Plastic Manipulation

This post was inspired by a film Plastic Paradise (by Angela Sun). The film covers many environmental issues focusing on islands covered in tons of garbage in the pacific ocean.  As horrifying as many of the images and explanations in the documentary are, none struck me as much as the responses obtained in first person from leading production representatives. One comment to a picture of a dead bird cut open to reveal large pieces of plastic and netting incited only the following response: 'well that's not good, stupid bird should know better than to eat plastic'. Worse than this (and perhaps a bit more relevant to the topics of this blog), a response to the same (and worse) images was a request that they be deleted, that they were offensive and likely falsified (earlier in the documentary that same bird was cut open in live stream for the camera, revealing a marker cap, fishing line and many bits of unrecognizable plastics). This request took me entirely off guard, that someone could request the destruction of information in the interest of monetary gain, but thinking on it further it is the basis of our society and saying it that way makes me sound like a hippie environmentalist. Information is not open, it is not sacred, it does not matter the field or the topic. Several years ago the larger companies used the internet and all forms of media they could to spread propaganda against a legislation that would prevent BPA in plastics (yeah.. don't hold receipt paper... just watch the film). Thinking further on it one can see the controversy in the internet not only of ideas but of things claimed to be fact - one or the other must be true yet both say they are.  It is a bit depressing to think on the extent to which we as consumers and users are manipulated by the goals and motives of others without our consent.

Not to sound crazy or anything but if we don't try to make a difference our new digital sabbaths will be spent wading through mounds of trash to get to the nearest oxygen distribution centers.

This film has left me with a morbid outlook on where our society is trending, not only environmentally but with regard to information delegation and manipulation. Please reply and let me know your thoughts on the matter, I am interested to know what other people feel about this (unless you agree with the 'birds are stupid' guy and then you're just wrong).

PS. Do me a favor, even if you don't want to write a long reply - for the next week or so count the number of one-use plastic items you use (bottles, bags, containers, receipts etc) and just post the number on average you use per day - is it more or less than the number of times you use an internet connected device in a day? - is it more than the number of texts or emails you write a day?