Dept. of Monday Sunshine

[kaffy_r]

Good Things and Other Things

Let's get the "other" part out of the way. This story from NPR, about how the efficacy of recycling plastics has always been a lie, one that oil companies pushed even as they knew it was a lie, has almost caused me to despair. It's certainly plunged me into an environmental Slough of Despond, from which I cry disconsolately "Why the fuck should I even bother?" What do you think, after reading it? 

I'll follow that up with something slightly more positive: the potential for at least considering the likelihood of life on or above Venus. (I made that sufficiently equivocal, I think.) The information in this Washington Post piece was intriguing, to say the least. 

Further things: I've made applesauce this afternoon. The old apple peeler/corer/slicer that we picked up at either Goodwill or the Sally Ann didn't work this time, although it was really helpful the last time we used it. I'll have to investigate it, but I think the blades involved are now too blunted. Or maybe the apples were too soft ... *wanders off, muttering*

Also on the cooking menu is a cucumber-onion salad. Hmmm; food considerations remind me that I need to create the menu for the rest of this week, because I'm trying very hard to be organized about things like this.

I'm also going to try to get a little bit more writing done on my slow fanfic WIP. Go, me.  And the music I'll be listening to as I try is CBC radio, which I was reminded I have access to online. It's been very soothing; lots of diverse music, with quiet chat between pieces, usually with really interesting information about pieces or composers. 

Speaking of Canada, now I really have to start watching Schitt's Creek, which I've been aware of for a few years but which I haven't watched, because the idea of a family living in limbo, no matter how funny, pushes the same horrid buttons that Green Acres used to.* It swept all 7 Emmy comedy-connected awards last night, and now that the series is over, I can maybe get started on it. 

* When I was a lilttle kid with little to no taste in television, "Green Acres" used to drive me spare; why couldn't they fix the damned house, why were they living where they had to climb a pole to answer the phone, why didn't they just start making their home neater. Why couldn't they control their surroundings? Worse, why didn't they seem to want to control their surroundings?  This speaks more to me than it speaks to Green Acres ... amusingly enough, I watched a little of a Green Acres episode not long ago, and really enjoyed it, probably because I could digest its surrealism and enjoy it. A little like not being able to stand blue cheese or dulse as a youngster - not even being able to understand how anyone would like them - and discovering years later how much I liked one, and could enjoy the other. 

Comments

[maruad]

I still don't like blue cheese, creamed corn, apple sauce or salmon. Sometimes your childhood opinions were just fine.

I bounced hard from Schitt's Creek but recently I found part of the problem was I didn't give it enough time. I had found the characters unsympathetic and I misunderstood where the series was going. The characters do experience growth during the course of the series which part of why people are so passionate about it. Good luck with it. I hope it works for you.

Another problem was I was hoping for another Corner Gas which, I admit, wasn't to everyone's taste.

Continuing good thoughts to all denizens of Casa Kaffyr.

[kaffy_r]

Blue cheese ... mmmmmm; you and BB share the same opinion of creamed corn, but I love it. I haven't had it for years, though, since it's a little odd to make it just for one person. You don't like applesauce? Heresy!! (Hey, I'm from the Annapolis Valley, where the apple is king, ad my stepdad's family were huge apple producers, so ....)

I've never seen Corner Gas, but I'm told it's great. Possibly by you. One a lot of people said I should really like was Letterkenny, but I bounced off that one pretty hard.

Thanks for the good thoughts.

[lynnenne]

I read that NPR story last week and it made me so angry. However. There are companies out there that are working on turning used plastics into fuel, 3D printing materials, and other useful things, and some of those companies are in Canada. So I still have some hope, even if it’s smaller than it was last week.

And the possible-life-on-Venus story is pretty cool!

[kaffy_r]

So I still have some hope, even if it’s smaller than it was last week.

That seems unutterably sad. And true. We cling to each little bit of hope, even if it's smaller than it was last week.

But I'm glad you reminded me there are entities out there trying to do the right thing.

Also, yeah, the Venus story is so very cool!

[gwenhwyfar1984]

I love how that article made more about the battle over who is going to get to Venus first than the actual science, LOL! *massive eye roll*

[kaffy_r]

It's so very "horse race" style, isn't it? I've read so many articles on how journalists get science stories wrong (and the rarer occasions when they get them right), and this is one of those wrong stories. Sigh.

[bibliofile]

Yeah, I read that NPR article when it first came out; I haven't watched the accompanying episode of Frontline, though. It's not surprising, I suppose, after learning how much of our plastics were going to Asia for processing (which we all learned when China decided to stop accepting it) a couple of years ago. Gah.

I still try to buy applesauce in glass rather than plastic jars, but some dairy products don't give you an option.

Mmmmm, applesauce. But yeah, some of the more tender apples don't work well in the apple machines.

[kaffy_r]

I'm going to continue recycling plastic on the off-chance that some of it will actually get reused, but yeah, the ugly truth only started coming to the plastic-encrusted surface when China decided to play hardball.

I haven't given up on the peeler yet; I'm going to buy a bunch of Granny Smiths tomorrow and try again (I love applesauce, and I really like making it, so ... go, me, I guess?)

[marahmarie]

I recycle because it saves me many kitchen garbage bags I'd otherwise much more quickly fill up with so-called "recyclable" waste and costs us nothing as it's included in the town's waste disposal services, and I'm paying for it whether I take advantage of that aspect of it or not. Cynical of me? Yes. Any illusions about how much good it's doing us/the planet anymore? No.

[kaffy_r]

Cynical of me? Yes. Any illusions about how much good it's doing us/the planet anymore? No.

I understand that; it's reasonable. I know I'll continue recycling, perhaps in the hope that a tiny bit of what I put in the bin will actually make it to a second life as something. One of the things I'm realizing is that the plastics/oil industries could, if they actually gave a shit, make the decision that they would put all their efforts into using recycled plastics, swallowing the extra cost (they'd still make billions, FFS) and work on a plan to properly dispose of plastics that can't be used, or can no longer be recycled.

So I guess I've recovered a bit from my despair, at least enough to adopt a Pollyanna-ish attitude. Heh.

[marahmarie]

The oil industry is not able to sell oil anymore so is turning it into more plastics just to make some kind of profit while driving's down over the pandemic, so not much hope for them ensuring what they're creating gets recycled. I don't think they give damn if it does get recycled or not.

[kaffy_r]

I don't think they give damn if it does get recycled or not.

Yep. Hence my "..if they gave a shit". Their inability to sell as much oil, at as high a price as they previously got or wanted, and their determined efforts to combine with the plastics industry in order to make the same kind of profits they previously had selling oil as oil, reflect greed. Nothing else.

They could still make a healthy profit even while doing good to the world via recycling if they put their corporate minds to it. But greed makes one lazy - and shortsighted. By failing to deal with the destructiveness of their current policies they help doom the planet. Which, they seem determined to ignore, they also live on. When they and their families are drowning in the plastics they built their riches on, I have no doubt that they will go "how did this happen?" They are evil, greedy douchecanoes.

[marahmarie]

Yeah, it's funny, leaving plastics all over the world infiltrating everything and everyone (micro-plastics are in everything, including our bodies and likely those of fish, animals, and other organisms) are one of the few lazy-greedy things they do which they can't personally escape from by building bunkers in Sweden or whatever. Short-sighted, indeed.

[kaffy_r]

..things they do which they can't personally escape from"

I'd indulge in a little schadenfreude here, except that we won't be able to escape from it either.

[mizzlaurajean]

Schitt's Creek is brilliantly funny, they do a great job of it. I think using such a rich family makes it work much better, they are so wealthy they are like aliens and they are completely helpless in the beginning. It's funny to watch them learn to be human.

[kaffy_r]

they are so wealthy they are like aliens ... It's funny to watch them learn to be human.

Oh, that's a brilliant observation - and it makes me want to watch it even more. Thanks!