In a story of competing nonsensical ideas, let me show you how the feds chose their war on plastic over their war on COVID.
The federal government actually created a communications plan to discourage people from using disposable masks, in the name of fighting plastic pollution.
We found the information in a larger access to information package that wasn’t exclusively provided to Rebel News, but was released as part of proactive disclosure, meaning if someone else files for these things, eventually they get released to everyone. And we do what other people don’t, and that’s go back and read them. To see what was missed or ignored.
There was a war taking place in the pages of these documents. A virtue signalling war. Which is higher on the Liberal totem pole? Wearing a mask, or saving the planet?
The briefing note starts off by acknowledging the problem:
Personal protective equipment and its packaging are frequently single-use products containing or made entirely of plastic.
You'll recall that the Liberals are banning single-use plastics entirely. Anyway, let's go on.
Outside healthcare settings, Canadians are being asked to wear non-medical face coverings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The quantity of plastic waste generated by single-use masks with some ending up as litter is increasing.
And here is the moral dilemma for the Liberals. Because they must acknowledge single-use plastics are saving lives. But they also acknowledge that the mask mandates across the country are increasing garbage.
So here we go. The battle of the moral hierarchy.
Health Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada are receiving inquiries regarding plastic PPE waste, particularly given the government's commitment to reducing plastic waste and pollution and banning single-use plastics.
What were the Liberals to do?
Well, they created an entire messaging plan, including a social media strategy and a plan to create blog posts and podcasts, as well as classroom information distributed to schools. It looks like this included messaging towards little kids, based on the materials, like colouring sheets encouraging the use of reusable masks.
A medium profile, proactive and sustained approach is recommended. Communication activities will focus on encouraging the public to use reusable cloth masks instead of single use to minimize environmental impact, and educating them about proper disposal of single use PPE if and when they are used.
Now, in none of the proposed talking points do they ever lay out that reusable PPE, like cloth masks, is actually protective against COVID-19.
Instead, the government calls reusable PPE cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Apparently, this is the most important thing to this government.
Look at this:
Recent studies suggest that cloth face masks need at least two to three layers of fabric in order to be protective, and the CDC recommends using two layers of quilting fabric or cotton sheets for homemade masks.
At the end of the day, whatever you believe about masks or no masks, the Liberals admit in these documents that disposable, medical grade PPE is the most effective.
But they didn't want you to use it, because for them the war on plastic was more important than the war on COVID.
