Oil Companies Shift Focus to Plastic Pollution Production – Ignoring Environmental Impact
Plastic Industry Expansion Hits Marginalized Communities the Hardest
According to The Cool Down, oil companies are changing what they do because fewer people want their old-fashioned energy sources. Now, they’re making more plastic pollution instead which is causing problems. New plastic factories paid for with almost $9 billion of taxpayers’ money are putting harmful air plastic pollution into areas where mostly Black and Latino people live. Anne Rolfes from the Louisiana Bucket Brigade says this has been happening for a long time and it’s not right. Big oil companies like Exxon Mobil and Shell are still making more plastic pollution along the Gulf Coast even though it’s hurting the environment and people’s health.
Making more plastic pollution is making life harder for some groups of people, especially Black and Latino communities. Places like “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana have more cancer because of plastic pollution from plastic factories. But these factories aren’t helping the communities they’re in. They don’t create many jobs or pay much in taxes according to a person living in southwest Louisiana. Groups that care about the environment are trying to make the rules stricter for plastic factories. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made new rules to limit plastic pollution from these factories. This is good because it helps protect people from getting sick and makes the air cleaner. We can all do our part too by using less plastic and supporting leaders who want to keep our planet healthy.
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(PHOTO: The Good Men Project)
Environmental Advocates Push for Stronger Regulations on Plastic Pollution
Furthermore, people who care about the environment want stricter rules for plastic factories. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently made some tougher regulations which is good. These rules help make sure the air is cleaner and fewer people get sick from bad plastic pollution. We all need to support these rules and leaders who want to keep our environment safe.
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