Happy 100th birthday

Friday, July 13, officially was the plastics industry's 100th birthday -- that's the day that Leo Baekeland patented Bakelite. We're up to our elbows in plastics industry history this week, preparing our Aug. 6 special report, "Celebrating a Century of Plastics." Our staff is having fun with the project.

To whet your appetite, here's an interesting interview with Jeffrey L. Meikle, a professor of American studies and art history at the University of Texas, and the author of "American Plastic: A Cultural History." National Public Radio's Michelle Norris is the interviewer, and they touch on a wide range of topics in a bit less than 8 minutes.

Here's a highlight: Norris gives a list of environmental concerns related to plastics and asks whether the continued use of plastic makes sense. Meikle's reply: "Actually, I think it does make sense. One of the things about plastic is that has always been a democratizing material. It has made it possible to manufacture more cheaply things that otherwise would be too expensive for millions of people to have."

Meikle isn't a cheerleader for the industry -- but he does touch on some interesting advantages of plastics that seem to get lost in modern debates about controversial issues like product bans, and the industry's sustainability.