Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Plastics Are Predicted to Rise

• petrochemical sector is the largest diver of global oil demand 
• by 2030 there will be a 20% gas emissions increase in gas emissions 
• 300 million metric tons of plastic are produced each year 
• as developing countries increase wealth and populations their need for fertilizer will increase (fertilizer is made from natural gas)

I read a New York Times article titled Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Plastics Are Predicted to Rise. I found this article interesting especially since people are always trying to recycle plastic or opt not to use single use plastics. The article delved into the fact that the huge industries such as the pharmaceutical industry and hospitals use a lot of plastic in their businesses. I realized that this makes sense since medical equipment is often single use such as IV drips. As more countries develop and adopt modern medicine there will be an increased need for hospital supplies and therefore an increase in plastic production. I think that this clearly is an interesting issue since medical care is essential for most people and having it accessible to more people is fantastic however, at what environmental cost should development come. Another topic that the article brought up was fertilizer. Fertilizer is another commodity that will increase in demand as more countries continue to develop. As populations increase and wealth increases the demand for fertilizer will rise as more food is needed. In essence the need for petrochemicals is on the rise and with that comes gas emissions.

Everyone tries to recycle, reduce their use of plastics, turn down their heat, and drive less to reduce their use of natural gas however, clearly their are bigger culprits in gas emissions. Pharmacy, fertilizer and hospitals would not be on the top of my list when I came to think about how to reduce my emission footprint. I understand that opting for organic foods helps with the reduction of fertilizer which seems like a good way to make a more eco-friendly choice. I think there should be more information how plastic reduction can happen in the pharmaceutical and hospital industries.

I find the topic of developing countries growth and potential impact on the world very fascinating. In class we touched on BOP and how going into that market can be sustainable. The article got me thinking about how as countries are developing it should be our moral obligation to help them develop in a more conscious way. If more eco-friendly fertilizer is introduced to developing countries as they are growing their populations that country's environmental footprint could be a lot better as well as their quality of food and life.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/climate/climate-change-plastics.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=17&pgtype=sectionfront