Paper or Plastic? Environmentalism as Public Religion

http://wmbriggs.com/blog/?p=2622 ^ | William M. Briggs

[mattstat]

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

—Matthew 6: 2-6.

Shakespeare understood the difference between supplication via public bleating, the purpose of which is to draw attention to oneself, and secret prayer. “When holy and devout religious men are at their beads, ’tis much to draw them thence, so sweet is zealous contemplation.”

‘Tis nothing to draw forth an environmentalist. He will pray loudly and exhort you to do the same. He will say, as a gentleman recently told me, that he is “proud” to use paper bags instead of plastic, because “paper is good for the environment.” ...

[MEGoody]

I “recycle” my plastic grocery bags as trash can liners, reusable lunch bags, etc etc. I’m sure it won’t be long before there is a law against all types of bags except the canvas “reusable” ones. Those have to be washed frequently to keep bacteria from spreading from one food to the next - a whole different environmental impact.

[Pecos]

The mantra when I lived in California (late 70’s) was that it took two glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass you just used to drink a glass of water in a restaurant. If true, how many gallons of hot water does it take to adequately sanitize a grocery bag after each use? Or are the Libs saying we should share our bacteria every time we get groceries?

[stinkerpot65]

Environmentalism is paganism - the violent religion of the thuggish left.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I think that environmentalists will one day realize that, 9 times out of 10, cheaper uses less resources. The cheapest option is often (but not always) the more environmentally friendlier option.

IOW the free market works.

[kidd]

Except for used motor oil, lead battries, aluminum and certain other metals, recycling is a public-involvement exercise.

For many, recycling borders on a religious exercise. Because recycling paper, plastic and glass doesn’t make environmental or economic sense.

[Astronaut]

I refuse to recycle as an act of civil disobedience in my rabidly left wing Seattle-area community. Its a feel-good exercise for left wing moonbats, but the truth is that it does nothing for the environment. If it were not heavily subsidized, recycling would not exist in a true free market. I love hearing my garbage toter jingle with the noise of metal cans and glass bottles!

[MEGoody]

If true, how many gallons of hot water does it take to adequately sanitize a grocery bag after each use?

Good question. Liberals are like children. They can come up with these grand schemes, but they give no thought to how to execute their "plan" or what the consequences will be.