It's good that some expert is 'on the case' to debunk common myths.
That said: the FAQ reads like propaganda that could have been written by Big Oil. It glosses over several issues as "no problem" while in reality, it's much more nuanced / complicated / lacking data (or study results are ambiguous). One example:
"Plastics themselves cannot release anything because polymer molecules are too large to move around. Additives in plastics can be released but all additives are strictly regulated. Any additives found to be cause for concern are banned."
Reality:
A recent study counted (iirc) ~10,000 chemicals found in plastics. A significant portion known (or suspected) to have harmful effects. And many with limited data on their safety, if any. Also: plastics (and their additives) degrade, and those pathways aren't always documented either. And plastic particles are known to act as a sponge that soaks up harmful substances in one place, concentrating & releasing those elsewhere. Additives banned doesn't mean they're not used.
Unknown != safe.
Similar: "The scientific evidence shows that people are the cause of litter, not materials."
Ehm... yeah. Fact: plastic litter is everywhere (because it's light, blows away with the wind, ends up in waterways & takes ages to degrade). While eg. paper litter is not (because it does bio-degrade pretty quickly). Paper > plastic, as far as litter is concerned.
There’s a reason it reads like propaganda. The guy is just talking his book. From his other site (located at the domain used in his email address):
> Phantom Plastics offers polymers & plastics consulting services and custom solutions for your polymer and plastic industry challenges. Companies like HP, Apple, Exxon, P&G, iRobot and Disney turn to Phantom Plastics for help. Why? Simple! Phantom Plastics® provides world-class solutions quickly. The polymers and plastics consultancy services we offer can be applied throughout a product development process, or when a specific issue arises. If you have a tough problem or need a breakthrough material solution, then the leading plastics consultant is just a phone call away.
Truthfully, I think plastics are a pretty remarkable product, but I think these arguments would have been a lot more compelling if it had been framed in that way — rather than this (frankly unbelievable) persona of, “I’m just a simple man who loves science and reading papers and here are these incredible findings in which I have no vested interest in whatsoever.”
How could I have better expressed myself? My impression of his post was that he was presenting himself as a naif in the woods, discovering through pure industriousness unknown truths about plastics. Whereas if you take him at his word expressed elsewhere, he appears to be one of the foremost plastics experts in the world.
It strikes me as extremely disingenuous to downplay that expertise for messages intended for consumption by the general public.
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[ 1.1 ms ] story [ 20.5 ms ] threadThat said: the FAQ reads like propaganda that could have been written by Big Oil. It glosses over several issues as "no problem" while in reality, it's much more nuanced / complicated / lacking data (or study results are ambiguous). One example:
"Plastics themselves cannot release anything because polymer molecules are too large to move around. Additives in plastics can be released but all additives are strictly regulated. Any additives found to be cause for concern are banned."
Reality:
A recent study counted (iirc) ~10,000 chemicals found in plastics. A significant portion known (or suspected) to have harmful effects. And many with limited data on their safety, if any. Also: plastics (and their additives) degrade, and those pathways aren't always documented either. And plastic particles are known to act as a sponge that soaks up harmful substances in one place, concentrating & releasing those elsewhere. Additives banned doesn't mean they're not used.
Unknown != safe.
Similar: "The scientific evidence shows that people are the cause of litter, not materials."
Ehm... yeah. Fact: plastic litter is everywhere (because it's light, blows away with the wind, ends up in waterways & takes ages to degrade). While eg. paper litter is not (because it does bio-degrade pretty quickly). Paper > plastic, as far as litter is concerned.
> Phantom Plastics offers polymers & plastics consulting services and custom solutions for your polymer and plastic industry challenges. Companies like HP, Apple, Exxon, P&G, iRobot and Disney turn to Phantom Plastics for help. Why? Simple! Phantom Plastics® provides world-class solutions quickly. The polymers and plastics consultancy services we offer can be applied throughout a product development process, or when a specific issue arises. If you have a tough problem or need a breakthrough material solution, then the leading plastics consultant is just a phone call away.
Truthfully, I think plastics are a pretty remarkable product, but I think these arguments would have been a lot more compelling if it had been framed in that way — rather than this (frankly unbelievable) persona of, “I’m just a simple man who loves science and reading papers and here are these incredible findings in which I have no vested interest in whatsoever.”
This belongs to tone policing, a subcategory of ad hominem.
It strikes me as extremely disingenuous to downplay that expertise for messages intended for consumption by the general public.