The next phase of Gov. Gavin’s war is an attack on the producers who make life-saving plastics possible.
Real Clear Energy (1/6/25) op-ed: "The idea of corporate social responsibility is not new. For years, there has been a push for companies to act in a more socially responsible manner, specifically as it relates to environmental stewardship...California is suing oil and gas giant ExxonMobil for alleged 'deceptive public messaging surrounding plastics recycling' and its culpability in 'the plastic waste and pollution crisis.' Unfortunately, the lawsuit is extremely misguided and ignores the complicated role plastics continue to play in society. It seeks to pin blame on a single company for a global problem while absolving itself from any responsibility. While many states have instituted laws requiring manufacturers to recycle, or otherwise safely dispose of waste products, California’s lawsuit goes a step further. It seeks to hold a company liable for something that, as a large oil and gas producer, it is only indirectly responsible for...Indeed, there is a reason that plastics are known as the 'material with 1,000 uses.' Today, over 6,000 consumer products rely on petrochemicals as a primary compound. They are found in items as mundane as milk cartons and shampoo bottles to lifesaving medical devices and automobile seatbelts. One would think that a state that claims to be concerned that 'plastics are everywhere' would at least attempt to understand why that is the case, and what makes the material so popular. Unfortunately, that would require California to carefully weigh the pros and cons of plastics, something it has shown no interest in doing as it attempts to wean off oil and gas. California would do well to remember that solving global problems like plastic waste will require global efforts, efforts that are undermined each time it chooses to single out a company already committed to playing its part."
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