Low-Carbon: Testing?

Okay, so now they're trying to sell us "sustainable" booze? Give me a freakin' break.

Verallia, some giant glass company, is patting itself on the back for partnering with Penn State to use this "LionGlass" stuff. Apparently, it melts at a lower temperature, which saves energy and cuts down on CO2 emissions. Corinne Payen, director of glass innovation for Verallia, even said it "opens exciting opportunities aligned with Verallia’s mission: to reimagine glass for a sustainable future." More information on this partnership can be found in Verallia taps LionGlass for low-carbon glass packaging for consumer products.

Reimagine glass? Seriously? That's what they're going with?

The Greenwashing Express

Let's be real. This whole thing stinks of greenwashing. They're trying to make themselves look good by slapping a "sustainable" label on something that's still, at the end of the day, just a glass bottle. A slightly less polluting glass bottle, maybe, but still...a bottle. We're still gonna fill it with booze that probably ain't exactly saving the planet, are we?

John Mauro, some professor at Penn State, claims LionGlass is "up to 10 times more crack-resistant than standard glass." Ten times? So, instead of my beer bottle breaking into a million pieces when I drop it, it'll only break into, like, ten thousand? Groundbreaking.

And then there's the "ultra-low carbon methanol" agreement between Transition Industries and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical. One million metric tons of the stuff per year. Sounds impressive, right? Rommel Gallo, CEO of Transition Industries, is "proud" to be collaborating with MGC. Masahiko Naito, Division Director for MGC, is "delighted" to be entering into this agreement. Transition Industries and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Sign Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of Ultra-Low Carbon Methanol details the agreement.

I'm "delighted" I can still find a decent IPA at my local dive bar. This corporate love-fest is making me wanna hurl.

The Real Cost

Here's what they're not telling you: all this "sustainable" stuff still requires resources. It still requires energy. And it still lines the pockets of these corporations who are probably doing way more damage to the environment in other ways.

They're building a 6,130 MT per day methanol production facility in Mexico. Expected to be in operation in 2029. That's a lot of methanol. And a lot of construction. And a lot of potential for…well, you know.

It's all performative. Like politicians kissing babies. They do it because they think it makes them look good, not because they actually care.

Offcourse, maybe I'm just being cynical. Maybe this is a genuine effort to make things better. But let's be real, how much better can it really get when the whole system is built on consumption and profit?

Speaking of consumption, I'm still waiting for my internet bill to go down. Seems like every freakin' month, it goes up a few bucks. And for what? So I can read more press releases about "sustainable" booze?

Show Me the Proof

Where's the actual data? Where's the independent verification? These companies can say whatever they want, but I'm not buying it until I see some real, verifiable evidence that this "LionGlass" and "ultra-low carbon methanol" are actually making a difference.

And even if they are, so what? We're still facing a climate catastrophe. A slightly less polluting beer bottle ain't gonna save us.

So, What's the Point?

This is all just a distraction. A way for corporations to make themselves feel better about destroying the planet. And a way for them to sell us more stuff. "Buy our sustainable booze! It's good for the environment!"

Yeah, right.

We're All Gonna Die Anyway