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. Scientists are working on that, and according to a 2021 thesis study from LUT University in Finland, if that process were powered by clean energy, plastic bags made from carbon dioxide could actually be carbon negative. Come with external costs 9. The first time you say your dog ate it, its a funny story, but by the fifth time, youre definitely going to fail first grade. And beyond that, ethylene itself is a dangerous pollutant. Of those 48, 16 had publicly available air pollution data, so I took a look at that group. There are so very many variables. The measure now under consideration in Massachusetts, for example, would mandate that single-use paper bags contain at least 40 percent recycled fiber. Like, get a life, man. 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. How Do We Protect Avocados From Drought, Deforestation, and Drug Cartels? Not So Fast' by Ben Adler & 'Choking the oceans with plastic' by Charles J. Moore. The larger takeaway is that no bag is free of environmental impact, whether thats contributing to climate change, ocean pollution, water scarcity, or pesticide use. ETHAN: Beyond climate though, crackers cause a lot of issues for surrounding communities. Not So Fast Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. Christmas: no, were not going to stop. Not good places to be adding more polluting facilities. Plastic bags not only destroy the physical infrastructure, she says, referring to the way they clog up storm drains and other systems, they contribute to emissions. And she points out that marine plastic pollution is a threat to low-income people who fish for their dinner: So many frontline communities depend on food coming from the ocean. Thats why her group supported New York Citys bag fee even though its more of a burden on lower-income citizens. Even if bags arent the worst offender though, theyre a very hot topic and in my opinion, a really really interesting and misunderstood one, so Im very excited to talk about it today. In Staten Island, perhaps? Yeah, that was even rough for my standards. 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. Thats primarily because more energy is required to produce and transport paper bags. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Plastic bags not only destroy the physical infrastructure, she says, referring to the way they clog up storm drains and other systems, they contribute to emissions. And she points out that marine plastic pollution is a threat to low-income people who fish for their dinner: So many frontline communities depend on food coming from the ocean. Thats why her group supported New York Citys bag fee even though its more of a burden on lower-income citizens. Definitely not the intention. Its like excuses for not doing your homework. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. As plastic bag bans go into effect, some question the unintended Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World Right The 13 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride, The Best Barefoot Shoes for Walking or Running. 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 not just anywhere. In other words, rather than emitting carbon, they would take carbon out of the atmosphere. And so in terms of ranking those, that would be my order, taxes, hybrid bands, and then least preferred standalone bands. 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. Cracker? AD READER: This episode of The Sweaty Penguin is brought to you by Christmas. Recently, many politicians were in such a hurry to ban plastic bags. But for UPROSE, that concern is outweighed by the negative impacts of plastic bags on disadvantaged communities. 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. You get merch, bonus content, and more. The Ike Dike is the Army Corps of Engineers largest project ever. Special thanks to our Emperor Penguin patrons Lawrence Harris and Brownies Central. ETHAN: Its true. Banning plastic bags is great for the world, right? | Grist And thats not purchasing garbage bags. Thats leading to a split in the anti-bag movement. It honestly sounds like a superhero, doesnt it? 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 . Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. Have a listen. Very broadly, carbon footprints are proportional to mass of an object, says Tyler. And honestly, a little sketchy that ethylene cant handle sunlight. ETHAN: Plastic bag bans also can negatively affect businesses. I hardly know her! If they dont get reused a certain amount of time. Oil and natural gas are also made of carbon and hydrogen, so in addition to using them for energy, we process them into plastic. 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. If we do that, well see less polluted oceans, improved public health, and maybe, for the first time in history, Polly wont want a cracker. 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. 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. [deep echoey filter] ITS INSATIABLE! Already in Massachusetts, 32 towns and cities have passed bag bans or fees. And so my recommendation is to use as few bags as you can reuse the ones that you do purchase and purchase your bags, make it an active decision. TAYLOR: Yeah, well, Ill circle back to the three Rs. How do we do that? How do we make polyethylene? Reader support helps sustain our work. TAYLOR: Its a great question, I would say its a bit nuanced, because that was just respect with respect to the plastic bags. So I wont rehash it all today, but if you listen to our episodes on fracking or the Permian Basin or the Haynesville Shale, youll learn a little bit about the villain origin story of plastic bags, and some of the many issues to which they contribute. The adverse impacts of plastic bags are undeniable: When theyre not piling up in landfills, theyre blocking storm drains, littering streets, getting stuck in trees, and contaminating oceans, where fish, seabirds, and other marine animals eat them or get tangled up in them. Were finding that hybrid bands can be as you know, as successful as the taxes, just standalone taxes. Twitter, Follow us on And then if when those you know are no longer possible, can we recycle them? And so I was interested in understanding to what degree does a patchwork of policies actually lead customers to switch where theyre shopping. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. And even if you use the word fee, sometimes people dont like that as well. Not So Fast Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. Solar and wind companies are coming to rural Texas. Very broadly, carbon footprints are proportional to mass of an object, says Tyler. That signals to customers that these arent reusable products. ETHAN: Obviously, this is a ridiculously nuanced issue, and while it might not be the most pressing concern of our generation, its absolutely worth discussing, especially given how popular the topic has been. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast debut in season five. Not easy to recycle 7. Paper bags do have some pros over plastic theyre biodegradable, recyclable, compostable, reusable, all the fun -ables. That's why any good plastic bag ban attempts to avoid a surge in paper bag use by also implementing a paper bag fee, ideally nudging shoppers to bring bags from home instead. The big difference is that paper does biodegrade eventually. Shortly after, 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. 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. Its not easy being a green consumer, in part because there are these different dimensions of environmental impact. You know, thats a bit of sort of the speculation of why these behavioral changes occurred. Or, another idea, what if plastic could be made directly from carbon dioxide that we suck from the atmosphere? You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise. New clinical trials could more effectively reach solutions. But in terms of plastic, you are correct. Thats right, nothing like getting high on your own supply. (Cindy) Works Cited. They were reusing their carry out bags as garbage bags. And these different dimensions? NADJA: Its perfectly harmless, Laszlo. 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. ETHAN: But first, its time for Plastic Bags 101. Scientists believe lasting symptoms following a coronavirus infection is not a single disorder. The Australian study concluded that the best option appears to be a reusable bag, but one made from recycled plastic. Cracker plants release air pollutants such as benzene which is linked to cancer and childhood leukemia, toluene which is linked to birth defects and brain, liver, and kidney problems, formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen, and particulate matter which is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and lung and bladder cancer. So that means fewer animals getting entangled over time which is good, but unfortunately, it also means plastic bags take a lot less time to become microplastics. It may not be big enough. Thats the percentage the Massachusetts Sierra Club has advocated for at the state level and when lobbying for municipal bag rules. Was Implementation the Right Theme for COP27? 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. 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. And the most common substitute, paper bags, may be just as bad or worse, depending on the environmental problem youre most concerned about. In a queer vacation hot spot on Cape Cod, an ad hoc community proved that Americans can stifle large outbreaksif they want to. The court has given itself a deadline extension until late Friday night to decide whether mifepristone should remain legal. And behavioral economics really explores a lot of that. And all of these materials do better? And thats actually increasing the carbon footprint. And if not, then maybe totes arent the best alternative. Throwing This Out Here: Plastic Bags Are Amazing and You Should Appreciate Them More, Trash Is Ugly, But Recycling Is Downright Beautiful. 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. Businesses may be reluctant to engage in default choice modification because customers might not realize the law and think theyre just getting bad service. ETHAN: And that wraps up episode 106 of The Sweaty Penguin. Still, many environmentalists argue that plastic is worse than paper. Last month, the New York City Council passed a 5-cent-per-bag fee on single-use bags handed out by most retailers. 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. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great For the World Right Questions 1-5.docx Thats right, the solution to single use plastic isnt bans, its awkwardness! Thats the percentage the Massachusetts Sierra Club has advocated for at the state level and when lobbying for municipal bag rules. Others, like in New York City, treat all single-use bags equally.

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