EARTH:

Earth Action, Reflection, Theology, and Hope

Plastic: The Faith Response

Plastic is taking over our world, but the one place you won’t find it is in the Bible. In biblical times, people used clay, leather, and wood. The first fully synthetic plastic was invented in 1907 but plastic really took off in the 1950s when chemical companies began manufacturing vast quantities of polyester, polycarbonate, and polystyrene. The promise of plastic seemed endless. Few people thought about what would happen to all that plastic when it ended up in landfills, on roadsides, and in our oceans.

As stewards of God’s creation, Christians must confront the scrounge of plastic production and waste. Let this issue of Earth News be a step in ending our addiction to plastic.

Eric Diekhans
Editor

Beyond Plastic

The JOY New Worshipping Community in St. Joseph, Missouri believes that education is the first step in changing people’s relationship to plastic.

Oil’s Second Act

You might think the push for alternative energy sources would be a threat to the oil industry, but Big Oil isn’t done with us yet.

Plastic’s Gruesome Toll

A disturbing photograph highlights the danger that plastic holds for wildlife and especially birds.

A Faith-Centered Earth Day Resource

Creation Justice Ministries has provided a free Earth Day booklet that gives individuals and congregations a roadmap for changing our relationship with plastic.

Video of the Moment

Recycling "Fraud"

About 48 million tons of plastic waste is generated in the United States each year, but only 5 to 6 percent of it is actually recycled. A new report from the Center for Climate Integrity, "The Fraud of Plastic Recycling," accuses the plastics industry of a decades-long campaign to "mislead" the public about the viability of recycling. Correspondent Ben Tracy talks with the report's co-author, Davis Allen, and with Jan Dell, a former chemical engineer, about an inconvenient truth surrounding the lifecycle of plastic.

To watch the video, click the recycling container below.