FORSETH – Sick of all the self-righteous BS about saving the planet
(Image: Mel Rothenburger)
TODAY, AMONGST the many media releases I receive on a daily basis, came one from the BC Government’s Environment Ministry (https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021ENV0066-002040), which stated in part:
People in British Columbia continue to take action to remove problem plastics from communities and the natural environment. New legislation will mean the Province can move more quickly to remove plastic debris through phased-in province-wide product bans.
Changes under new legislation mean the Province will be able to identify and take direct action to phase out single-use plastic products and packaging. Decisions will be made based on the environmental and economic impacts of any bans, with the first phase of new regulations expected in early 2023.
“We have heard the call for more direct action to reduce plastic debris and its impact on the environment and wildlife,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “These changes mean we will expedite the actions under the CleanBC Plastic Action Plan to create a cleaner, stronger future for everyone.”
Let me just say despite not being fully against a plastics ban, I’m wondering why the government continually picks the low-hanging fruit, when it comes to waste filling our landfills.
Two days ago, I was in Costco and was astounded to see that ‘disposable’ diapers go right up to size 5X — we’re talking about kids that would be in, or shortly in, Kindergarten — and this wasn’t just a small area that had these oversized disposable diaper — it filled the same area space as every other available size. Why isn’t government calling out lazy ass parents that don’t get their kids toilet trained at an early age?
Here’s another: advertisers are continually promoting their use of paper towels for everything under the sun. The latest ad I’ve seen was for a painter that dumped a tin of paint in the back of their truck bed and used paper towels to clean it up.
Now I realize NO ONE is that stupid to actually do that, but they are, through inference, indicating that for big messes and spills to use paper towel — which ends up where?? In the landfills. Why isn’t the government calling that out? What’s wrong with using bar rags?
Swiffers and the like? Who the hell cleans their house with a Swiffer? And yet again advertisers are promoting their use for cleaning an entire house instead of the good old faithful vacuum cleaner? Again, not a word about these convenience products that end up filling our landfills.
While everyone is all twitterpated about banning plastic straws, millennials and Gen Xers continue to head to the drive-through, of their favorite coffee brewer, for their morning coffee.
And what does it get poured into? You guessed it, a PLASTIC cup. Oh, and don’t forget the gas burned, and CO2 expelled from the exhaust tailpipe while they sit in a lineup of 10 to 20 vehicles all waiting their turn to order and pick up.
AND … this is a VERY SHORT list that I’ve presented, of what people are buying, and advertisers are promoting us to buy.
Personally, I’m sick of all the self-righteous BS about saving the planet, and I’m going to continue to use a plastic bag when I need it — without having a guilty conscience.
Alan Forseth is a Kamloops resident and former member of the Reform Party of Canada and the B.C. Reform Party, and a past member of the BC Conservative Party. His blog is My Thoughts on Politics and More.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Are you really criticizing our provincial gov’t for not interfering with free speech by allowing business to advertise? Do you really want gov’t having greater authority in dictating how parents raise their children? In your first sentence you say you’re not “fully against a plastics ban”, the inference being you are opposed to much of the plastic ban and later in the same sentence you begin your critique of gov’t for not doing more. On one hand you’re “wondering” why gov’t is only making small changes and then in the same breath you say you’re not “fully” for plastic bans. You’ve asked and answered your question in one sentence.
Does Alan realise that paper towels are compostable?
Ok … maybe not with paint on them, but definitely from his kitchen.
Add to that, a regular coffee cup at either of our major coffee drive-thrus,
are paper, not plastic, and are definitely recyclable.
Obviously doesnt include the see-through ice coffee choices.
And by the way, your plastic utensils (and that see-through ice coffee cup) are also recyclable at the curb … as is your plastic shopping bags, which you can drop a pile of off at your local Return-it store, like General Grants.
And those are not self-righteous acts, just responsible ones.
Perhaps actually composting and recycling items like these, might ease any guilty feeling you should have … if you dont responsibly dispose of them.
Thank you for your response. To your points:
— paper towels are indeed recyclable, and they go in my two rotating composting drums all the time — it’s likely however the majority of people simply put them in the garbage
— coffee cups. Yes they are recyclable and not plastic, however they are wax(?) lined/coated and will take some time to compost — and they do cone with a plastic lid. Again it is likely however, that the majority, along with the clear plastic cups you referenced, end up in the landfill
I do conscentiously recycle at home (plastics, paper, tins, glass, styrofoam, etc … as well as vegetable scraps and peeling from produce I grow in my garden)
Again, it seems governments go after the low hanging fruit (ie:plastic bags and straws), meantime a lot of crap, excess packaging and recyclables end up in the dump.
Oh, and as to your comment about taking non- recycling bin items to General Grants — I do that. You did remind me again though of another ridiculous issue about recycling. Lightbulbs, paint tins, household batteries and a few other things (which escape me at the moment), can’t be taken to one location — they all go to different places — and of course that neccesitates driving and burning more fuel than is probably saved by recycling them.
I happily recycle everything I am able because I believe it’s the right thing to do, and I’ll continue to do so.
Sorry fella but the 5x size diapers are not for kids with a large derrière but for adults who unfortunately lost their ability to control either #1 or #2 or both due to illness or injuries. It is about time you send me a draft copy of any future LTTE before submitting it, just in case…
No, actually, what I referred too is exactly correct. Adult products are in the opposite side of the aisle.
Perhaps YOU yourself might want to check, before critiquing?
Diapers aside, your opinion piece is greatly disconnected. Chiding the provincial government for not legislating parents over toilet training their kids or not intervening with paper towel manufacturers for advertising questionable uses of their products? Especially from you, the conservative fella hell bent in getting rid of “big government”? Seriously? Governments regulating paper towel use and maximum allowance for diaper size?