Plastic is a pollutant, right? Recently my daughter brought her science homework to me and asked the question. She had a heap of items to separate into two groups. And plastic obviously went to the pollutants group. I am sure you are in a grade higher than her Grade, as you are reading this. And I also think you value your time more than thinking about these second-grade questions. Hence, without exerting you, I did own thought experiment and wrote down the observations here. So, it will take only three minutes of your time.
Plastic - Humble Origins
Did you know plastic developed as a byproduct of oil. Most likely you did know. Back to your college chemistry class, I am sure, you may have learnt about different methods they use to separate hydrocarbon compounds from Crude oil. And Plastic is one such product. Actually, it is one from hundreds of such material produced from Crude oil. Once plastic is separated It goes to a factory to change its form yet again. And thanks to the labor forces of China and its assembly lines mass production of plastic items circle around the world. From brushes to cups, from toys to auto parts. Plastic is everywhere. Even in the Pen I used to write this article. So, this leads to the question, if plastic originated from the natural product of oil, deep inside the earth, when did it become a pollutant? Or how?
Plastic - the Journey
Plastic and its components were inside the earth for millions of years. And nobody even thought about it as a pollutant. Once its form is changed, by the process of chemical treatments, and production of items next it became a useful item. I am sure plastic is even used in saving lives, in hospitals, to battlefields, even in the zoo, even in the wild, maybe plastic is used in trucks which carry water to dying thirsty animals in African National parks, when it is harsh routs prevails. And same plastic which we call pollutants.
Plastic - the inevitable end of an era.
Imagine plastic after 10,000 years into the future after our doom's day on earth. I am sure the macro plastics will become micro plastics, will start to decay. Even the animal species, who have hard time adapting to plastic, will eventually evolve into species which utilize them. Biological and mechanical decay will set in. Heat, chemicals and wind and water will batter the micro plastics that eventually they will be dust. Broken down into atoms. And release their carbon and hydrogen into the atmosphere. The plants and animals will reuse these precious atoms to build their own masses of lives. The natural recycling will eventually happen Even if we do not care about recycling and destroy ourselves over a world war. Sure, it will take 10000 years, but fact remains that it is inevitable. Same plastic will end up in fossil fuel once the plants and animals are buried deep inside earth.
Why is plastic a pollutant - Philosophy
I think now we have enough knowledge on how we can better answer the above question. Why is plastic a pollutant and how philosophy answer the question.
It seems plastic is natural as it is, from its humble origins and from its graveyard. So, what happens in the middle of the process is the problem. In the middle of the process, we are there. We are there to witness the great garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean. We are there to witness our blocked drains. We are there to see our hiking trails covered with plastic bottles thrown away by stupid human beings. We are there to witness poor animals struggling with their lives to get away from these plastic traps. It kills animals and plants and makes the world an unpleasant place for us. Do we really care about poor poor animals? We just do not like to see them dying Infront of our eyes. We need them to have a 'human' death, like from a cattle Gun. We do not want them to suffer, and it makes us cry in horror for our deeds, right?
Plastic is a pollutant only in a human world
Now let's imagine a world without humans, but only plastics we left behind and animals and plants. Such a world is highly possible. In such a world there would be no one to value plastic as good or bad. As there is no human consciousness, do you think such a world is not natural? It will still stink, it will still kill animals. But our judgements on what is pollution and what is not is not there. Still there will be tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, killing animals and plants, and they will still be natural. Just like the plastic we left behind. We have a desire to see the world, not as it is but, with clear running water, in our streams, and fresh air wherever we walk. So, compared to this, 'imaginators beautiful planet' plastic is a pollutant. It is our greed labels the plastic as a pollutant, compared to what we really desire. But the nature has no value. Inherently plastic is just a changing material, like everything else to the nature. So, it is our consciousness which likes to label things is at fault.
I am not sure how many environmentalists, are going to oppose these arguments, put forward. To see truths about nature, one has to say goodbye to all the learned behaviors and look at the world in a fresh perspective. It is harder than it seems, as we love to build our own worlds. Which is the nature of the consciousness. If you ask me what I would teach my children, I have no hesitancy to teach them yes, plastic is a pollutant. That is what we want as the human race. Nobody has to go against that, but I can see when I do this, it will add to individual suffering of myself. If I see a bottle in a nice, beautiful river, I will feel sad, and even angry to the point, I will take great trouble to photograph this and put on my Facebook profile with a hate speech on such human beings. I would see this will destroy the peace and happiness inside me and make turbulences, while the nature does not care at all. It doesn't give a value to a plastic bottle, neither to an animal life, neither to my life. I would teach my children war is destructive and jealousy and greed are bad. I would teach them jealousy and kindness are good that we should plant them and let them grow. Until they are grown enough to ask questions about this, and Challange, until their wisdom is grown enough to see the world beyond good and evil. Until they do not find answers to their questions and cry, in pain battered by problems of life.
Then I would teach them Good, and evil are our judgments, illusions of our consciousness, to otherwise neutral environment. Which is the root cause of our suffering. And I would teach them it is only the wisest from wise, luckiest of lucky, rare rest to rare are able to see the world through this mindfulness eyes into the peace. Let's start this journey today.
Comments