While on a short visit to a Balkan country recently, I was told by the agent in charge of my accommodation not to bother recycling my waste. It reminded me of a point Beth Gardiner made when we spoke with her about her book Plastic Inc. on page 40. Despite great efforts by individuals in some developed societies, as well as small sections of the plastics industry, manufacturers see a huge market in developing countries for products that are likely to end up in landfill. The key point that Beth makes is the need for the petrochemical industry to be held to account for driving an industry that floods new markets with unnecessary products while convincing us that waste and unsustainability are solely the fault of users. Beth points out that as the oil industry finds new uses for its output, there is no let-up in the increase in climate upheaval. Michael McCarthy echoes this sentiment when talking about British butterflies and the effect of recent wildfires and extreme heat. Large-scale harm from extreme temperatures has already started, he says, pointing out that after thirty-five years of being warned by scientists that global warming was coming, we can now see the threat all too clearly. Bob Ward also highlights wildfires. In his article on page 28, he suggests that without a reduction in greenhouse gases, wildfires are likely to become more frequent and intense for the next couple of decades. On pollution of a more literary nature, Fanny Charles talks with now locally based author Tom Cox on page 44 about his book Everything Will Swallow You. A passionate believer in nuanced long-form writing, Tom avoids what he calls ‘the surface-level, unoriginal, algorithmic drivel that now, from virtually every digital orifice, attempts to oppress us and ruin our brains.’ A response that Gen Z might call “cooked”.
