Misguided Efforts to Save the World

Do Attenborough-style nature and environment documentaries help save the planet?

A picture is worth a thousand words. In this picture a young zombie-like woman is seriously snipping each of the four loops in a plastic sheet that holds together a pack of four cans of drink.

Is the young woman going to make any sort of beneficial impact on the death of young turtles?

Arguably not.

Use your own figures for estimating the probability that the specific chunk of plastics would reach the ocean (Australia is three million square miles – the same size as the continental USA - and then the probability that a turtle will find reason or randomness to stick its neck through one of the loops (ignore the fact there are four loops; the turtle needs stick its neck through only one of them – and so on. Factor in every probability that you can think of, and then estimate that by snipping all four loops (yes, all four do count in this case) the young woman has Made A Difference with her effort.

Now estimate the impact the young woman would have had she chosen NOT to buy a four-pack of drink (or chosen not to associate with people who buy four-packs, or …) and you should find that you have the same probability.

Except that in this second case we get the same probability (whatever figures you chose to use) by NOT doing something – by NOT buying a four pack, there is no need to snip the plastic.

So the better course is to stop buying four-packs of drinks, and by extension, stop buying consumables tied together with plastic.

In short – avoid plastic wherever you can.

I doubt that plastic can be avoided altogether; plastics ARE a wonderful material.

Let’s not overuse the stuff is all …

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