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. A tweak could let quantum possibilities increase as space expands. Facebook, Follow us on I mean, I know it loves to hang at the cracker plants and all but wouldnt it have more fun hanging out with other creatures of the night? Two weeks ago, the Massachusetts State Senate passed a measure that would ban plastic bags from being dispensed ETHAN: And that wraps up episode 106 of The Sweaty Penguin. The Ike Dike is the Army Corps of Engineers largest project ever. All rights reserved. But advocates of these laws and journalists who cover the issue often neglect to ask what will replace plastic bags and what the environmental impact of that replacement will be. Not So Fast Advocates for plastic bag bans often neglect to ask what will replace plastic bags and what the environmental impact of that replacement will be. 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. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast I asked Dr. Taylor how we can account for the cost of alternatives when we create policies to address plastic bags. How do we do that? What I found was a net benefit, we were still reducing more plastic than this rebound effect. The past and future are tightly linked in conventional quantum mechanics. Plastic is a toxin that stays in the environment, marine animals ingest it, and it enters their bodies and then ours.. Rough Draft 14 - Writing - The Effects Of Plastic In the essay Plastic Bags Are a Problem. Are Plastic Bag Bans a Solution? - PBS Plastic, on the other hand, lasts for a long time. In the last couple weeks, I believe around five of our team members got sick, so weve been struggling a little bit! I also mistake plastic bags for food sometimes, and let me tell you, Walmart makes a delicious tall kitchen. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. Wow, that was a tough one. If someone wants a straw, they can ask and get it, no questions asked. Businesses may be reluctant to engage in default choice modification because customers might not realize the law and think theyre just getting bad service. But are bans on plastic bags or reusable alternatives like tote or canvas bags viable solutions to the worlds plastic problem? How Can Soy Reduce Its Environmental Impact? So paper and plastic as litter paper, you know, decomposes, it breaks down, its not as harmful to the environment, if it if its litter. And just like that, a step towards zero waste is taken, and it feels good. If so, awesome, although we should probably talk about why youre that obsessed with your tote bag. The Massachusetts proposal may not become law this year, but it's the latest sign that the plastic bag industry is losing this war. 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. And when I no longer had access to those carry out bags, it meant I didnt have this quote unquote, free source of garbage bags anymore. Wonder why you hear about legislation concerning plastic bags? Our world faces increasingly severe hurricanes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and more, but grocery bags have somehow become one of the hottest environmental topics. If you want to take two minutes to help out The Sweaty Penguin, you can either leave us a five star rating and review or join our Patreon at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. There was a 72 percent drop in grocery bag litter in the state just one year after it was fully implemented. Talk about consistency! Summary Response to Adler's Essay .docx - Banning Plastic It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. Fees have a smaller, but still significant, effect. Made from fossil fuels 3. Banning plastic bags is great for the world, right? Winters are becoming less and less predictable due to climate change, but you dont have to worry because the second you put on a long sleeve shirt and jeans, youll be hearing Mariah Carey blast on every radio in town. Amid fracking boom, Pennsylvania faces toxic wastewater reckoning. As compared to plastic bags, paper bags also require significantly more energy and water to manufacture, and more energy to transport since theyre heavier. The instinct to favor reusable bags springs from an understandable urge to reduce our chronic overconsumption, but the bags we use are not the big problem. And honestly, a little sketchy that ethylene cant handle sunlight. There are also some challenges regarding the design of such a policy, as Dr. Taylor explains. 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. Produce sellers in this busy agricultural hub 95 miles. Studies of bags environmental impacts over their life cycle have reached widely varying conclusions. And so when we think about these policies, were balancing these different environmental objectives. There are so very many variables. Every year, around 500 billion plastic grocery bags are used worldwide. Often, the problem shifts. California and Hawaii banned them, then New York. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast - Pinterest But University of Sydneys Dr. Rebecca Taylor says not so fast. Thats leading to a split in the anti-bag movement. 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. ETHAN: Like, come on, we dont need more toxic chemicals in one spot! Some social justice activists who work in low-income urban neighborhoods or communities of color also argue that plastic bags are a particular scourge. Scientists believe lasting symptoms following a coronavirus infection is not a single disorder. 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 I mean, look at all the kids roaming the streets looking for water after eating a single Saltine. Not So Fast. Fees have a smaller, but still significant, effect. Then, that ethylene can be sent to a new plant where theyll add a catalyst which initiates a chemical reaction and forms our high-density polyethylene. Twitter, Follow us on And if not, then maybe totes arent the best alternative. The court has given itself a deadline extension until late Friday night to decide whether mifepristone should remain legal. ETHAN: Clips today came from 23 ABC News. India followed the UK with a . Others, like in New York City, treat all single-use bags equally. Course Hero, a tutoring business last valued by investors at $3.6 billion, has cut 15% of staff, or 42 people its first round of layoffs . Do local governments get to say how these products are regulated? In addition to being my celebrity couple name with a girl named Polly, polyethylene is a string of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Grist is powered by WordPress VIP. So when you do lifecycle assessments of these two different types of material, paper bags end up being much worse on sort of their upstream, the manufacturing side, so its a bit concerning to also see the shift to paper. Like blueberries or trips to the bathroom, not all plastics are created equal, and single-use plastic bags are typically made from a material called high-density polyethylene. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Its what we put in the bag at the grocery store that really matters.. Follow us on As part of our commitment to sustainability, in 2021 Grist moved its office headquarters to the Bullitt Center in Seattles vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned | Greentumble Phytoplankton: How Too Much of a Good Thing Causes Problems. Two weeks ago, the Massachusetts State Senate passed a measure that would ban plastic bags from being dispensed by many retail businesses and require a charge of 10 cents or more for a recycled paper or reusable bag. Its like the Snapchat of ocean trash its no YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter, but its still relevant. How do we do that? Try Christmas now! So if its not effective, and its expensive, its not a recommended policy tool. I mean, I know it loves to hang at the cracker plants and all but wouldnt it have more fun hanging out with other creatures of the night? You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise. Bag bans seem to be all the rage, but its not the only option. Now, a new law hopes to take things a step further by banning these: single-use plastic pre-checkout bags that are not recyclable and can contaminate compost facilities. [booo] Yeah, that was even rough for my standards. Definitely not the intention. Seeing how nuanced this issue is, I asked Dr. Taylor what the next steps could look like. I hope at least one of those cracked you up. What she finds is actually leave the bag bonuses really dont have an effect. 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. In a rational model. 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. 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. Take two minutes, help out the show, and get a shoutout at the end of the show by leaving a five star rating and a review on Apple or Podcast Addict OR join our Patreon at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. 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? 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. Any time someone needs bags, make a trip to the back to get them and have them wait. 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. With respect to the bonuses we talked about. Its been more than five years since single-use plastic bags like these were banned from grocery stores, a ban advocates say made strides for the environment. 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. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World Right Yeet that wheat. [booo] Oil and natural gas are also made of carbon and hydrogen, so in addition to using them for energy, we process them into plastic. How Do We Protect Them? The Australian study concluded that the best option appears to be a reusable bag, but one made from recycled plastic. CLIP: Its been more than five years since single-use plastic bags like these were banned from grocery stores, a ban advocates say made strides for the environment. And the most common substitute, paper bags, may be just as bad or worse, depending on the environmental problem youre most concerned about. They increase their sales by almost 120%. Thats the percentage the Massachusetts Sierra Club has advocated for at the state level and when lobbying for municipal bag rules. These residents are trying to keep them out. In all fairness, every material has a climate impact, and high-density polyethylene is not that bad if you stack its carbon footprint against other materials or even other plastics. TAYLOR: Yes. Not only are there these human health concerns, but crackers and other petrochemical facilities are not located very fairly. [deep echoey filter] ITS INSATIABLE! 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. ETHAN: Now, it is worth noting that a single-use plastic grocery bag takes about 20 years to break down in the environment about as long as it takes the average to break down. So paper bag usage did increase quite a bit. Yeah, that was even rough for my standards. Better alternatives are available 10. Facebook, Follow us on It argues that while banning plastic bags may be good for the environment, it is not as simple as it seems. This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. And so its the sort of carrots versus sticks story, the sticks of the taxes seem to be much more effective than the carrots of the bonuses. On the disposal side, single-use plastic bags are currently not recyclable, but thats because the bags are so flimsy they can get caught in the machinery. So I usually recommend considering a bag tax first. Design and build by Upstatement. As far as I know, nobody has done the definitive analysis, which would necessarily need to have a large number of caveats and qualifications. We use. People still need bags to bring home their groceries. It honestly sounds like a superhero, doesnt it? As far as I know, nobody has done the definitive analysis, which would necessarily need to have a large number of caveats and qualifications. Salt Marshes Are Essential Climate Solutions. So were still figuring it out right now, but weve got a great episode for you today. Whats more? Im your host, Ethan Brown. Plastic bag bans havent fixed the entire problem where theyve been implemented. But advocates of these laws and journalists who cover the issue often neglect to ask what will replace plastic bags and what the environmental impact of that replacement will be. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group. But what if reusable bags arent good either? And as you mentioned, tote bags can be actually more harmful. First off, I had a lot of cracker jokes, but more importantly being a heat intensive process, the production of plastic bags requires a good amount of energy, and it should come as no surprise that these petrochemical facilities typically use natural gas for their electricity source. A pound of cotton requires more than 5,000 gallons of water on average, a thirst far greater than that of any vegetable and even most meats. I mean, look at all the kids roaming the streets looking for water after eating a single Saltine. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast [slam the wrong buzz several times, then rewind], Okay, okay cracker? How bad was Tucker Carlson for the planet. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. I collected data from supermarkets, on the types of bags people were using at checkout, both before and after the policy went into effect. Do single-use plastic bans work? - BBC Future And to be fair, it is an issue. And thats actually increasing the carbon footprint. Despite the good intentions of these new rules, plastic bag bans are problematic for a few reasons. 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. Again. Now, for various reasons, political reasons, taxes are often not favored by politicians, because people dont like the word tax. Increasingly, environmentalists are pushing for laws that include fees for all single-use bags, and that require paper bags to be made with recycled content, which could lower their carbon footprint. Heres Dr. Taylor discussing some of her research on that front. 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. Not only are there these human health concerns, but crackers and other petrochemical facilities are not located very fairly. Eat one less meat dish a weekthats what will have a real impact on the environment, says Tyler. Every time you need to process a new batch of polyethylene, you bring it to the facility and say, Polly want a cracker?. And thats definitely a behavioral effect that we find. 2- From a retailer's perspective, the thin plastic bags are the most economical of all. Plastic bags are made from non-renewable sources and on this account, highly contribute to climate change. When the plastic bags were banned in California, paper bags were still allowed with the feet. (The crunchy rich should already have more than enough tote bags from PBS and Whole Foods.). As the Australian study noted, a cotton bag has major environmental impacts of its own. So Im trained in thinking about how People respond to environmental [00:00:32] policy and particular and the policies that I focused on have been around waste and food. 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. Theres no easy answer, says Eric Goldstein, New York City environment director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which backed NYCs bag fee. Start with your washing machine. 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. Very broadly, carbon footprints are proportional to mass of an object, says Tyler. And now theyre using a thicker product with more packaging. Some people still keep streaks, I think! Climate change, they say, isnt the only form of environmental degradation to worry about. Last month, the New York City Council passed a 5-cent-per-bag fee on single-use bags handed out by most retailers. The Bad Astronomer Takes You on a Tour of the Cosmos. Plastic bag bans are spreading. But are they truly effective? The measure now under consideration in Massachusetts, for example, would mandate that single-use paper bags contain at least 40 percent recycled fiber. Not easy to recycle 7. For example, I talked in our plastic straws episode about something called default choice modification. There are so very many variables. Maybe call the manager over or fly the CEO in on a helicopter or pull the fire alarm so everyone starts screaming and running. No, of course not. Not So Fast" by Ben Adler focuses on the states attempting to end giving out plastic bags for free hoping to reduce plastic waste. That signals to customers that these arent reusable products. Then Oregon, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont passed laws against them. So thats exactly what I did. Because with any product, its important to think about all those three dimensions, can we as consumers reduce the amount that were using? Proposition 67, also known as SB270, officially passed in November 2016, prohibits plastic bags . You start growing weird pimples at 10, youre crying five times a week at 15, and by 20, someone has to carry you into a therapists office, throw you on the couch, and say its broken, fix it. For plastic though, 20 years is much less time than most other single-use plastic products. Theyre just not very effective. AD READER: This episode of The Sweaty Penguin is brought to you by Christmas. But thats not to say plastic bag recycling couldnt be more widely implemented. Before I jump in, were trying out a little bit of a different format today. But that understanding of each bags impact is not taken into account when we make a sweeping plastic bag ban. Like, get a life, man. In fact, they may even feel too awkward to ask for one. 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. Its like when your boss bans YouTube at work, so everyone jumps to Discord. ETHAN: The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. Not So Fast Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. 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. But studies conducted in Australia or Europe have limited applicability in the U.S., particularly when youre considering climate impact, because every country has a different energy mix. But what if reusable bags arent good either? California and Hawaii already have . Thats right, go get that bag. But on the other hand, paper has a much higher carbon footprint than plastic, its much more water intensive, its much more energy intensive to produce. out of class essay 1 - OUT OF CLASS ESSAY Banning plastic bags is great 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? The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Last month, the New York City Council passed a 5-cent-per-bag fee on single-use bags handed out by most retailers. It honestly sounds like a superhero, doesnt it? 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. Paper bags do have some pros over plastic theyre biodegradable, recyclable, compostable, reusable, all the fun -ables. [end filter] Never mind, that was underwhelming. The Massachusetts proposal may not become law this year, but its the latest sign that the plastic bag industry is losing this war. Now theres a breakthrough. Also, this question is something like asking, Would you prefer to get a parking ticket or a tax assessment? It depends on the specifics, but its better to avoid both wherever possible. Goldstein is confident that if people switch to reusable bags, even cotton ones, and use them consistently, that will ultimately be better for the environment. Cotton tote bags dont fare well either. And these different dimensions? Those are the kinds of topics that I focus on in my research. Microsoft quietly supported legislation to make it easier to fix devices. Heres Why That Matters. TAYLOR: When I put my economist hat, the sort of first tool that I really think that policymakers should consider is a small fee, or a tax on all the different types of carry out bags. 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. And beyond that, ethylene itself is a dangerous pollutant. And honestly, a little sketchy that ethylene cant handle sunlight. Of those 48, 16 had publicly available air pollution data, so I took a look at that group. On The Pros and Cons of Banning Plastic Bags by John Stossel Studies of bags environmental impacts over their life cycle have reached widely varying conclusions. Nielson & Associates Manhasset, NY : Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? TAYLOR: Yeah, well, Ill circle back to the three Rs. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. ETHAN: Beyond climate though, crackers cause a lot of issues for surrounding communities. ETHAN: Why does all that matter? 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. Remember when I said petrochemical facilities use natural gas for electricity? LASZLO: What I want to know is why I wasnt consulted in inviting this creature into our home. How do we make polyethylene? 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? Featuring special guest Dr. Rebecca Taylor, Senior Lecturer of Economics at the University of Sydney. The New York State Plastic Bag Task Force, convened by Governor Andrew Cuomo in March 2017, found that a hybrid ban on plastic bags along with a fee on alternatives is more effective than a simple ban.
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