As many of you know there was a full-court press to help California lead the nation to take a meaningful stand on single-use plastics. Many of us reached out to our networks of friends, family and coworkers to engage them in this campaign and ask the California leadership to take a stand.
The California leadership failed us.
In some ways this fight was another David and Goliath fight. It was the people versus the America Chemistry Council (who donated to many politicians to prevent this bill from passing). We knew we were going up against a formidable and extremely well-funded opponent and yet, like David, activists are known for making use of every tool available.
Yet, unlike David and Goliath, this fight wasn’t a one-time match. Single-use plastics continue to pollute our oceans day after day after day. This David isn’t going away; we will continue until the giant’s defeated.
This David has signed up to keep up the opposition until the massive source of pollution to our oceans is gone. The way Surfrider will assist in this fight is the same way we’ve achieved all of our other large-scale victories. We will continue to take the issue directly to local people who reside in coastal communities all over this state (and all over the world). We have assisted other organizations to secure 17 single-use plastic ban/fee victories thus far. Think of these local wins as a platform to build on. They are starting to scale up. We are currently involved in state-wide campaigns in Hawaii, California and Oregon.
If the leaders fail the people then the people need to advocate and employ their freedom of speech. We the people need to own this issue.
Please support initiatives to minimize the use of single-use plastics. It is among the largest source of ocean pollution on the planet–and one of the easiest consumer habits to change.
My friend Stiv Wilson sent this video out to summarize his feelings… I understand where he’s coming from. Fight the power (fight the American Chemistry Council).
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We found divine power with the industrial age, we need to find divine wisdom now, because here, in this space and time, we’re justing watching one more rough beast slouching towards Bethlehem to be born. That infant will happily suckle pollutants from its mother’s breast.
I will continue to fight him. For you. For me. For the sanctity of nature that gives us our strength, our sense of aesthetic euphoria, wonder, and purpose.
And let me tell you something Goliath– Achilles knows this well– there is no business to be done on a dead planet.