Greenpeace Co-founder Praises Benefits of Vinyl Products in New Video

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 29, 2009 – Dr. Patrick Moore, the co-founder and former leader of Greenpeace, advises students and professionals to apply critical thinking when investigating the properties of materials, and praises the use of vinyl as a sustainable and safe material.

A founding member of Greenpeace in 1971, Dr. Moore served nine years as president of Greenpeace Canada, and seven years as director of Greenpeace International.  He left the organization in 1986 when its environmental goals included attempts to ban chemicals from products and manufacturing, including chlorine, an essential element in vinyl or PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

In the video, Dr. Moore emphasizes that chlorine is beneficial to health, as its use in drinking water has saved millions of people from death and serious illnesses throughout the world. 

He states, “[Vinyl] is one of the most versatile materials we have,” as it can be manufactured for both rigid and flexible applications.  He emphasizes vinyl’s importance in medicine and healthcare, as it is durable and easy to clean and disinfect, and used for hospital gloves, caps, tubing, blood bags, and building materials such as flooring and wallcovering.

Continuing, Dr. Moore notes vinyl is one of the most intensively studied materials over the past 50 years, and “one of the safest industries to work in.  Vinyl workers have lower injuries and illnesses than the chemical industry in general and the manufacturing industry as a whole.”

He also notes because of its durability and energy efficiency, vinyl has one of the lowest environmental impacts of any material we use, and that ongoing technology by those in the industry are continually finding more innovative uses for vinyl, more efficient manufacturing methods, and more ways to improve its sustainability. 

When he left Greenpeace, Dr.  Moore founded Greenspirit, a consultancy focising on environmental policy and communications in natural resources, biodiversity, energy, and climate change. 

The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of PVC/vinyl resin in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC/vinyl products to society. 

For more information on The Vinyl Institute, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
571-970-3327
jpalmer@vinylinfo.org

Also go to: www.vinylindesign.com and www.vinylinfo.org.