Date:         Wed, 18 Jun 1997 11:01:49 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         busgirl@netcom.com (Martha)
Subject:      burning plastic


This subject has come up a few times in the past during campouts,
but apparently we offended one listmembers enough this past trip
to cause her to cry.  I'd like to hear from you all (without
this turning into some horrible emotional frenzy), especially
scientfic types like Joe, Ann, etc., who may have factual info
to enlighten us.

As some of you know, some of us on past CCC's trips have burned
plastics in our campfire.

Personally, I have done this because of the following reasons:

1.  It seems to me better to burn it, than for it to end up
    in the landfill.

2.  If people were planning to recycle the plastic, I'd feel differently,
     but I continually see the complainers putting plastic in containers
     destined for landfill, rather than for recycling.

3.  Give that it's going into the landfill, is it worse for the
    environment to put it there, or burn it?

4.  If we burn it, how does it compare to the pollution we are
    putting into the environment by having and running a vehicle?
    A drop in the bucket is my guess, but I'd be interested in facts on this.

5.  If we burn it, how does it compare to the pollution we
    are putting into the environment by burning a campfire, not
    even counting that we are using up trees this way.  

I do concede that burning plastic does put some nasty stuff into
the air, but then so does driving a car, and ESPECIALLY driving
a car recreationally.  And so does wood.  What I'd like is a
comparison on how significant the burning of plastic is next
to the 2 other things we are doing.  All non-emotional and
substantiated information especially welcome.  :)

/martha