Coca-Cola under fire after bombshell report exposes ties to controversial industry: 'The cost is irreversible damage to our children's health'

Research reveals that respective brands, including Coca-Cola, are linked to integrative accumulation processes that trust connected fracking.

What's happening?

Euronews reported that Stand.earth recovered implicit 25 well-known user brands linked to fracking operations successful the Permian Basin of Texas, 1 of the world's biggest "carbon bombs" due to the fact that of its monolithic publication to planet-warming pollution.

Fracking involves breaking isolated shale stone beneath the earth's aboveground to extract earthy state and oil, which is achieved by utilizing a high-pressure premix of water, sand, and chemicals blasted astatine the rock.

A byproduct is ethane, which is utilized to substance the integrative industry. The Stand.earth probe uncovered that overmuch of the ethane from Texas is shipped overseas for integrative production.

Stand.earth observed that immoderate of the brands linked to Permian Basin fracking see Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestlé, and Procter & Gamble. P&G is the genitor institution of countless household brands, specified arsenic Gillette, Olay, and Always.

Why is fracking concerning?

The fracking process creates biology harm and tin importantly interaction section communities. For example, it tin pb to tremors oregon tiny earthquakes, and section h2o supplies tin beryllium contaminated with gas. There are adjacent videos of residents adjacent the Permian Basin lighting their pat h2o connected fire, showcasing the grade of contamination.

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"From toxic extraction successful the Permian Basin to poisonous accumulation on the Houston Ship Channel, the outgo is irreversible harm to our children's wellness — debased commencement weights and reproductive and developmental harm — spanning generations," Yvette Arellano, laminitis and enforcement manager of Houston grassroots biology justness enactment Fenceline Watch, told Euronews.

Fracking is simply a mode to entree an abundant vigor resource, but extraction tin beryllium unsafe and destruct captious habitats. Meanwhile, relying connected earthy state further slows the modulation to non-polluting vigor sources specified arsenic star and wind.

The usage of ethane for integrative brings further issues. Plastic is 1 of the astir polluting materials connected the planet. It doesn't degrade naturally, but it breaks down into smaller and smaller particles, becoming microplastics that tin participate the bodies of animals and humans and person been linked to a assortment of wellness issues.

The U.N. Environment Program noted that 19 to 23 cardinal tonnes of integrative participate aquatic ecosystems each year, contaminating h2o supplies, destroying captious carnal habitats, and posing a menace to marine life.

A survey published successful the Science Advances journal, summarized by Axios, noted that Coca-Cola is liable for much than fractional of integrative contamination crossed the globe.

What is Coca-Cola doing astir integrative pollution?

Coca-Cola is progressive successful eco-friendly initiatives — specified arsenic World Without Waste, which pledges to marque each packaging recyclable — but critics reason it's not enough.

The institution has said it volition summation its planetary recycled integrative usage to 30-35% by 2035, but its nexus to fracking operations suggests it is inactive looking to make caller plastics.

Delphine Levi Alvares, planetary petrochemicals run manager astatine the Center for International Environmental Law, told Euronews that brands often hide "their superior concern is not packaging, it's truly bringing products to people."

Using dirty-fuel-based plastics is simply a choice, not a necessity. Recycled plastics and bio-based plastics are safer alternatives. Even refillable oregon no-package designs could work.

Until companies perpetrate to reducing integrative use, fracking volition stay profitable. It's important to admit greenwashing — erstwhile corporations tout environmentally affable practices but don't travel done — and enactment companies that are transparent astir packaging worldly and moving to prioritize sustainable choices for radical and the planet.

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