Heather McTeer Toney is the Executive Director of the Beyond Petrochemicals campaign, which aims to halt the expansion of the petrochemical industry.
I grew up in the Black church, where silence never lasted long. Sooner or later, someone would feel that Holy Ghost nudge, that moment when your heart pounds, palms get sweaty, and you know it’s testimony time.
Looking around, nobody wants to be first. But someone in that room needs to hear what you’ve been through to know they’re not alone. When that moment comes, you don’t sit quietly. You speak. Even if your voice shakes.
That’s the moment we’re in right now.
Right now, representatives from around the world are gathering in Geneva for the next round of negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty. Here’s what you may not hear in the official talking points: plastics don’t just magically appear out of thin air.
They’re made from fossil fuel-based chemicals called petrochemicals, which are threatening our health, our environment, and the climate. Yet, the producers of these chemical compounds and plastics are being propped up and protected despite striking evidence of how damaging they really are.
So we’re clear, this isn’t just about water bottles and straws in the ocean. It’s everywhere—from the air we breathe to our carpets, laundry detergent, and clothing—and it’s killing us.
The everyday impacts of petrochemical pollution
Global plastic pollution generates the same amount of carbon pollution as 600 coal-fired power plants. A commonly used petrochemical byproduct found in food containers, water bottles, and medical equipment was linked in a recent study to more than 356,000 cardiovascular deaths in a single year.
While diplomats debate over language, the people living on the frontlines of petrochemical pollution, families in Cancer Alley, children growing up beside flares and fences, and communities along the Gulf Coast, are living these consequences every day.
They smell the pollution, hear the noise, or feel the vibration of nearby facilities. They’ve suffered with the health impacts, watching loved ones and even beloved pets die of cancer. Many have wondered if their communities were sacrificed so that someone else could profit. They’ve likely spoken up more times than they can count.
But now, as global leaders try to finalise this treaty, it’s obvious: we need more than polite statements and backroom deals. We need voices, yours and mine, collectively speaking boldly and clearly: turn off the tap and stop the expansion of petrochemicals. Regardless of how we feel or how our own country may respond, we have a global responsibility to speak anyway.
US government lacking ambition
The last time the United States led on a major international environmental treaty, it helped change the world.
In 1987, the US was one of the first and strongest backers of the Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to phase out ozone-depleting substances like Chloroflurocarbons, also known as CFCs. CFCs were the stuff keeping your fridge cold and your foam cushion comfy. At the time, they were tearing a hole in the sky big enough to bake the Earth like a sweet potato pie left too long in the oven.
Still, the industry pushed back. There were warnings about job losses and economic disruption. But the US didn’t back down, and neither did science.
Decades later, the Montreal Protocol is widely seen as one of the most successful environmental treaties in history. It didn’t just heal the ozone layer; it helped avert climate disaster, since many of the phased-out chemicals were potent greenhouse gases. That treaty worked because the US chose to lead, not follow. We have that same opportunity now.
The US position at these negotiations so far has been cautious and vague, and in the current environment, it is certainly more favorable to industry. Just in the last few weeks, the President issued passes to allow petrochemical companies to continue burning dangerous amounts of toxic pollution, and the Environmental Protection Agency abandoned its responsibilities to protect us from climate change.
We’ve seen proposals from other countries that call for real limits on plastic production and that would benefit the very communities the US claims to care about. So let me say it plainly: whether or not the US does the right thing, we have to speak anyway.
‘Speak up anyway’
This moment isn’t just about policy. It’s about the power of ordinary people to show up, push back, and demand something better. We’ve done it before at kitchen tables, in courtrooms, in marches, in front of microphones. And we’re going to have to do it again. And yes, it’s hard to speak when the room is quiet and while others are waiting to see if it’s safe. Right now, the risk feels high and the outcome is uncertain.
But as I was reminded Sunday, in the book of Acts, there’s a moment when Paul is told, “do not be afraid – keep on speaking, do not be silent”. That wasn’t about comfort. That was about courage.
So, speak anyway.
Because the fight against plastic pollution is about more than saving beaches. It’s about averting a public health crisis. It’s about climate survival. And it’s about defending the communities that petrochemical expansion threatens to erase.
To the organisers, the mayors, the youth leaders, pastors, parents – those who know just how personal this is: this is your moment. Speak at the council meeting. Speak to your senator. Speak at the international forum. Speak when it feels uncomfortable.
And no matter who’s listening, or how quiet the room may be, speak anyway.
