“Plastics, Benjamin.”

Most people in the Boomer generation, who are movie goers, could tell you exactly the source of that classic line.

It came from the hit movie The Graduate released in 1967, starring Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross. The plastics tip was advice given to the young Hoffman character (Benjamin) from his girlfriends’s father—Mr. Robinson—as Ben was graduating from college.

(Clearly, the movie story line had moral flaws. I am not recommending you seek it out.)

At the time, finding a job in plastics was pretty good advice. Still today, the plastics industry is an enormously profitable sector of business around the world. In fact, so much plastic exists, it is now considered a significant environmental threat!

Plastic has raised the ire of planet savers to such a degree that this year’s official theme for Earth Day (April 22nd) is… “Planet vs Plastics.” The official website should make us all feel uneasy. Writes one of the site’s authors,

“From production to disposal, plastics wreak havoc on human, plant, and animal health and cause immense amounts of waste in our ecosystems, clogging our land, air, and waterways. Plastic pollution in particular poses a serious threat to all life on Earth because of the toxic nature of the chemical additives used during the production process.” 

Apparently no one bothered to tell young Benjamin all this. 

Each of us contributes to this problem. Take our parks and beaches, for example. California has had an enormous problem of waste left behind by careless campers. At the ocean, “waves and radiation from the sun break down plastics such as water bottles, producing microplastics.”

These, in turn, carry chemicals used in plastic production, which end up being consumed by people in their food, water, and breathing in the air around them.

Consequentially, the microplastics inflict significant damage to the human body. This can result in various cancers, lung disease, birth defects, and these plastics can even alter hormone activity, possibly disrupting reproduction and other bodily functions. Serious stuff!

Okay…so I’m on board with learning how to better care for our planet by considering my use of plastics. Reusable water bottles is one way. Using glass containers, if possible, is another. No doubt some simple research can provide lots of other good plastic options.

But then…we have the extremists. In January of this year, two climate activists splattered soup onto the Mona Lisa at Paris’ Louvre museum! Fortunately, the painting was protected by a bulletproof glass casing. Thus, the famed masterpiece from the Renaissance was undamaged.

The two women offenders stood proudly near the Leonardo da Vinci artwork after the incident. Before security guards hauled them off, they said,

“What is more important? Art or the right to have a healthy and sustainable food system?”

How about using real life brain power and avoid doing ridiculous stunts??

And there was bad climate protest activity closer to home. In February, one of our nation’s founding documents was tagged. Climate activists were found dumping some kind of pink powder on the bulletproof case that protects the US Constitution. The incident took place at the National Archives Rotunda in Washington, DC.

One of the offenders, who was covered in that same pink dust, announced, “We are determined to foment a rebellion!” He added later, “Joe Biden needs to declare a climate emergency!”

For my tastes in Creation care, I prefer the more rational mind of my friend Dr. Cal Beisner. Cal is founder, president, and national spokesman of The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. This group is composed of “a network of Christian theologians, natural scientists, economists, and other scholars educating for biblical earth stewardship, economic development for the poor, and the proclamation and defense of the good news of salvation by God’s grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.”

In my earlier radio days, I frequently interviewed Cal on the latest news and, often, oddball stories of an environmental nature. He has great concern for our planet and encourages us to act responsibly… Just not using orange colored fluid or pink powder as attention-getting devices.

His website’s current topic listings include these categories:  a) climate and energy, b) environmental subjects, c) food, health, and agriculture, d) economics, poverty, and development, e) religion and ethics, and f) politics and law. Check out the link above.

Seven times in Genesis 1, God observes His creation to be good. It seems reasonable for Earth Day that we, His created ones, consider ways to stop messing it up.

So cut back on those plastics, Benjamin!