I was reading this post by Ross Kendall at EcoWordly titled “Plastic bags: can we kick the habit?“
“Adventures in the development of truly biodegradable plastics are showing that technology can help us with our environmental challenges, but make no mistake technology on its own will not be able to deliver us from our environmental quagmire. This will only happen when we are mature enough and motivated enough to make positive and voluntary behavioral change.”
The article discusses a move in Australia to charge a fee for plastic bags in an attempt to reduce their use and ultimate burial in the local landfill (There are roughly 6 billion plastic bags used each year in Australia). See a prior post here called “No future for plastic bags.” The reaction from the public is typical any time that “personal sacrifice” is suggested as a means to clean up the environment.
“Those against the move argued that people would struggle to get their shopping home, and that a large percentage of the replacement bags that customers used would be made of plastic anyway. It was also argued that the old free shopping bags were great as garbage bin liners and if they were not available then alternative bags, again plastic, would have to be purchased for the purpose.
In short they argue that the concept of charging for bags would be costly for shoppers (isn’t this the whole point) and in all likelihood not reduce the total demand for plastic bags.”
Mr. Kendall throws down a challenge …
“Test yourself. For me it is the litmus test for material rich humans to prove that they are prepared to really do something, do anything to protect the environment.
If with our free will, without the threat of sanctions, we can’t make this one simple behavioral change, that of bringing our own bags to the shop, then quite simply we have no chance. If we cant take a step back one generation, to an age where people did, without thinking, bring their own bags shopping then how are we ever going to make the real sacrifices needed for 6 billion people and our natural systems to co-exist.
If we can’t solve this problem for ourselves then we, the spineless and spoilt, deserve what nature fires back at us.”
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