Posted on 02/19/2020 7:04:07 AM PST by karpov
Why do politicians want to take away our plastic bags and straws? This moral panic is intensifying even as evidence mounts that banning plastic is both a waste of money and harmful to the environment. If you want to protect dolphins and sea turtles, you should take special care to place your plastic in the trash, not the recycling bin. And if you’re worried about climate change, you’ll cherish those gossamer grocery bags once you learn the facts about plastic.
During the 1970s, environmentalists wanted to restrict the use of plastic because it was made from petroleum. When the “energy crisis” abated, they denounced plastic for not being biodegradable in landfills. They blamed it for littering the landscape, clogging sewer drains and global warming. Plastic from our “throwaway society” was killing vast numbers of sea creatures, according to a 2017 BBC documentary series. The series prompted Queen Elizabeth II to ban plastic straws and bottles from the royal estates, and it galvanized so many other leaders that greens celebrate what they call the “Blue Planet Effect,” named for the series.
More than 100 countries now restrict single-use plastic bags, and Pope Francis has called for global regulation of plastic. The European Parliament has voted to ban single-use plastic straws, plates and cutlery across the Continent next year. In the U.S., hundreds of municipalities and eight states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon and Vermont—have outlawed or restricted single-use plastic bags. Greens in California are pushing a referendum to require all plastic packaging and single-use foodware in the state to be recyclable, and the European Union has unveiled a similar plan.
Popular misconceptions have sustained the plastic panic. Environmentalists frequently claim that 80% of plastic in the oceans comes from land-based sources
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Why is the top guy of my religion concerning himself with bottles?
I’ve got enough sins that I do semi-regularly that he can preach about.
I know a lot more sins going on that are much much worse than throwing a plastic bottle away.
Maybe if you stop using bottles your sins are forgiven
Trump is missing one heckuva opportunity.
He needs to get some washable/wipeable woven polypropylene tote bags with handles for sale at his Trump store website.
In different sizes, including YUGE, foldable, with his MAGA logo and any of the tshirt designs.
I live in NYS and would love to shop with those.
Plastic bags are like eggs and coffee — in even numbered years these things are good for you and good for the environment. In odd numbered years, they are killing you and killing the environment. It just goes back and forth.
Plastic bags have an important roll in food banks. I save all of mine and take them there about every 6 weeks. Without plastic bags I’m not sure what they could substitute as efficiently. There are not enough cardboard boxes. Reusing the cloth bags can be harmful if they are not washed regularly.
I recycle my plastics including the bags. I don’t see what the big deal is unless you’re a coastal state and have slobs for citizens.
and those reusable bags become Bacteria Farms
Bookmark
Pretty damned stupid article whipped out by a writer who barely even skimmed the cliffsnotes on the topic.
They could have at least hired someone who has been around a while, even if research is a skill no longer taught in journalism school.
single-use is an intentional misnomer I often used plastic bags 3-4 times, till a hole wore in the bottom. Jerry brown started c laying them single-use as one of the lies he told to get them banned in Cal
Go to any store and every product you buy is wrapped in plastic, heavy plastic. Then you can’t use plastic to carry the load.
My little town in Maine banned single use plastic bags. Which is kinda too bad, because I used to use them as trashcan liners in the bathroom. Also I would scoop the cat boxes into them and use them to pick up dog poop. I also used to use single use bags to keep my paint brushes and rollers from drying out overnight when I was through painting for the day. The were the perfect size for paint trays, too. Single use bags also made a fine sack - with handles - for a bag lunch.
At least my town of 1800 is saving da erf.
We got plastic bags because the same environuts were upset about paper bags. Now virtue signaling woketards bring in their filthy, bacteria-laden “reusable” bags. No one ever washes those things. If you did, they would claim it wastes precious water. You can’t win with environuts. They would prefer you shiver in the darkness, hungry, and waiting for death.
We purchase groceries at marked prices, and pay the asking rate for our trash to be hauled. No problem.
When California outlawed them I bought a case off Amazon. When those are gone I’ll buy another case.
It all came from the ground and that’s where it will all end up.
Eventually, I suppose.
For the time being, however, an awful lot of it winds up in the ocean. It is hard to comprehend unless you have seen it. I have sailed my boat between the US Mainland and Hawaii three times. It is roughly a 30 to 35 day trip. It takes a week to ten days to pass through the Pacific "Garbage patch" of floating plastic trash a thousand miles from land in the middle of the ocean.
Out of sight, out of mind. If people knew how bad it really is, attitudes would be different.
Spot on
The majority of the plastic trash that winds up in the ocean is from Chinese trawlers and other vessels which dump their trash in the ocean with impunity.
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