Though it was a thorough, educational, and entertaining documentary, I had one major concern with one idea that it offered up as "the future" of alternatives to plastic.
The film interviewed several business pioneers who believe whole-heartedly that the manufacturing of plastic replacements from vegetable starches - corn, potato, soybean - is what will save the world. To be sure, many companies have already made popular plant-based alternatives to previously-made petroleum products, from disposable cutlery and food packaging to biodiesel. My problem is this: the film's main concern was what will happen to the environment and its people if plastic continues to be so ubiquitous and overused - HOWEVER, the fact was NOT addressed that the monoculturing of crops like corn will led to other, different ecosystem depletion. The film was quick to praise an "environmentally-sound" method -- after all, how can anything made from plants be harmful to the environment, right? WRONG. Acres and acres of corn being monocultured across the United States is harmful, as well. Soil is depleted of essential nutrients without crop rotation, meaning that more and more land must be used to continually move and expand the corn crops. All in all, this method would be equally detrimental. How does this conundrum get recognized and eventually rectified?
No comments:
Post a Comment