Daily Quick Read - October 15, 2019

Humans Are Primates, Too

                              Photo: Reiko Matsuda Goodwin via Global Wildlife Conservation

As a member of that order, humans need to consider that what happens to the smallest, most innocuous primate can happen to those species at the top of the food chain as well.  Sadly, the greatest danger to the world’s primates are homo sapiens.

With 43 percent of the world’s primates classified as critically endangered or endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, it's feeling like the time to help them is now.

“This report reveals the bleak prospects of some of the world’s most incredible animals. Despite this, I still have hope that this is not too late,” said Christoph Schwitzer, chief zoological officer at Bristol Zoological Society and IUCN Red List Authority coordinator for the SSC Primate Specialist Group. “There is an unprecedented level of interest in world environmental issues, particularly among the younger generation, many of whom are more inspired, passionate and motivated than ever before to do their part to help make a difference. It is this kind of support, combined with effective conservation action, which is vital if we are to avoid losing these wonderful and charismatic animals forever.”

I highly recommend reading the report (PDF here) – rather than a big pile of depressing data, it is comprised of fascinating profiles of each of the species, complete with photos and illustrations. Kind of like the world's saddest little animal encyclopedia – but important! And very interesting, and hopefully inspiring.

Only the Best People

William Pendley is the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management, the agency that oversees 245 million acres (382,812 square miles) of our (public) land.  He doesn’t think much of the concept of public land as he has spent most of his career fighting against any member of the public not associated with a corporate interest in have any rights or access to that land.  He also doesn’t like being questioned about his position on climate change.

Speaking on a panel at the Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual conference, Pendley, a conservative lawyer who has spent his career fighting federal land protections and environmental regulation, sparred repeatedly with reporters.

He refused to comment about his past statements that cast doubt over basic climate science and compared immigrants to a “cancer.” He also repeatedly responded to questions by saying, “I disagree with your premise.”

As recently as February, Pendley compared the climate crisis to a “unicorn” because “neither exists.”

Recycled Plastic More Costly 

One of the great benefits of using recycle plastics was that it was marginally more cost effective than buying virgin material.  In Europe recycled plastics have now become more expensive than virgin material.   The market is driving this trend in two ways.  Companies that sell products in single use plastics are demanding more recycled plastic in their packaging.  And, the virgin plastic market is being flooded by petrochemical companies finding uses for the excess shale gas being produced in the US.

For years the cost of making plastic products from recycled flakes was cheaper than relying on virgin plastics made using fossil fuels, meaning the sustainable option was an economic option too.

But according to experts it is now cheaper for major manufacturers to use new plastic.

According to the analysts this trend is driven in part by the growing demand to include recycled plastics in new products. Meanwhile, new plastic is becoming cheaper to make due to a flood of petrochemicals production from the US driven by the shale gas boom.

Cloud Kitchens — Ghost Restaurants

Ghost Restaurant brands                                                        TreeHugger screenshot

Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub make life easier connecting us to local restaurants and delivering familiar menu items to our front door.  We don’t need much of a kitchen anymore, just a microwave for reheating and a large trashcan for all the waste packaging material.  Soon, we won’t need the actual brick and mortar restaurants for the delivery services either.  The next iteration in food delivery will eliminate those pesky restaurants with their costly staff and instead create “ghost kitchens” – commercial kitchens that will host a plethora of virtual restaurants.

…One consultant noted that cooking is being reduced to "a niche activity that a few people do only some of the time." This has led to an explosion in food delivery services and more recently, cloud kitchens, where food for delivery is prepared in commercial kitchens that are not connected to restaurants.

Now, the delivery driver can be dispatched from a single point and the consumer will hopefully believe that his food wasn’t cooked by some 19-year-old minimum wage worker with at least one week’s training.

The other advantages to running a ghost operation are that a commercial kitchen can handle more than one type of cuisine – Asian, Tex-Mex, Greek, Italian, breakfast, lunch or dinner. As well, Mr. Kottas says he designs his concepts and menus so that food can be easily prepared.

Another advantage for Mr. Kottas: “No chefs – I have 19-year-olds who have never worked in a kitchen. I can train them within a week and they can handle 12 different types of menus without having any experience.”

There is more good news here.

...every bit of it is delivered in tons of single-use plastic packaging, by people who are notoriously underpaid and often cheated, as the recent DoorDash scandal demonstrated. The food is often oversized, oversalted, oversweetened and certainly overpackaged.

In summary, marginal food prepared by low cost workers, delivered at a high carbon cost by vastly underpaid and exploited gig workers in single use plastic containers that won’t get recycled.  A win win for petrochemical industry.

Extinction Rebellion Banned

Extinction Rebellion’s two week London protest occupation of Trafalgar Square has been cut short by the British government.  I guess you can tell a protest is hitting the mark when the police are sent in to make arrests.

The Metropolitan Police made the announcement Monday evening, and immediately began to clear the protest encampments from Trafalgar Square, which had previously been designated as a legitimate protest area, according to The Guardian.

"Any assembly linked to the Extinction Rebellion 'Autumn Uprising'…must now cease their protest(s) within London (Metropolitan Police Service, and City of London areas) by 2100hrs [on Monday] 14th October 2019," the police announcement said.

Among those arrested in Trafalgar Square Monday night was Green Party Member of European Parliament Ellie Chowns.

"The rules have been changed," Chowns said, according to BBC News.

"No longer is any space in London allowable for peaceful democratic protest. This is intolerable."

The demonstrators are demanding that the UK government declare a climate emergency, halt biodiversity loss and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and convene a Citizens' Assembly to oversee these changes.

"The Climate and Ecological Emergency isn't going away and we remain resolute in facing it," the group wrote in a response to the police ban. "We urge the Government and the authorities to join us in doing the same. We cannot do it alone. This is bigger than all of us."