Title: “BP: ‘Plastic Ban Could Have Unintended Consequences’”
Author: Matt McGrath
Source: BBC News
Citation: McGrath, Matt. “BP: Plastic Ban ‘Could Have Unintended Consequences.’”BBC News, BBC, 15 Feb. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47255249.
Who: British Petroleum (BP) is one of the world’s top producers of fossil fuels. The company has a very problematic record when it comes to the health and safety of employees, the public, and the environment. BP is responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest oil spill to date, as well as the Texas City, TX refinery explosion of 2006.
What: BP’s 2019 Energy Outlook Report which suggests that plastic bans could have a negative environmental effect and that fossil fuel demand will remain high over the next two decades.
When: The annual report was published February 14, 2019.
Where: The report deals with the impacts of plastic bans across the globe.
Why: As a producer of fossil fuels which are the main ingredient in plastic products, BP has a vested interest in maintaining fossil fuel dependence. The article cites a report that state alternative bags are not much better than plastic ones in terms of environmental impact. BP’s report did not account for widespread implementation of recycling and re-use, which could mitigate the problem.
How: BP claims that plastic bans could lead to increased energy use and emissions for the manufacture and transport of alternatives. The report also claims that despite a projected rise in renewable energy, fossil fuel use will increase over the next twenty years.
Impacts: The results of this report could be detrimental to plastic bans in cities and countries across the globe. Recently, there has been a lot of momentum for such bans, but if reports such as this continue to be published, they could be set aside. By discounting the move towards renewable energy, BP’s report could also aid arguments against finding sources outside of fossil fuels. On the positive side, decreases in bans could increase recycling and reuse efforts.
Relevance: Economically, BP stands to gain from this report. Since fossil fuels are key in the production of plastics, toting the downsides of plastic bans allows BP and other fossil fuel companies to continue to profit from the plastic industry. The report may also lead to a change in investments for renewable energy, either decreasing them due to cynicism or an increase to countridict BP’s projections. The harmful environmental impacts from plastic bags and fossil fuels are well known; however, the carbon footprint of alternatives isn’t as well known. If BP and other fossil fuel companies continue to push against environmental initiatives like plastic bans and renewable energy, climate change will only get worse. Reports such as this one can fuel arguments between groups that are very motivated to stop climate change and climate skeptics, increasing social unrest.
Additional Sources:
Heriot-Watt University. “Ban on Plastics Could Increase Damage to Planet.” About Us. Heriot-Watt University, 30 Nov. 2018. Web. 16 Feb. 2019. https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/news/2018/a-plastic-ban-could-increase-damage-to.htm
Edgington, Tom. “Plastic or Paper: Which Bag Is Greener?” BBC News. BBC, 28 Jan. 2019. Web. 16 Feb. 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47027792