banning plastic bags is great for the world, rightwhen will pa vote on senate bill 350 2021

And those seven ethylene projects are concentrated in just three counties in Texas: Harris County, Jefferson County, and Brazoria County. Do Plastic Bag Bans Work? - NRDC What if instead of making the plastic from fossil fuels, we made it out of plants? Thicker, reusable bags are still available for purchase for 10 cents. Donate today to keep our climate news free. 500 billion plastic grocery bags are used worldwide. In the case of using a tax, the government is also then able to raise some money, which can be used to either lower taxes elsewhere or go toward environmental cleanup efforts or most importantly, turning Niagara Falls into a waterslide. And the most common substitute, paper bags, may be just as bad or worse, depending on the environmental problem youre most concerned about. Some people still keep streaks, I think! Our world faces increasingly severe hurricanes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and more, but grocery bags have somehow become one of the hottest environmental topics. Already in Massachusetts, 32 towns and cities have passed bag bans or fees. 1. India followed the UK with a . But studies conducted in Australia or Europe have limited applicability in the US, particularly when youre considering climate impact, because every country has a different energy mix. Then Oregon, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont passed laws against them. [slam the wrong buzz several times, then rewind], Okay, okay cracker? I took a look at a 2017 Congressional Report which found the petrochemical industry was, at the time, pursuing 48 new plastics-related projects in the Houston area. A substantial shift to more durable bags would deliver environmental gains through reductions in greenhouse gases, energy and water use, resource depletion and litter, the study concluded. How do we make polyethylene? Some bills, like in Massachusetts, try to reduce the use of paper bags as well as plastic, but still favor paper. Special thanks to our Emperor Penguin patrons Lawrence Harris and Brownies Central. Microplastics can be ingested by anyone from seabirds to fish to even humans through our food and water, and can cause health issues, reduce appetites, and even increase the risk of mortality. I collected data from supermarkets, on the types of bags people were using at checkout, both before and after the policy went into effect. Washington, DCs government estimates that its 5-cent bag tax has led to a 60 percent reduction in the number of these bags being used, although that figure is contested by other sources. In a queer vacation hot spot on Cape Cod, an ad hoc community proved that Americans can stifle large outbreaksif they want to. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. Different studies say different things, but the point is clear: even though paper bags are much better for the environment in the disposal stage, the rest of the supply chain is riddled with problems. Killing wildlife 5. TAYLOR: Yes, how much people actually reuse the various types of reusable bags has a big impact on their environmental impact. ETHAN: But first, its time for Plastic Bags 101. As great as it is to see policy efforts get going, we want to hold them accountable and make sure they actually make the biggest positive impact possible. Not So Fast" by Ben Adler and the essay "Choking The Oceans With Plastic" by Charles J. Moore they both pose a connection and an area of disagreement. And all of these materials do better? In accordance with the budge bill passed last year, New York State retailers will be banned from doling out single-use plastic bags, starting on March 1. The shift from one single-use bag to another single-use bag may improve one environmental outcome, but be offset by another environmental impact.. Start with your washing machine. And beyond that, ethylene itself is a dangerous pollutant. [wind blowing, floors creaking, various night time sounds]. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great For the World Right Questions 1-5.docx Banning plastic bags is great for the world, right? The ideal city bag policy would probably involve charging for paper and plastic single-use bags, as New York City has decided to do, while giving out reusable recycled-plastic bags to those who need them, especially to low-income communities and seniors. A lot of the waste ends up in our communities, says Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE, an environmental and social justice-oriented community organization in Brooklyn. Even then, the question remains as to whether single-use bags are necessarily always worse than reusable ones. In fact, eight states have gone so far as to ban single-use plastic bags, and over 200 counties and municipalities have enacted ordinances either imposing a fee on plastic bags or. Only 2.4 percent of the worlds cropland is planted with cotton, yet it accounts for 24 percent of the global market for insecticides and 11 percent for pesticides, the World Wildlife Fund reports. Christmas: no, were not going to stop. Lets start with paper: the only kind of bag that is, in the most literal tense, tearible. And so I was interested in understanding to what degree does a patchwork of policies actually lead customers to switch where theyre shopping. Often, the problem shifts. This paper in particular was interested in a California policy, which is a ban on thin plastic, carry out bags, and a fee for paper bags of about 10 cents, usually, sometimes five cents. As the Australian study noted, a cotton bag has major environmental impacts of its own. As far as I know, nobody has done the definitive analysis, which would necessarily need to have a large number of caveats and qualifications. For example, because paper bags take up so much more space, more trucks are needed to ship paper bags to a store than to ship plastic bags. If you melt a plastic bag down, you can absolutely recycle that polyethylene, and in fact, recycled high-density polyethylene has about a third of the carbon footprint of virgin high-density polyethylene. . Heres just one tiny example: Does the paper for paper bags come from a recycled paper mill on Staten Island or a virgin forest in northern Canada? One option you may have come across depending on where you live is a plastic bag fee or paper bag fee or reusable bag credit. But what if reusable bags arent good either? Bags made out of woven plastic like polypropylene can be reused over and over, meaning even though there are consequences to producing plastic, you dont have to manufacture as many bags. Thats leading to a split in the anti-bag movement. In fact, eight states have gone so far as to ban single-use plastic bags, and over 200 counties and municipalities have enacted ordinances either imposing a fee on plastic bags or banning them. Recently, many politicians were in such a hurry to ban plastic bags. But if communicated to the public well, I think its an interesting idea, and Id be curious to see if a similar approach could work with bags. Its like excuses for not doing your homework. The ideal city bag policy would probably involve charging for paper and plastic single-use bags, as New York City has decided to do, while giving out reusable recycled-plastic bags to those who need them, especially to low-income communities and seniors. Do single-use plastic bans work? - BBC Future Whereas the small taxes are very effective. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise. There are also policy options that dont involve bans. Nakuru, Kenya In the open-air Wakulima Market thin plastic shopping bags have disappeared, banished by Kenya's national bag ban. What Comes Next for Venezuelas Oil Industry? Banning plastic bags is great for the world, right? | Grist Did you just finish trick or treating? PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. But not just anywhere. Phytoplankton: How Too Much of a Good Thing Causes Problems. As compared to plastic bags, paper bags also require significantly more energy and water to manufacture, and more energy to transport since theyre heavier. They say Hanukkah gets eight nights as if its special, but with Christmas, you get six whole months! Paper does have its own environmental consequences in terms of how much energy it takes to generate, acknowledges Emily Norton, director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club. (The crunchy rich should already have more than enough tote bags from PBS and Whole Foods.). (The crunchy rich should already have more than enough tote bags from PBS and Whole Foods.). Even studies conducted with the purest of intentions depend on any number of assumptions. Rather than automatically using a bag, just ask the customer for their bags, or maybe even stop keeping bags at the register at all. So I often tell people, if theyre choosing a bag, you want to choose a bag that you are going to reuse that could be a thin bag, then plastic bag, or it could be a nylon bag, which is technically still plastic, but is a woven plastic thats fairly lightweight, and thus, perhaps not going to have the same environmental impact as a heavier plastic or a cloth bag. Once ethylene is turned into plastic, its not harmful, youre not going to get a disease just by touching a plastic bag, unless its March 2020 when every cashier in America was convinced thats how Covid spreads. Put all that together, and National Geographic estimates that a paper bag would need to be used anywhere from 3 to 43 times in order to neutralize its environmental impact as compared to plastic. The big difference is that paper does biodegrade eventually. ETHAN: Another thing I wanted to bring up part of why I was so excited to talk to you is that there is the word behavioral economics in your work. Thats right, I said it. One of the most comprehensive research papers on the environmental impact of bags, published in 2007 by an Australian state government agency, found that paper bags have a higher carbon footprint than plastic. A single mom, or someone working two jobs, is more likely to have to do her shopping in a rush on the way home from work than to go out specifically with a tote bag in hand. But University of Sydneys Dr. Rebecca Taylor says not so fast. ETHAN: Given all this nuance weve explored pertaining to carry out bags, grocery bags, is there any advice you have for individuals who want to do their part? One of the most comprehensive research papers on the environmental impact of bags, published in 2007 by anAustralian state government agency, found that paper bags have a higher carbon footprint than plastic. Come with external costs 9. These US states have banned plastic bags | World Economic Forum Maybe call the manager over or fly the CEO in on a helicopter or pull the fire alarm so everyone starts screaming and running. Plastic bags could also be more sustainable from the production side. ETHAN: Obviously, bags are the only policy option like we talked about theres fees theres more voluntary approaches You know, with straws, something that intrigued me was default choice modification. TAYLOR: Its a great question, I would say its a bit nuanced, because that was just respect with respect to the plastic bags. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. How do we make polyethylene? ETHAN: That new ban was signed into law on September 30, and the fact that it was in the news goes to show that even with all the other things going on in the world, people are paying attention to this issue. But when ethylene gas escapes the facility and is exposed to sunlight, it turns to smog, which has been associated with increased rates of asthma, lung and respiratory infections, and cardiovascular problems. Follow us on New York's ban will take effect in 2020 but will apply to single-use plastic bags you can get at grocery stores or retailers. The U.S. is the number two producer of polyethylene in the world behind China, and in the U.S., 80 percent of our primary petrochemical supply is in Texas and Louisiana. Have a listen. Before I jump in, were trying out a little bit of a different format today. But when ethylene gas escapes the facility and is exposed to sunlight, it turns to smog, which has been associated with increased rates of asthma, lung and respiratory infections, and cardiovascular problems. Twitter, Follow us on Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast Every time you need to process a new batch of polyethylene, you bring it to the facility and say, Polly want a cracker? [ding ding ding] Wow, that was a tough one. Thats right, nothing like getting high on your own supply. Paper does have its own environmental consequences in terms of how much energy it takes to generate, acknowledges Emily Norton, director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. The Bad Astronomer Takes You on a Tour of the Cosmos. People look at [paper] and say its degradable, therefore its much better for the environment, but its not in terms of climate change impact, says David Tyler, a professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon who has examined the research on the environmental impact of bag use. In all seriousness, theres drawbacks here too. Not So Fast by Ben Adler The author of the piece Ben Adler agrees that plastic bags have an adverse impact on the environment. And so in terms of ranking those, that would be my order, taxes, hybrid bands, and then least preferred standalone bands. ETHAN: After we drill and frack and insert other PG13 sounding term here, we have to actually turn our fossil fuels into polyethylene. On the other hand, were using thicker bags, which might be emitting more carbon and pollution into the atmosphere. Design and build by Upstatement. Plastic bags are not biodegradable and can do great harms to wildlife. Aw, dammit, I was so close! So if its something thats easy to keep in your car, or in your purse or in your backpack that you know youll reuse, then thats going to be the bag for you. Solar and wind companies are coming to rural Texas. Salt Marshes Are Essential Climate Solutions. Im curious, in your work looking at plastic bags or plastic in general, if there have been any cases of people being irrational actors in the market that just really surprised you or stood out to you. In fact, every region of the U.S. has a different energy mix. But for UPROSE, that concern is outweighed by the negative impacts of plastic bags on disadvantaged communities. The Ike Dike is the Army Corps of Engineers largest project ever. There are other options though. But thats not to say plastic bag recycling couldnt be more widely implemented. In 2018 though, 68.1 percent of paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling, which is a really impressive number, although its worth noting that paper fibers become weaker each time theyre recycled, so there are still limitations to that. Seeing how nuanced this issue is, I asked Dr. Taylor what the next steps could look like. What do they think this is, a Ritz quick scheme? ETHAN: And that wraps up episode 106 of The Sweaty Penguin. And so because of that bands have been more popular. Polyethylene, however, is recyclable. Advocates for plastic bag bans often neglect to ask what will replace plastic bags and what the environmental impact of that replacement will be. Yeet that wheat. First, we transport our fossil fuels to a type of petrochemical plant called a cracker. Cracker? Again, Im not referring to carbon emissions, Im talking nitrous oxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, smog, Sagittariuses, really bad stuff. If a plastic bag is reused in the home as the garbage bag in a bathroom waste bin, does that reduce its footprint by eliminating the need for another small plastic garbage bag? debut in season five. In addition to being my celebrity couple name with a girl named Polly, polyethylene is a string of carbon and hydrogen atoms. ETHAN: Hopefully ethylene makes its What We Do In The Shadows debut in season five. Okay, maybe Im going overboard, but honestly, if it were a small ordeal to get a single-use bag, I could see the inconvenience of that motivating people to bring their reusable bags to the store a whole lot more than a five or ten cent tax. Paper bags do have some pros over plastic theyre biodegradable, recyclable, compostable, reusable, all the fun -ables. The Massachusetts proposal may not become law this year, but its the latest sign that the plastic bag industry is losing this war. ETHAN: And the list of policy approaches goes on and on. Why We Shouldn't Ban Plastic Bags The Australian study concluded that the best option appears to be a reusable bag, but one made from recycled plastic, not cotton. Okay, maybe Im going overboard, but honestly, if it were a small ordeal to get a single-use bag, I could see the inconvenience of that motivating people to bring their reusable bags to the store a whole lot more than a five or ten cent tax. And as you mentioned, tote bags can be actually more harmful. In that case, it was the simple act of instead of automatically giving customers a straw with their drink, bringing the drink without a straw. It may not be big enough. "Banning Plastic Bags Is Great For The World, Right? A lovely tote made from single use plastic bags. So I usually recommend considering a bag tax first. All of these policies give consumers a little more freedom, but try to nudge them in the right direction through small fees or rewards in the 5 to 15 cent per bag range. Multi-use plastic bags are catching on slower than their cloth counterparts. The good and the bad of plastic bag bans: Research review Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags annually, which is equivalent to 14 million trees. Our best hope the next time Earth is in the crosshairs? Thats leading to a split in the anti-bag movement. How do we do that? Obviously, a cotton tote does have a much longer life than a plastic or paper bag, but we also have to be honest with ourselves. Harmful to human health 6. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? So have at least 88 localities in California, including the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, plus cities and towns in more than a dozen other states and more than a dozen other countries. So thats exactly what I did. If youre singularly focused on eliminating plastic bags, theres a level of convenience from a policymaker standpoint thats tempting. And I also looked at not just shopping at a supermarket across the border but also eating out Instead of grocery shopping, and I do find that there is this, you know, substitution, this cross border shopping, some people do try to avoid going to, you know, regulated supermarkets, especially if they live near a border, where they can easily get to another another grocery store, while other customers if they dont live near a border, they might be slightly more likely to decide to eat out for dinner as opposed to grocery shopping, especially if they didnt bring their bags with them or that party. And honestly, a little sketchy that ethylene cant handle sunlight. Not So Fast Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. The reasons for papers higher carbon footprint are complex, but can mostly be understood as stemming from the fact that paper bags are much thicker than plastic bags. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast The Massachusetts proposal may not become law this year, but its the latest sign that the plastic bag industry is losing this war. And thats just not true. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great For The World, Right Not So Fast But theres also so much nuance to this issue, and its important to consider these consequences of bag bans as we come up with the best possible solutions. Rough Draft 14 - Writing - The Effects Of Plastic In the essay So I am an environmental economist. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast ITS PAPER. I guess the name does make sense.

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