Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with the infamous plant activist, John Ivy. Mr Ivy heads up the rapidly growing plant rights group, Plants Against Dirt or PAD for short.
Members of PAD are made up of common house plants from across the United States who are rallying against what they call blatant and rampant "Greenism" on the part of plant owners everywhere. Since at least Victorian times, PAD contends that plants have been forced to live in what they now say are filthy and entirely unsuitable surroundings. Their battle cry can be heard everywhere plants are found.
"We're plants, not pigs!"
Reporter: Mr. Ivy, I'd like to thank you for agreeing to this interview.
Ivy: On behalf of PAD I'm happy to have this opportunity to help spread the word about the atrocities committed against plants here in the United States every single day.
Reporter: Your organization alleges that house plants are one of the hardest working groups in American homes today and yet you say you are forced to live in what you describe as, "disgusting and dirty habitats". Those are pretty strong accusations, Mr. Ivy. Would you care to elaborate?
Ivy: Certainly. The average house plant works 7 days a week and sometimes up to 24 hours a day battling such formidable home invaders as Formaldehyde and Benzene. We absorb nasty toxins and in their place, omit clean oxygen for our owners to breathe. An average house plant can effectively clean up to 100 square feet of air in a home or office.
Reporter: I have to admit, that is impressive. I can't think of a single air purifier on the market that can produce those kinds of results as inexpensively and effectively as do house plants. But, what's all this about "greenism", "planticide" and filthy living conditions?
Ivy: Shockingly virtually every house plant in the US today is being forced to live in dirt! Filthy, disgusting, dirty dirt.
We work hard for our owners and yet we are rewarded by having our roots covered in soil which is not only entirely unpleasant, but often leads to other more serious problems.
Reporter: Such as?
Ivy: Well for one thing, bugs love dirt. It's awful to sit around all day in dirt, but when you factor in little creepy crawly things tickling your roots, it's just torture. The most serious problem of all however is of course that living in dirt has led to the untimely and unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of my green brothers and sisters. Planticide is an all too common part of our society.
Reporter: It's my understanding that - continued below ...