Why Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum wants California to ban even more plastics

What’s more frightening than a T-Rex chasing you through a dinosaur park?

For Jurassic Park actor Jeff Goldblum, it’s single-use plastics.

Goldblum visited the California Capitol on Wednesday to advocate for a pair of bills that would more aggressively push the state toward ending single-use packaging by 75 percent in the next decade.

California already bans restaurants from giving customers plastic straws in most cases. Assembly Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 54 would go further by requiring companies to use recyclable or compostable packaging by 2030.

“Tons and tons of plastic are going into the ocean and challenging our environment,” Goldblum said. “This is urgent. And California can lead.”

Goldblum said he was visiting lawmakers’ offices, handing out reusable metal straws and advocating for the measures as the best solution to preserve natural resources and safeguard ocean waters and shores.

“How ignorant must we be to squander the spectacular resources that we’ve been gifted,” he said. “It’s going to be bad. And my children will live a reduced life with reduced beauty around them, reduced healthy nature and health foods.”

Plastic is “nearly impossible” to break down, according to the United Nations, meaning products remain clogged in landfills and waterways indefinitely. Microplastics also release toxic chemicals that can end up in food, water and both human and animal bodies. These tiny particles can cause cancer, among other health concerns for humans, marine animals and other wildlife.

“An estimated 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enters the marine environment every year,” according to Oceana, the environmental advocacy organization that partnered with Goldblum to rally support for the bills. “Once in the environment, plastic lasts for centuries. It breaks up into smaller pieces, ultimately becoming microplastics that act as a magnet for harmful chemical pollutants.”

Oceana estimated that local governments in California spend more than $420 million on plastic cleanup and pollution prevention.

The two proposals stalled last year ahead of a key legislative deadline, largely due to opposition by agricultural, restaurant and food groups. Bill authors Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, and state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, pledged to bring back their proposals with the new year after meeting with all stakeholders.

Their solution will have to include winning over several swing votes, including Central Valley and moderate Democrats who abstained from voting on AB 1080 and SB 54 amid criticism that the proposals authorized aggressive regulations that handed too much power to CalRecyle.

The California Chamber of Commerce opposed the legislation, citing a “lack of infrastructure that is critical for manufacturers to comply and meet the recycling rates and dates,” in a pair of Sept. 9 letters.

This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 3:15 PM.