I thought this episode – about the open ocean – was the best so far.
Great footage of boiling seas, sleeping Sperm Whales and a whole lot more.
And for once, the message of environmental degradation was very adroitly put over – I thought. The scene was set about the immensity of the oceans and the fact that they are rather ’empty’. And then there were the floating bath ducks – a good story to get a message across. And then at the end there was the message that plastic gets everywhere and causes harm. I suspect that this was an effective way of getting this into people’s heads.
What did you think?
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It was a major news item on 5Live Breakfast, followed by the phone in too. Rachel Burden was really fired up by the message. It set me thinking about the tipping point if only you can get mainstream publicity for certain other conservation issues…………
Agreed. But supermarkets need to address the packaging of the products they sell. Just got back from Sainsbury’s and tried to buy without packaging. It’s impossible. I try to buy organic too in order to support these farmers but this fruit and veg is never available loose but is wrapped in single use plastic. Not my idea of organic! As for the programme, a beautiful episode but glad they are finally highlighting the harsh realities of what we are inflicting, ultimately upon ourselves. We need more of this type of programming. Sadly there is plenty of material to draw upon.
Was it German consumers who took to removing packaging at check-outs some time back, after a while the supermarkets got the message and producers cut back on packaging.
So, not just single use plastic bottles, coffee cups, plastic straws but the whole issue and we as consumers need to send a clear message back to the producers via supermarkets etc.
OK, hit he dislike button because people like convenience and it would take too long to do something like that and would there be a ground swell of grass roots campaigners refusing excessive packaging, particularly non-biodegradable material anyway?
Alternative, push for all packaging / plastic to be recyclables and ensure that it is – step up environmentalists new Best Friend? https://anewnatureblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/20/michael-gove-his-battle-with-the-truth/
The truth is that we (humans) cannot continue to live as we are at the moment, we are so used to being part of a throw away society that we don’t even notice it. Recycling is at best poor and in reality not at all effective. Government needs to lead by insisting that all packaging is recyclable, at the moment consumers face an impossible task if they want to avoid buying any packaging which is not recyclable. Individuals can help by making their feelings known at supermarkets but Government need to lead on this, but of course they will be swayed by lobbyists etc. And probably have vested interests anyway. We haven’t got time to mess about we’ve got to get on with changing things for the better – now.
Problem with recycling is the energetic cost, 2nd law of thermodynamics. If recycling costs too much energetically it just causes higher greenhouse emissions. You can’t treat any of these issues as being independent of each other since scientifically they aren’t.