The ocean will contain one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish by 2025; by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish, by weight.

Annual polymer production is now over four hundred million tons and is expected to triple by 2050.

As a culture, we are addicted to plastic, and in today’s plastic-laden world, it is impossible to completely avoid it. Permaculturist Albert Bates addresses the magnitude and consequences of this global problem, and his evaluation is chilling to read. Trying to limit our plastic legacy can help us overcome our apathy toward this overwhelming issue, but Bates states that placing the burden entirely on consumers, as most current “solutions” do, is unfair.

Bates emphasizes that the only way to stem the present onslaught is to enforce mandatory economic and industrial changes so that recycled, biosourced, and biodegradable plastic become more cost-effective than plastic made from fossil fuels. He explores current worldwide efforts for stronger regulations and better waste management, along with exciting new biological and man-made technologies for improved plastics disposal and viable alternatives.

Join with Bates as an EPT (emergency planetary technician) to help everyone understand that, although our very lives are at stake, there is a promise of hope if we take action now.

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