrorist and leave our poor corporations alone, haven't they been abused enough? Ya know, millions in profits and corporate bonuses only bring you so much happiness, but it can't give you a pat on the back-- like a high priced hooker can.

    • 1 year ago
  • Incredulous
  • ahappymintleaf
  • Progresshiv
  • treewolf39
  • Progresshiv
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