Are Cashews Healthy, Ethical, or Sustainable? Ocean Robbins (https://foodrevolution.org)· Published August 24, 2022

Are Cashews Healthy, Ethical, or Sustainable?

Ocean Robbins · Published August 24, 2022 · 12 min read

Summary

Cashews are incredibly versatile nuts (well, drupes), providing creaminess and flavor to Indian and other Asian dishes, commercial dairy analogs, and homemade nut cheeses and “nice” creams. They’re also quite nutritious. Unfortunately, the cashew industry is known for mistreating its workers. So is there a way to enjoy the taste and health benefits of cashews while not contributing to horrible working conditions?

Some things only appear expensive until you understand what goes into them. Charging $60 to change the oil and filter in your car might seem like highway robbery unless you’ve tried it yourself. After buying the oil, the air filter, the pan to catch the drippings, and the weirdly angled plastic funnel, you’ll already be out $40. And then there’s crawling under the vehicle, wrestling open the drainage nut, getting dirty and uncomfortable, and having to deal with bottling and recycling the old oil. All of a sudden, paying someone fairly to do it for you might look like quite a bargain.

When you go to the grocery store and see a bag of cashews going for around $15 a pound or more, you might also resent the high price. But when you learn how cashews are processed, so you can eat them for a snack or turn them into creamy plant-based sauces and dips, you’ll have a new appreciation for how much they cost.

Many plant-based eaters depend upon cashews for raising their culinary game. From cashew butter to cashew milk to cashew cheese and yogurt, to Indian, Southeast Asian, and African dishes enhanced by crunchy and creamy cashew pieces, this drupe has enabled dairy-free cooks to mimic much of the richness of cow’s milk without harming animals or degrading the environment.

And they’re not only versatile and delicious — as unofficial members of the nut family — cashews also pack a nutritional punch.

But cashews have a somber side, too, as we’ve learned by paying attention to their production and where they come from — and the ethical issues that surround their journey from tree to table. In this article, we’re going to look at the pros and cons of cashews, from their health benefits and culinary uses to ethical and sustainability concerns.

Where Do Cashews Come From?

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As you might expect, cashews come from the cashew tree, a tropical plant that originated in Brazil and has been cultivated in many other tropical regions of the globe. Vietnam and India are considered the top producers of cashews, but that’s a misleading designation. Poorer countries like Ivory Coast, Burundi, and Benin are among the largest exporters of cashews. But they are not considered producers because what they export has to undergo extensive processing before it reaches edible form.

It turns out that cashews aren’t really nuts. Rather, they’re drupe seeds, like almonds — and plum and peach pits. To further muddle things up, these nuts-that-aren’t-really-nuts grow at the bottom of a fruit called a “cashew apple,” which isn’t really a fruit, but what’s known as a “false fruit” because it doesn’t form from the ovary of the plant.

The cashew apple is also edible but rarely exported since it has a short shelf life and doesn’t travel well. Within its countries of origin, the cashew apple is often juiced or dried, cooked into curries, fermented into vinegar, or used to make preserves, chutneys, and jams. In the Indian state of Goa, it’s fermented and distilled to make a seriously alcoholic drink known as feni. And it has many medicinal uses as well.

At the base of the cashew apple grows a kidney-bean-shaped hard shell with a single seed inside. That seed is the cashew “nut,” but don’t even think about picking it, cracking it open, and eating it like you would a walnut or pecan. As I said, that nut needs to be processed almost beyond recognition.

Now that we’re staring directly at the weirdness of this plant, guess what it’s related to botanically. If you said “poison ivy,” you’d be right. And as we’ll see a little later, that fact is why cashews represent huge occupational challenges for the workers who process them for our benefit.

Cashew Nutrition Facts

iStock.com/Manivannan Thirugnanasambandam

Cashews are a good source of plant-based protein. They’re also pretty high in fat, providing a mix of saturated and unsaturated fats. And like other plant-based sources of fat, cashews reduce your risk of premature death when you substitute them for animal-based fats.

Cashews are about the micronutrients as much as the macros. They’re a good source of vitamin K and B vitamins, as well as important minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and manganese. They’re also a decent source of the elusive mineral selenium. And in a victory for those of us who prefer roasted nuts (and drupes!) to raw ones, it appears that roasting cashews actually increases their antioxidant power.

Cashews also contain so-called “antinutrients” like lectins, phytates, and oxalates, which, despite what some wellness influencers claim, are not a problem for most people. If you want to maximize mineral absorption, you can neutralize the effect of these compounds by soaking your cashews for a few hours, or eating them with allium vegetables (such as onions and garlic) or foods containing vitamin C.

If you’re looking to lose weight, keep in mind that the high-fat content of cashews, coupled with their very low water content, means they are high in calories. In fact, an ounce of cashews delivers a whopping 155 calories, which comes out to almost 2,500 calories per pound. And given that they’re often roasted and salted to make them even more delicious, they’re pretty darn easy to overeat.

Health Benefits of Cashews

What do we know about how eating cashews can support your health?

Cashews and Heart Health

For starters, cashews appear to promote cardiovascular health. A 2017 study of American adults with high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol found that when they ate more cashews, their LDL levels dropped while their HDL (“good”) cholesterol remained constant.

In an Iranian study of type 2 diabetics published in 2019, one group was asked to consume 10% of their calories from cashews. The control group ate the same number of calories, but without the cashews. The cashew group didn’t gain weight but did see their cholesterol shift to a much more favorable ratio of “good” to “bad” cholesterol.

A meta-analysis of five other modest studies on cashews and cardiac health published that same year found that cashew consumption was correlated with lower triglyceride levels and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Cashews and Bone Health

The nutrients in cashews, and particularly the minerals magnesium and copper, appear to support bone and joint health, too. Male rats with chemically-induced osteoarthritis (ugh — our view on the use of animals in medical research is here) who were fed cashew nuts demonstrated fewer and less severe “pain-like behaviors” and had improved pain-related biomarkers.

Are Cashews Good for Your Brain?

Also thanks to their tryptophan content, cashews may protect the brain and nervous system from the effects of aging — specifically, they may slow cognitive decline.

Cashews and Depression

Cashews may also help enhance your mood, and not just because they’re so darn yummy. They’re one of the richest sources of the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin — one of the body’s endogenous antidepressants. The magnesium in cashews also fights depression and anxiety through its positive effects on the nervous system. It’s also crucial for maintaining stable blood sugar levels (which are also relevant to your mood).

What About Cashew Allergies?

Tree nuts represent one of the seven major allergenic food categories. Despite not being true tree nuts, cashews can still be potent allergens, causing severe reactions in susceptible people that can persist long-term, compared with some other food allergies. Both children and adults can be affected.

While the prevalence of cashew allergy appears to be increasing, it’s still relatively uncommon. A 2021 study of over 500 children with food allergies found that just over 3% of them showed sensitivity to cashews. The percentage among the general population is likely far lower.

With a couple of exceptions, cashews are good for the people eating them. But what about their effects on the planet and agricultural workers?

Are Cashews Sustainable?

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Cashews perform surprisingly well in most measures of sustainability. In terms of water use, they’re just a little less thirsty than almonds, which are among the crops requiring the most hydration. But unlike almonds grown in the US, cashews are mostly harvested from trees in their natural environment, the tropics. So they receive their water allotment from rain (also known as “green water”) rather than the underground aquifers that supply the almond trees in drought-prone California.

True, that means the cashews consumed in the US are imports, which adds to their carbon footprint. But this is offset somewhat by the trees’ ability to sequester carbon in their biomass and in the soil.

Dairy substitutes made from cashews, such as milk, yogurt, spreads, and cheeses, are far more environmentally friendly than their dairy counterparts, especially when you consider greenhouse gas emissions.

Adding to the cashew advantage, the by-products of cashew processing have many other uses. The shell oil (which, confusingly, isn’t an oil, but rather a mixture of cardol and anacardic acid) appears in over 200 different patents. It’s an ingredient in things that must resist friction, heat, and acids, such as brake linings and clutch plates for the automotive industry, and also helps make glue and lightweight carbon-composite products such as rockets and high-end kayaks.

Cashew wood is also remarkably insect-resistant and favored for packing crates and bookcases. And the gum of the cashew tree works as an insect-repellent glue in bookbinding.

Should You Buy Organic Cashews?

Another plus for the planet is that a lot of cashew farming in Vietnam, Thailand, and India (major suppliers of the US market) occurs on “small, often wild or naturalized plantations” that don’t use any fertilizers or pesticides.

This doesn’t mean that the cashews you buy are guaranteed to be organic, though. There is a trend to apply pesticides even to naturally pest-resistant cashews, as they’ve been shown to slightly increase yield. The good news is that cashew nuts naturally have two protective coverings — the outer shell and the inner “testa” layer — shielding them from the direct application of pesticides. FDA testing did not find pesticide residue in most of the cashews it sampled. And so, you don’t have to buy organic cashews to avoid pesticides — although buying organic is generally better for people and the planet.

Overall, cashews are relatively sustainable, especially in comparison to meat and dairy.

Cashew Ethics

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But while cashews can be nutritious and environmentally sustainable, the cashew industry is unfortunately notable for its track record of harming workers. To understand the scope and severity of the problem, let’s first look at what has to happen for cashews to get from a tree to your mouth.

Cashew Processing

First, it’s extremely labor intensive to harvest the nuts. Each cashew apple has one nut, which workers must harvest by hand. (One of the reasons they’re so expensive compared to many other nuts.)

The main issue, however, is that the cashews are toxic to the touch before and during processing. The shell that surrounds each cashew nut contains the toxic oil urushiol, which is the active ingredient in poison ivy. When urushiol touches human skin, it causes rashes, itching, blistering, and swelling.

As if that isn’t bad enough, the shell is also a source of phenolic resin, which contains formaldehyde and anacardic acid, which is also a powerful skin irritant.

Cashew nut consumers don’t have to worry about any of these compounds because they’re removed during processing. Once the shells are peeled, dried, and subjected to heat, there are no more toxins.

Harmful Effects on Cashew Workers

Unfortunately, the workers doing the cutting, peeling, drying, and heating of cashew processing experience all these side effects during their long daily shifts. Since they’re paid when they meet production quotas, rather than an hourly wage, they have to rush just to make the equivalent of $2–3 per day. And rushing while hand-cutting or peeling the fragile drupes leads to nasty skin burns.

Gloves would help but are not common for three reasons. First, the factories that employ the cashew processors (who are nearly all women) force them to pay for their own gloves. Second, the thin gloves that workers can afford often break, rendering them useless. And third, the women say that gloves make the work harder, slow them down, and keep them from earning what they need to feed their families.

Here’s an 8-minute heartbreaking video that shows why cashews are so expensive. And it illustrates the effects of cashew processing on a group of women in Sri Lanka. Trigger Warning: it shows disturbing images of the skin damage the women experience due to constant exposure to the corrosive oils and acids in the cashew shells.

Other Cashew Industry Labor Issues

As you can imagine, the only people who take such jobs are those with few other options. In fact, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report from 2011 revealed that Vietnamese cashew processing facilities were forced-labor camps for those convicted of being drug addicts. TIME magazine reported that prisoners who resisted were “beaten with truncheons, given electric shocks, locked in isolation, deprived of food and water, and obliged to work even longer hours…”

And very few workers are covered by health insurance, even when such coverage is mandatory by the government.

In response to all this, there are now global campaigns working to end the horrific practices of the “blood cashew” industry.

Fair-Trade Cashews

Not all cashew plantations and processing plants engage in the heinous — and profitable — practices described above. If you want to enjoy cashews and cashew products without contributing to the mistreatment of workers, you can.

One fair-trade cashew brand that I like is Beyond the Nut — and you can receive 10% off your first order from them with the code FOODREV10. Another fair-trade cashew brand you might want to check out is Uprise Foods, which you can purchase on Amazon here. These companies work with facilities that provide a fair wage, provide castor oil for workers to coat their skin to prevent weeping sores (while keeping their hands nimble enough to do the work), and give back to the local communities to help lift them out of poverty.

How to Store Cashews

iStock.com/Almaje

Once you’ve bought fair-trade cashews, make sure you store them properly so you can enjoy them. It’s best to keep them in an airtight container — glass jars and silicone bags work nicely. If you have a large quantity that you aren’t going to use up quickly, store them in your refrigerator or freezer, where they can last for up to six months.

If you keep cashews in your pantry, make sure to protect them from light and heat; that way, you can enjoy them for up to three months.

Like other nuts (and drupes!), cashews can go bad if stored for too long in unfavorable conditions. Cashews will go rancid when exposed to light, air, and heat for too long. You’ll know if your cashews are ready for the compost if they have a harsh and bitter taste or an odor that reminds you of old paint or nail polish remover.

How to Use Cashews

You can, of course, snack on cashews all by themselves. You can also add them to recipes or use them as toppings for both sweet and savory dishes.

Here are some typical uses for cashews:

• On their own or on a charcuterie board as a snack; raw or roasted with herbs, spices, or even lemon juice
• Mixed into trail mix, granola, or energy balls
• Cashew butter
• Made into another sauce or condiment like cashew sour cream or a cashew spread
• Cashew cheese
• Used as a topping for stir-fry and other Asian dishes
• As a topping for plant-based yogurt or oatmeal
• Made into cashew milk or yogurt

Cashew Recipes

Homemade yogurt is an economical, nutritious, and delicious base in a range of recipes. Cashew cheese in an already-tasty, feeds-a-crowd veggie casserole, ups the “everyone will love this” quotient, just about ensuring that not a bite will go to waste. And, seasoned and roasted cashews become that special something that will delight your taste buds — a few will go a long way, either as a snack or in elevating your favorite dishes (plus, they store well!).

1. Easy Homemade Cashew Yogurt

This super simple, five-ingredient, plant-based yogurt will get you excited to be in the kitchen! Because cashews have a decent amount of plant-based fat, they create that creamy mouthfeel of traditional yogurt. Easy Homemade Cashew Yogurt is certainly worth the wait while healthy bacteria do their job making it nice and tangy. Check out the Chef’s Notes for all the ways you can use this creamy treat.

2. Broccoli Potato Casserole with Cashew Cheese

Cashews are a magical plant-based ingredient that easily blends into a silky and creamy dairy-free cheese or sauce to enhance just about any recipe. In Broccoli Potato Casserole with Cashew Cheese — a comforting, creamy, and mouthwatering meal — they are truly a game changer! This wholesomely cheesy casserole is an ideal plant-based dish for the entire family!

3. Chili-Spiced Roasted Cashews

Their slightly sweet yet neutral flavor makes cashews a perfect vehicle for the creative use of your favorite flavors, herbs, and spices (and roasting them makes them even more deliciously nutty!). Here, fresh lime, fragrant chili powder, and robust tones of garlic make way for a slightly sweet and savory snack — for any time a crunchy craving hits. What’s more, you can add them to your favorite savory plant-based dishes for an extra kick of flavor and crunch!

Enjoy Cashews Responsibly

The cashew is a delicious “nut” that can be enjoyed as is, and also makes a versatile substitute for dairy. It’s healthy and nutritious, though some people need to avoid it because of allergies. And because cashew processing plants have a track record of mistreating and underpaying their employees, I recommend choosing only fair-trade certified cashews, even if they cost a bit more than regular brands.

I found this a very interesting and informative report! I didn't realise they had so many different uses!

The blog song for today is: "She loves you" by the Beatles

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How To Quit Fast Fashion for Good: a report from :https://earth911.com

 

How To Quit Fast Fashion for Good

ByChloe Skye

Oct 13, 2022 clothing industry, fast fashion

The MO of “fast fashion” brands is to mass-produce trendy designs at a low cost. While some brands are working on a greener selection, we know that greenwashing, waste, and human rights violations abound in the fashion industry.

Emma Mathews, founder of the sustainable British sock brand Socko and author of How to Quit Fast Fashion: 100 Expert Tips for a Sustainable Wardrobe advised us on how to take meaningful steps towards quitting fast fashion.

Learn the True Cost of Fast Fashion

Clothing is more than the sum of its materials. Behind every garment are people, water, agriculture, energy, and transportation emissions, and much more.

The fashion industry produces more carbon emissions than international flights and maritime shipping combined, and is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply — despite this, 85% of all textiles end up in the dump each year.” –How to Quit Fast Fashion

In Mathews’ view, the hazards of fast fashion are greatest for textile and garment workers and the environment. “Clothes don’t magically appear. Think about the number of hands that handle that garment before it gets to you, about how much you pay versus what the person is paid — after retail and shipping costs — for something designed to be throwaway.”

Garment makers work in appalling conditions because retailers, to satisfy demand, prioritize low-cost clothing over people’s lives. One of the starkest examples is the 2013 Rana Plaza fire in Bangladesh, the fourth largest industrial disaster in history, during which 1,100 people died and another 2,500 were injured.

Reevaluating your relationship with fast fashion means reconciling with the environmental and human costs, but Mathews is adamant that preaching isn’t the goal. On the contrary, “it’s about providing tools so consumers can make the decision for themselves.”

Tips To Help You Quit Fast Fashion

Rethink Your Closet

“Even if we stopped production tomorrow, we have enough to clothe the next two generations,” says Mathews.

So, it’s not that we need more clothes — it’s that we’re bored with what we have.

• Form a stronger bond with your wardrobe. As the fashion industry adage goes, “The most sustainable clothes are the ones you already own.” To this, Mathews adds, “The back of the wardrobe is almost like being in a landfill” — if you don’t wear those clothes, you’re only putting off the inevitable.
• Dig around in the back of your drawers. If you can’t salvage that T-shirt, who can? Consider donations, clothing swaps, or giving your garments away — and be realistic. If you haven’t worn it in the last year or two, it may be time to say goodbye.
• Flirt with the capsule wardrobe. Take a page from the minimalist playbook and consider paring down to a capsule wardrobe, an approach that favors essential clothing items that don’t go out of fashion, augmented by seasonal pieces. Which are your seasonless staples? What can you easily mix and match?

Enhance Your Existing Wardrobe

Lessening your clothing’s impact on our ecosystem doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style.

• Old clothing favorites can take on new flair with the right jewelry, belts, shoes, bags, or glasses.
• Exploring your family’s vintage collection or shopping secondhand are cost-friendly alternatives to fast fashion.
• Cut, dye, tailor, taper, sew, paint … the possibilities are endless. Dying your old jeans requires a lot less water than what it takes to create a new pair.

Make Your Clothing Last

It’s in your hands as a consumer to take care of your clothing. Instead of buying new, learn fundamental preservation principles from “way back when.”

• Don’t ignore the tags. Tags display how to wash, bleach, iron, and otherwise care for our clothes. If you’re not sure how to read clothing tags, check this guide.
• Dive into YouTube. “People shouldn’t be daunted by material repair! With textiles, you can undo a stitch as if it was Control-Z,” says Mathews. You can learn everything from how to thread a needle to patching a hole within a few hours from YouTube videos. Plus, “once you know the rules, you can break them and go rogue.”
• Forget the sewing machine. You can make successful repairs with hand techniques — and it may even be easier because you can move the material around more flexibly. Start with Mathews’ denim repair tutorial in the highlights of Socko’s Instagram. She’ll soon be launching her own holistic clothing repair course.

Shop With Sustainability in Mind

Paying a fair price for clothing does mean it will be more expensive, Mathews says. That’s why consumers have to make a mindset shift between wanting a quick pick-me-up and thinking for all seasons.

• Shop sparingly. Set a goal of not shopping for just 30 days and work up. When you do shop, ask yourself what you really need. Don’t beat yourself up about past purchases: “If you love and wear an item day in and day out, then there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
• Research ethical certifications, including certifications of fair trade textiles and organic materials. Buy as local and fair as possible.
• Make the change. “People are programmed to think cheap prices on the discount rack are the going rate.” While you may pay more for ethical brands that have a takeback scheme or go the extra mile to help you mend your purchase (for example, Socko includes a darning kit with every purchase), you’re investing in a piece that will last you a lifetime — and supporting the safety and livelihoods of garment workers.

Final Thoughts About Fast Fashion

What makes it onto the clothing racks represents a give and take between brands and consumers. Since our closets don’t exist in a vacuum, both have a vested interest in designing for a circular economy and wearing for the long term.

Mathews believes retailers should educate consumers about the longevity of their items, and that we need legislation to regulate the fashion industry and protect garment workers. Changing consumer preferences are already making a positive impact, but there’s no quick fix.

That’s why brands, as well as consumers, must continue probing the way clothing production and consumption are interlinked. “If you want to have a sustainable business and lifestyle, How can you justify against what the planet needs?”

As usual, a very useful article.  It just confirms that the impact of not buying brand new clothes is noticeable, especially in these times of high prices and climate change!  I like to go to our local second hand shops and have often got some real bargains!

The blog song for today is: "Lessons in love" by Level 42

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Ground source heat pumps explained- from The Which Team

 

Ground source heat pumps explained

We explain how ground source heat pumps work, and the pros and cons, so you can decide whether one may be right for you.

Which? Team

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A ground source heat pump system harnesses natural heat from underground by pumping water through it in pipes. 

The heat pump then increases the temperature, and the heat is used to provide home heating or hot water. 

They need electricity to run, but the idea is that they use less electrical energy than the heat they produce.

The pump performs the same role as a boiler in a central heating system. But it uses ambient heat from the ground, rather than burning fuel to generate heat. 

Read on to find out more on how a ground source heat pump works, and to see whether it's right for your home.

How ground source heat pumps work

Ground source heat pump systems are made up of a ground loop (a network of water pipes buried underground) and a heat pump at ground level.

A mixture of water and anti-freeze is pumped around the ground loop and absorbs the naturally occurring heat stored in the ground. 

The water mixture is compressed and goes through a heat exchanger, which extracts the heat and transfers it to the heat pump. The heat is then transferred to your home heating system.

1. Ground source heat pump uses fluid to absorb heat from the ground.
2. Using electricity, the fluid is compressed and raised to a higher temperature.
3. Heat is sent to radiators or underfloor heating - the remainder is stored in a hot water cylinder.
4. Stored hot water can be used for showers, baths and taps.

How much space do I need?

You'll need plenty of space for the system to be installed - generally a garden that's accessible for digging machinery. 

How big the ground loop needs to be depends on how big your home is and how much heat you need.

How warm is ground source heating?

A ground source heat pump can increase the temperature from the ground to around 50°C, although the hotter you heat your water, the more electricity you'll use.

You can then use this heat in a radiator, for hot water, or in an underfloor heating system. Whether you'll need an additional back-up heating system will depend on your property.

Alternatively, you could try an air source heat pump. These are usually placed outside at the side or back of a property, and take heat from the air. For more details, see our separate guide to air source heat pumps.

Pros and cons of ground source heat pumps

Ground source heat pumps generate less CO2 than conventional heating systems, but you still need to use electricity to drive the pump. That means they can’t be considered completely zero-carbon unless the electricity is provided by a renewable source.

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) says an 'average' ground source heat pump could save you up to £1,400 a year, or could add up to £65 to your annual heating bill, depending which heating system you're replacing.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme provided payments to householders who have a heat pump, estimated to be between £2,335 and £2,750 a year for an average four-bedroom detached home.

Pros of ground source heat pumps

• Financial aid – you can get financial help towards the cost of a ground source heat pump.
• Efficiency – you need to use electricity to power the pump that circulates the liquid in the ground loop. But for every unit of electricity used by the pump, you get between two and four units of heat – making this an efficient way to heat a building.
• Cut costs – cheaper Economy 7 electricity tariffs can be used to lower the cost of electricity to power the heat pump.

Cons of ground source heat pumps

• Expensive installation – installing a ground source heat pump is expensive: typically £10,000 to £18,000, depending on the size of the system (not including the cost of fitting underfloor heating, if required), according to the EST.
• Disruptive construction – the groundworks required to dig the trench can be expensive and disruptive – planning permission may be required if space is at a premium and you need a borehole.
• Requirements – they are generally not suitable for properties with existing gas-fired central heating. The technology works at lower temperatures, making it better suited to homes with underfloor heating or very large radiators.

Other things to consider

• It's also worth noting that you may need a separate electric heater to help meet all your heating and hot water needs. 
• If you’re also using the heat pump to provide hot water, it can limit the overall efficiency of the pump. 
• Ground source heat pumps tend to be better suited to new-build homes, as they can be planned as part of the construction process.

Are ground source heat pumps efficient?

A ground source heat pump system can help to lower your carbon footprint as it uses a renewable, natural source of heat – the ground. According to the Energy Saving Trust, a heat pump with mid-range efficiency would save you most carbon when used to replace an old electric heating system (with storage heaters) or coal heating system.

A heat pump also requires a supplementary source of power, usually electricity, to power the heat pump. So there will still be some resulting CO2 emissions.

Don't pay more for energy than you need to. Visit Which? Switch and find the cheapest gas and electricity tariff for your home.

This is a great alternative to solar panels,which as we know have turned out to be not so great in the long run.  They use up a lot of materials to make, also energy to make them too. They do not last forever and people tend not to maintain them as they should.  They are not recyclable either which is not good. (The older versions aren't I am not sure about the latest generation ones, I will look into it0

The blog song for today is: "Too nice to talk to" by the Beat

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A special report from Ideal Home Magazine online - Energy monitoring plug home experiment

We try an energy monitoring plug at home

This subject is on everyones mind!

There are lots of different models out there, but our Ecommerce Writer Molly Cleary used one, £19.75 at Amazon). She says the instructions aren't incredibly useful, and that you need to find out what your unit rate is for electricity and then enter it in. But otherwise, it was straightforward to use.

Amy Lockwood

Decor Editor

Amy Lockwood is Decor Editor at Ideal Home, offering advice on creating your dream interior, whether that's choosing the perfect shade of paint, investing in a new sofa, or sourcing on-trend and sustainable products for the home.

As part of her work on the Ideal Home team, Amy has tested everything from electric blankets and heated clothes airers to sofas and Christmas trees.

Amy and Molly spent about a week putting their energy monitoring plugs to the test to see if it helped them save energy at home. They tested them at the end of September, just before the October rise in the energy price cap. Here's what they found out.

What used the most energy?

• The kettle – 5-6p a go, £100+ a year
  Amy: 'It takes my 2500-3000W kettle 2.45 mins to boil 4 cups of water at a cost of 6p. That means if I boil the kettle 6 x per day, every day, that's around £130 a year.'
  Molly: 'My kettle has 2200W of power and cost 5p to boil at full capacity (1.6L). After one day of testing, I found that we had spent 28p boiling the kettle. So I think that's just over £100 a year, meaning my kettle is more efficient than Amy's.'
• The toaster – 2p per crumpet
  Amy's 950W toaster cost 2p to toast a crumpet for 3 minutes, so if we're making a lot of toast every morning this could soon add up more than we might have expected.
  

What used the least?

• Electric blanket
  Amy's 70W electric blanket cost 3p an hour at the maximum temperature.
• Lamp
  Amy's lamp didn't nudge into 1p after an hour of it being turned on.
• Heated drying rack
  Molly's heated drying rack cost 6p an hour to run. 'It has this written all over the box so was nice to discover that it was true,' she says.

Were there any surprises?

It turns out that charging our phones isn't as expensive as we might have thought. 'My phone doesn't last a day without charging anymore so I thought that would be a big cost,' says Amy. 'But at only 4W it didn't even nudge into 00.01 after 4 hours of charging.'

Molly also found that charging her phone and laptop brought up really really small numbers on the energy monitoring plug.

Molly also used the energy monitoring plug on her air fryer. This model has 1800W of power and cost 3p to run for 5 minutes, meaning that it's only £0.36p to run for an hour. 

'This might be steeper than expected because my air fryer is quite big (7L),' she says. But it goes to show that it's worth using your air fryer instead of the oven where possible, as an oven costs roughly 34p every 20 minutes, so three times more than an air fryer.

If you feel in the dark about how much your appliances are costing you, an energy monitoring plug could be a great money-saver. Will you be picking one up?

A very informative report, I have times in which I use my most expensive items, like the washing machine and oven, weekends is the time when everyone uses these things!  We try to avoid 10am-2pm and 6pm - 10pm very expensive!

The blog song for today is: "Alfie"by Lily Allen 

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Portable Solar Energy Systems for Home & On the Go - an earth911.com report

Portable Solar Energy Systems for Home & On the Go

BySarah Lozanova

Aug 25, 2022

Solar panels aren’t just found on rooftops and solar farms anymore — there are now numerous portable solar modules on the market for camping, RVs, and emergency preparedness. You can buy solar chargers with a small solar panel and battery to charge devices, larger DIY kits that can power an RV, and solar generators for backup power during outages.

Portable solar systems are ideal when it is difficult or impossible to access the power grid. They can fulfill a similar purpose to a backup generator, but without consuming fossil fuels or making noise. Let’s examine the different categories of portable solar systems and how they compare to rooftop arrays.

This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our Recycling Directory.

Types of Portable Solar Systems

You have several different kinds of portable solar systems to choose from; each serves a different purpose.

Solar-Powered Portable Battery Charger

These units contain solar cells and a battery. They often have a flashlight and perhaps a compass and can also charge using a power cable. There are USB ports on these solar chargers for powering cell phones and other electronic devices. Some solar power banks are capable of just charging a cell phone a couple of times and start at around $30, while others have a larger capacity and are more costly.

Blavor Portable solar charger. Image: Amazon

Portable Solar Panel Kits

These setups contain one or more portable solar panels, a battery bank, and a charge controller that regulates how the batteries charge. In addition, many portable solar panels include a kickstand or frame to prop up the PV panel at an ideal angle. Typically, the solar panels have high-efficiency monocrystalline solar cells to generate more electricity in a limited space when compared to polycrystalline solar panels.

Renogy portable, foldable solar panel. Image: Amazon

Solar-Powered Generators

Like fossil fuel-powered generators, solar panel generators supply emergency power during grid outages. In recent years, many different models have hit the market, giving shoppers more options for having some power during blackouts. Sometimes, solar generators are sold in kits that include the solar panels, and other times the panels are sold separately.

It’s a good idea to figure out what loads you will want to power so you can size the solar generator accordingly. For example, you might want to be able to plug in the refrigerator sometimes to prevent food from spoiling. Unfortunately, the batteries start to degrade a bit over time and cannot hold as much of their original capacity, so plan accordingly. Some solar generators are relatively light, making them more portable.

Here’s a helpful video guide to help you find the right solar-powered generator for you.

Advantages of Portable Solar Systems

Let’s explore the positive aspects of solar panels for mobile applications.

Smaller Upfront Cost

Numerous DIY solar kits and camping solar panels are available on the market. Although they range in price from under $30 to thousands, they usually cost significantly less than a rooftop solar system. Therefore, it’s an excellent way for people to start using solar energy without investing $15,000 or more for solar panels, an inverter, and labor. In addition, because the solar panels aren’t attached to the roof or connected to the electric panel, you will not need professional solar installers.

In some cases, financing is available through the retailer. This helps make these products available to more people, including people that don’t own their homes, but there are likely interest charges.

Portable Solar Power

These solar products often contain batteries that can charge with solar or sometimes a wall outlet as well. This means you would have electricity while on a boat, camping trip, or even during power outages. Portable solar products are also excellent for disaster preparedness because they do not rely on the electrical grid.

In other cases, grid power is available but might be very expensive. For example, some campgrounds charge a lot for electricity, and RVers might be able to save money by using a portable solar setup instead, or they might have greater flexibility on where to park if they don’t need to be parked near electrical outlets.

Disadvantages of Portable Solar Systems

Although they are great for power on the go, these systems do not provide all the benefits of a rooftop solar system.

Solar System Durability

Rooftop solar systems are designed to last 25 or more years, and they commonly include long-lasting warranties. The solar panels usually have frames and a mounting system that securely attaches them to the roof. By contrast, portable solar panels are commonly propped up using a kickstand and are often water resistant but can run into problems in heavy rains. Likewise, because they aren’t attached, heavy winds can damage the system.

Because they are less durable, portable solar modules usually have shorter warranties than roof-mounted solar systems. For example, the Bluetti PV350 Solar Panel includes a 2-year warranty, but the Renogy 100W Foldable Solar Suitcase with Voyager has a 10-year warranty.

May Not Qualify for Solar Tax Credit

There is a federal solar tax credit available for residential and commercial solar energy systems. However, portable solar systems qualify for the solar tax credit only occasionally. So, if you have an RV that is a primary or secondary residence and purchase a portable solar system for it, there’s a good chance you can apply the tax credit.

Even though there are many portable solar power options available, they might not be the ideal approach for everyone, and they serve a different purpose than a home solar panel system. A rooftop solar system or community solar subscription is a better option if you want to lower your home electric bill significantly. If you want emergency power or solar electricity on the go, a portable system is ideal.

Before purchasing a system, consider your energy needs and the pros and cons of each option. Figure out what electric loads you will have and make sure the solar battery can power them for the desired length of time. If you will use the portable solar system for camping or hiking trips, make sure it is light enough to be convenient.

Feature image: MarekPhotoDesign.com – stock.adobe.com

A nice and informative piece, really interesting too!  We are a little bit behind here on Menorca with regards to these things,however with all the sun that we have we are moving forward really quickly with the solar powered energy.

The blog song for today is: "Where do I begin" by Shirley Bassey

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A message to all you climate change deniers! This is not normal for Menorca in September!!

 

                                                                   

We had a huge storm here last night (with a mini tornado thrown in for good luck) the second in the space of a month.  This weather is not usual for Menorca and especially at this time of the year.

If anyone is in any doubt that climate change is real then they need to look further into the events that have been going on this year and all the years leading up to it.

We have so much power when we all join together, if only people would! At this moment I think everywhere is having freak weather, hurricanes, tornados for starters.

As I have said before, we only need to make a few changes to our lifestyles, walk more, use public transport more, here in Menorca all residents can get free bus travel!  The government have refused natural gas, instead they are going down the solar/wind path, that is such good news.

The blog song for today is: " Tell all the people" by the Doors

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Recycling Mystery: Kitchen Sponges and Scouring Pads- an earth911.com report

Recycling Mystery: Kitchen Sponges and Scouring Pads

ByMary McDonald

Sep 20, 2022

When you are stuck scrubbing a pan with baked-on grease, you know what a help sponges and scouring pads can be. There’s only so much elbow-grease a person can expend on a single pan.

Yet, the sponges and scouring pads you find in most stores pose a host of environmental problems — from manufacture to disposal. How can we use these kitchen workhorses without trashing the planet? Luckily, there are lots of eco-friendly alternatives to typical kitchen sponges.

This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our Recycling Directory.

The Problem With Kitchen Sponges

What’s so bad about regular kitchen sponges and those flat rectangular scrub pads? Quite a few things, actually.

Sponges Are Made From Plastic

The bright green and yellow sponges you see in your grocery store aisles are typically made from plastic. According to The Center for International Environmental Law’s report Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet, manufacturing and incinerating plastic produced more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2019 alone.

Sponges Are Frequently Replaced

Sponges do a lot of disgusting jobs for us, and they can be magnets for germs. Because they are nasty and germ-ridden, researchers recommend tossing the stinkers every week. That’s problematic.

If 1 million households toss one sponge a year, that’s 1 million sponges sitting in landfills or being incinerated. If 1 million households toss out one sponge per week, that’s 52 million sponges. With more than 122 million households in the United States, that adds up to a staggering amount of plastic trash.

Sponges Create Microplastic Pollution

When you wash your dishes with a sponge, it sheds tiny fibers. These fibers, a type of microplastics, can’t be filtered out by water treatment plants. These end up in the ocean where they join the millions of metric tons of plastic dumped there every year.

Options for Recycling Sponges

Unfortunately, kitchen sponges and scouring pads aren’t easy to recycle. Like a lot of plastic consumer goods, you can’t throw them in curbside recycling.

TerraCycle creates mail-in campaigns for hard-to-recycle items. A review of their website reveals only one such campaign for recycling sponges, currently, which accepts only one brand of sponge. (They do update their recycling campaigns periodically, so you might want to check back.)

Natural Alternatives to Plastic Sponges

Given the environmental issues of plastic sponges, it’s best to look for sponges and scrubbers that are made of natural materials. The good news is there are a ton of affordable alternatives.

Be on the lookout for greenwashing, though. Manufacturers can use terms such as “eco-friendly,” “all-natural,” and “nontoxic” pretty loosely, so it helps to do some research. Here are some plastic-free options.

Fabric Dishcloths

Long before anyone made sponges from fossil fuels, people used a cloth to wash their dishes. Now, eco-conscious consumers are returning to this simple option.

Full Circle makes organic cotton dishcloths that are stitched with loops that help with removing stuck-on food. Use these for dishwashing and/or to wipe down countertops. Whiffkitch dishcloths are made of bamboo rayon, although the colored edging is synthetic.

You can also cut up old clothing or towels to replace your sponges — natural fibers like cotton and linen tend to work best.

Unsponges

Unsponges are a popular alternative to regular sponges. Etsy has over 2,400 results for the term unsponge. Most of these are made of cotton, but many are covered in nylon mesh or stuffed with recycled plastic. Unsponges with natural fiber stuffing and coverings are available — you just have to read the fine print.

You can also find a variety of sponge alternatives on Amazon, including MioEco’s 100% organic cotton unsponge (the filling is also organic cotton) for non-scratch cleaning and KOLO Nature’s 100% hemp scrubber sponge.

Cellulose Sponges

Cellulose sponges are primarily made from wood fiber. Not all sponges labeled as cellulose are 100% natural plant fibers, though. Many are mixed with plastic. Also, some 100% cellulose sponges are soaked in chemicals.

rE: makes 100% plant-based cellulose sponges that are fully biodegradable. If You Care’s washable sponge cloths are 70% cellulose and 30% cotton.

Loofah Sponges

You know how well a loofah works in the shower. Who says you can’t use the same kind of sponge on your dishes? Some companies even offer loofah kitchen sponges cut to a convenient size.

If you really want to go all out, you can grow your own loofah (Luffa acutangular) plant. The center of the loofah gourd is the part we use as a sponge. This article explains how to grow and harvest the loofah. (Note: Loofahs are easiest to grow in warm climates with long growing seasons.)

Coconut and Walnut Scrubbers

You can replace your plastic scouring pads with plant-based scrubbers. Grove Collaborative has a selection of coconut and walnut scrubbing pads. Since they are 100% plant-based, you can add them to your home composting bin when they’re worn out, as long as they are not drenched with fats and oils.

A Clean Kitchen and a Healthy Planet

Keeping your kitchen clean doesn’t have to result in trashing the planet. There are plenty of eco-friendly sponges, unsponges, and scouring pads on the market. These earth-friendly options can help you keep a clean kitchen and a clean planet.

Originally published on January 4, 2021, this article was updated in September 2022.

The loofah option sounds pretty good to me, next year I will try and grow some in my garden!

The blog song for today is: " Supper's ready" by Genesis

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How To Reduce Microfiber Pollution From Your Laundry - a report from earth911.com

 

How To Reduce Microfiber Pollution From Your Laundry

BySarah Lozanova

Sep 20, 2022

If you wear much synthetic clothing, you likely create microfiber pollution every time you do the laundry. A type of microplastics, microfibers are plastic fibers smaller than 5 millimeters. When we wash synthetic fabrics, they shed these microfibers, which get washed down the drain with the wastewater, adding to the worldwide problem of microplastic pollution.

The Microplastic Problem

Plastic pollution is all around us, from the highest mountain to the depths of the world’s oceans. While plastic litter is a well-known problem, more people are becoming concerned about microplastic exposure. The universal use of plastics means that microplastics are widespread throughout the environment. Scientists have found them in our food, water, and even the air.

Researchers are still trying to determine the scale of this issue, but these tiny particles really add up. Australian scientists published a study in 2020 estimating that between 9.25 and 15.86 million tons of microplastics can be found on the ocean floor.

There are some obvious ways to prevent microplastics from entering the environment, like not littering. And as we learn more about the problem, we are discovering different ways microplastics enter the environment, such as through the laundry. Let’s explore how we can help keep microplastics from our laundry out of rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

How Does Washing Clothes Cause Microplastic Pollution?

Many clothes and linens contain synthetic fibers, such as fleece, acrylic, and nylon. The friction of the washing machine releases tiny particles into the wash water. Unfortunately, wastewater treatment plants are unable to capture these particles, so they are released into the environment, where they find their way into the ocean or even drinking water sources.

How Can I Reduce the Release of Microfibers From My Laundry?

There are a variety of steps you can take to prevent or reduce this source of pollution.

Don’t Use the Delicate Cycle

Researchers at Newcastle University explored how various washing techniques impact the release of microplastics. The amount of water in a load has a significant impact — and the delicate cycle has a higher volume of water than other settings. They found that washing clothes on delicate releases 800,000 more fibers than a standard wash cycle.

Fill the Washer

Running full loads of laundry also reduces the release of microplastics. In fact, Newcastle University researchers estimate that small loads release twice the microfibers compared to large loads. Likewise, shorter wash cycles, laundering clothes less often, and using cold water are all ways to reduce microfiber release. These methods also save energy.

Get a Laundry Filter or Ball

Although wastewater treatment plants aren’t designed to remove such small particles, there are laundry filters and balls that do. Consumers can buy these products, which help capture the microfibers before the water carries them off. The balls go directly in the washer, while the filters connect with the laundry discharge outlet and require installation. Both the filters and balls need to be cleaned out periodically to remain effective.

Manufacturers say that the filters also help protect septic systems by preventing blockages and premature pump and pipe failures. However, according to studies and user observations, these products vary in their effectiveness at catching microplastics. Here is a sampling of the microfiber laundry solutions currently available.

Filtrol Filter

According to the manufacturer, this product removes 89% of microfibers and retails for $160. Earth911 obtained a promo filter to try out and found it easy to install and use. The unit seems highly durable, and replacement parts are available if needed. The filter needs to be cleaned out periodically or the laundry discharge water will bypass the filter. Filtrol also makes a commercial filtration system for laundromats, hotels, and resorts.

Image: Filtrol

MicroPlastics LUV-R Filter

This product removes 87% to 100% of microfibers from the laundry discharge. The filter costs $190, and replacement parts are also available. The Lint Luv-R needs to be cleaned out approximately every two to three loads of laundry, according to the manufacturer.

Image: Lint Luv-R

Cora Ball

Although this is the easiest product to use, it is also the least effective of the three options. It removes approximately 26% of microfibers, according to the University of Toronto. The Cora Ball is made of recycled and recyclable plastic, but many users wonder how effective it really is. However, 26% is a big step in the right direction and is a good option for people who use laundrymats.

Image: Cora Ball

Minimizing Laundry Microfiber Pollution

While there’s still a lot we don’t know about microplastics, researchers continue to uncover new information. For example, a recent pilot study found that tumble drying synthetic clothing releases even more microfibers into the air than laundering synthetics releases into the water. The study suggests the need for dryer vent filtration systems but until we learn more, you might consider line drying your synthetics.

To reduce microfiber pollution in the wash, any approach mentioned in this article helps and is a good start. If you combine strategies, such as washing large loads in cold water and using a Cora Ball, your positive impact expands.

Another way to cut down on this is to buy cotton products, even better second hand, which is great in two ways for the environment!

I am not a big fan of tumble dryers, they use a lot of electricity and they leave the clothes all creased up. The clothes don't smell as nice as when they are dried naturally, whether inside or outside!  Added to the fact of pumping microplastics into the air, this is a no no!  I have been using a new washing system for quite some time now and it seems to work!  A short wash using soap nuts and occasionally the laundry sheets now available (for things like towels and sheets) for that extra clean.  I am testing the laundry sheets out to see how they perform. My firm favourite is soap nuts for washing!

The blog song for today is: "the magic number" by De La Soul

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Sustainable Fashion: A Closer Look into the Material Drivers of the Clothing Industry- a report from :https://www.earthday.org

 A Closer Look into the Material Drivers of the Clothing Industry

July 28, 2022

Today, clothing manufacturers are paying more attention to the chemicals and materials they place into our wardrobes. This is no coincidence. Their awareness is due to upcoming legislation such as The Fashion Act and the European Union Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles that aims to reshape the retail industry through stringent requirements. The age of profit over people, rapid industrialization, and endless consumption must end now.

Many consumers recognize this overproduction’s damage to our planet and are entering a new era of thought. In this green transition, many consumers strive to be socially responsible, seek products with a purpose, and are determined to make environmentally conscious purchases. It has become pertinent that industries become fully transparent about the raw materials, chemicals, and manufacturing processes of their clothing. 

Do You Know What’s In Your Clothes? 

Today’s garments are assembled from a wide range of substances. These include synthetic fabric materials, fabrics sourced from plants and animals such as leather and cotton, chemicals for the fabric dyeing, processing, and finishing techniques, and various materials such as metals, wood, and plastic for hardware (buttons, zippers, buckles, clasps, etc.).

Notably, most garments are now entirely or partially made from petrochemically-based synthetic fabrics and fibers. In fact, 62% of all fibers that were produced in 2020 are synthetic. While the race towards “perfectly” sustainable synthetics is in motion, most of these experimental fabrics currently make up a slim margin on the global fiber market – about 0.5%.

Petrochemicals, The Dirty Facts: What Are These And What Textiles Have Them?

Petrochemicals are any chemical products derived from petroleum; a fossil fuel often referred to as crude oil. Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource, and the petrochemical industry exploits them; the negative environmental impacts are combined with profound social and political implications. In particular, air and water pollution are advancing global warming and environmental injustices, as production and consumption disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income. This begs the question: In the face of climate degradation, why do we continue to use these products? 

Petrochemicals create an amazing array of inexpensive and practical resources for multiple industries; from vehicles and electronics to laundry detergent, nearly everything we use today is powered by or made of petrochemicals.

In the apparel industry, petroleum-based fibers are found in 4 primary fabrics: polyester, acrylics, nylon, and spandex.  

1. Polyester is the most widely used fiber in the world. It is a thermoplastic, a plastic polymer that becomes malleable at certain elevated temperatures and solidifies upon cooling. It has many beneficial and expansive properties, such as microbial resistance, elasticity, and its ability to be strong as steel and light as paper. Its durability affords peak wash and wear performance. In stark contrast, the material also creates environmental malignancy by producing microplastics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during production, to name a few. 
   
2. Nylon, a manufactured polyamide (as opposed to silk and wool, which are naturally occurring), is one of the US’s most widely used synthetic fabrics. This thermoplastic is known for its durability, stain, and abrasion resistance, which hold high value in products like pantyhose. However, to produce nylon, you release nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas with a significant global warming potential 300 times that of carbon dioxide. In addition to this, the material creates microplastic pollution when washed. 
3. Acrylic is a synthetic fiber; its appeal is its wool-like feel without the expensive price tag or rigorous regime for upkeep. Again, these polymers, in addition to being inexpensive, have high durability and stain resistance. However, they are made of acrylonitrile, a carcinogen, and a mutagen. This substance can cause health problems, chiefly headache, nausea, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and many more based on exposure.
4. Spandex, also known as elastane or lycra, is simultaneously tight, elastic, lightweight, breathable, and occasionally comfortable. Just like polyester, we heavily rely on this synthetic fabric. You can find it in your swimwear and athleisure apparel. And, like polyester, spandex, when produced, releases GHGs and, when burned in landfills, releases carbon into the air and contributes to rising air pollution levels. 

While these fabrics make up a significant fraction of the fabric market, several other synthetic fabrics and filaments are depicted above. None of these materials are biodegradable, thus will not decay naturally and persist in the environment indefinitely, especially as microplastics on land, in the air, or in the ocean.

We are all striving to educate ourselves on the origins of our clothing and use this information to make more informed and eco-friendly-driven decisions about our wardrobes. For some simple tips to fill an environmentally-friendly closet with a wardrobe that looks great and lasts a long time check out our toolkit.

To learn more about sustainable fashion, test your knowledge, and find out what you can do to stand up to fast fashion, visit EARTHDAY.ORG’s Fashion for the Earth site. It is time for consumers to take matters into their own hands when fighting for the environment, garment workers, and our collective future.

Many people I know already do, or have now started to buy second hand clothes. We don't have that many here on Menorca but sometimes it is possible to grab a really good make of clothing for a great price, while also donating to charity and helping the planet too! It is a win-win situation!  I managed to pick up a pair of Levi jeans for the great price of 3.50 euro.

Another good thing is the emergence of the apps like "Vinted" designed to do the same thing!

The blog song for today is: "Strange Days"by the Doors

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What Do Climate Change and Plastic Straws Have in Common? a report from the Green Life (https://www.sierraclub.org)

 

What Do Climate Change and Plastic Straws Have in Common?

Hint: Fracking for gas

Illustration: istock/AlenaLebedeva

By Jason Mark

September 14, 2022

In a fractured America, here's one thing most of us can agree on: Disposable plastic sucks. Eight in 10 voters support policies to reduce single-use plastics, and two-thirds of US residents say they'd pay more for everyday materials that don't contain plastic. Picking up plastic litter remains the go-to Earth Day activity, and "Is This Recyclable?" might as well be the latest environmentalist parlor game.

The concerns about plastic make perfect sense. While carbon dioxide and methane are invisible—and extinction is an actual disappearing act—plastic is all too tangible. The cookie packages and water bottles, single-use baggies and flimsy cheese wrappers are inescapable. They are the emblem of wanton waste, the signature of a throwaway society.

At the same time, the popular angst over plastic sometimes strikes me as a distraction from bigger environmental problems. In the midst of lethal heat waves, surely there are more important fights. Of course I grieve over the seabirds choked dead on bottle caps and spent lighters. But advocating for a ban on plastic straws while we're on the cusp of the sixth mass extinction can seem like the homeopathy of environmental activism—it can't hurt, but it's unlikely to help all that much.

Here's the thing, though: You can draw a straight line between those single-use straws and the fossil fuels that are cranking up the planet's thermostat. That straw is at the tail end of an industrial network that connects petrochemical facilities to pipelines, pipelines to compressor stations, and compressor stations to drilling rigs that fracture the earth. Plastic pollution isn't just a symbol of a wasteful society; it's the final effluent in a chain of destruction.

In "The Titans of Plastic," Kristina Marusic investigates the various ways in which plastics production threatens public health and environmental well-being. Plastics manufacturing is a significant driver of climate change, as the US plastics industry annually emits greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from 116 coal-fired power plants. Its production is a health risk to people who live near the manufacturing sites, which release volatile organic compounds and particulate matter that contribute to respiratory diseases, birth defects, and cancer. The base components of disposable plastic—tiny pellets called nurdles—are now the second-largest source of ocean micropollutants after tire rubber.

Most maddening is how truly unnecessary all of it is. The plastics boom is a classic case of big business manufacturing a demand for the needless. Awash in a glut of oil and gas from the fracking fields and facing decreasing enthusiasm for their products as renewable energies and electric vehicles increase in market share, the fossil fuel giants are looking to plastic to sustain their revenues. "You have to drill the wells to support the petrochemical plant, but you also have to build the petrochemical plant in order to keep drilling the wells," one source told Marusic. "It's like a Ponzi scheme."

There are a number of downstream solutions to plastic pollution. Individual households can try their best to avoid single-use plastics in the first place (a tough act) and to recycle as much as possible (in some places, an even tougher act). Governments can put in place producer responsibility laws that require corporations to carry the costs of disposal, creating a market incentive to produce less (Maine and Oregon are already moving in this direction).

The most durable solution is to go upstream, to the source of plastic pollution—which leads right to the oil and gas rigs. The efforts to break America's addiction to fossil fuels and rid us of our disposable-plastic habit are intertwined. Every wellhead that's prevented and every pipeline that's halted raises the petrochemical companies' cost of doing business by making their raw materials scarcer, which makes cheap plastic a little bit more expensive to create.

Disposable plastic is the ultimate false need: We can find ways to live without it. The fossil fuel giants' profit margins can't.

Jason Mark is the editor of Sierra .

A brilliant article, this is the line of action that needs to be taken! At the end of the day, the whole mess we find ourselves in can be put down to money.  It is all about making a profit, "stuff the environment, we don't care about our children and their childrens future, we shall just leave them a great big stinking pile of crap."

The blog song for today is: " Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin

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