The Oregon plastic bag ban bill

I previously wrote a post about our problem with plastic, and the recent debate about a bill in Oregon that would create a ban on plastic bags in most stores inspired me to write another post.  Actually, it was the comments on the article found here that fully convinced me to write again.  As a note, I think that part of the rationale for the bill is to have more money go to the paper mills of Oregon instead of out-of-state plastic makers.  I like the idea of supporting our economy, however, I am more interested in promoting the idea of using reusable bags instead.  I don't know if this is a perfect bill, but I think that it is great that we are thinking forward and admitting that we have a problem.  If this bill helps us and generations to come, then great.


I am often startled by people's comments because lot of them are ANGRY SQUID comments, and I am genuinely surprised by how many people are angry squids.  In this instance, my blood pressure rose while reading the comments to this article because I was just so frustrated by the selfishness and shortsightedness.  I am going to quote some of the comments (verbatim) and then respond to them.  Before I do so, I want to say that I understand that not everybody is convinced that plastic is a huge problem, and I want to remind you that either way I love and respect you.  If you still think I'm wrong after hearing what I have to say, then I respect your right to choose.  However, I simply hope that you make your decisions about beliefs based on truth and selflessness rather than convenience.  Not everybody makes this type of decision based on convenience, but I feel like it is too often the case.


Here we go:
"Ban plastic grocery bags? You mean instead of using the lightweight grocery bags to bag our household garbage, I'll have to buy those really thick for-purchase garbage bags made by GladBag and Hefty?? And this helps the environment because????????? You can't fix stupid!"
First of all, I absolutely agree that using thick garbage bags is generally incredibly wasteful.  That being said:
1) Not all of the for-purchase bags are thick.  We used to buy garbage bags even thinner than store bags.
2) Even better, there are ways to deal with garbage that don't involve plastic bags.  From what I found online, it wasn't until the 50's that people started using plastic garbage bags.  What Matthew and I do is use a milk jug with the top cut off to collect organic waste, and then anything else can be put in trash can without a bag.  I'm sure that you can find something that works for you.


"Well of all the stupid laws to wory about. I agree there are so many more important issues to attend too.
Why in the hell don't they just require that all plastic bags be biodegradable? I have seen segments on the viability of that solution. They are made of either corn or wheat compounds. Let's just have all the Californians go back home and pass stupid laws there"
I absolutely agree that there are other issues that are affecting Oregonians including unemployment, the economy, schools, and a myriad of other things that need to be addressed.  However, that doesn't mean we should ignore the environment.
I'm not sure who has said that turning to plastic bags made out of plants was a good idea, but almost everything I have read has said that we can't use this as an answer.  The problem with this idea is that by using corn or wheat, we use farmland to make plastic instead of food.  Since food security is a serious concern, we should have reservations about this.
Finally... Californians?  Eh?


(This next comment was in response to someone remarking on how much litter is a problem.)
"Don't blame the litter, blame the litterer. There is a surprising amount of oil in our storm drains. Should we ban oil of every kind too? Goos lick getting around."
Absolutely littering is the responsibility of the person doing it.  However, it is a far stretch to go from banning plastic bags (which have a clear replacement of paper bags or, preferably, reusable bags) to banning all oil.  We shouldn't avoid solving one problem because there are other problems.  This makes absolutely no sense.


"Isn't it amazing that a small group of people we elect know what is best for us? Most of us use the bags and do not throw them out the car window. Think of all the litter pick up folks who will be without a job.Wonder what other stupid things they can think up? But we elected them to improve schools, cut back government spending,help the homeless, stop Illegals, etc. Plastic bags? WONDERFUL go team!!!"
From my understanding, we are supposed to elect people that we want to represent us to make good choices for our state - both the people and the land.  I think that it is their job to become educated about issues that we don't all spend a lot of time thinking about (like environmental problems) and then do something about it.  Additionally, many Oregonians are absolutely for this bill and are glad it is around, so it doesn't seem inappropriate for it to appear and be discussed.  Again, I agree that there are many important issues to be addressed, but I still don't think that is an excuse to ignore environmental issues.


"If this bill passes, here is what I plan to do: Do my shopping (I usually do most of it once a week when I buy a LOT of things) and when the clerk rings up my order and asks if I want to pay for bags --that the store will make a big profit on--just say, "No. Just put all that stuff back back into the cart like it was." Then say, "By the way, I will need someone to to take this to my car." When I get to my car, I will ask the courtesy clerk to put all the groceries into sacks or boxes or milk crates that I brought along. Let the manager of your grocery store know this is what you are going to do and I think the grocers will decide this is not a good bill at all."
I cannot tell why this person does not like this bill.  However, it in general just seems like a good example of belligerent, unreasonable selfishness.


"This hearing was a farce. It's obvious the conclusion was pre-ordained. This needs to be put on the ballot where the voters will shoot it down. This is not the proper role of government, nor should it be spending it's time on this with an official unemployment rate of over 10%. Communist Oregon is right. Police state is also in the making here."
Some would disagree and appreciate that our government tries to help out our environment.  Additionally, "communist"?   "Police state"?  Really?  I'm getting tired of these words being thrown around by people with apparently no understanding of their meaning.  This bill has nothing to do with either of these things.


"PLEASE PLEASE. Could someone please find a way that Oregon, california, and washington could just break away from the country and just float out in to the pacific and form their own rotgut leftwing, liberal, moronic state? You folks have got to be the most mundane creatures on earth. Do you have ANY idea how you look to the rest of the country as you liberals battle over bags? 
You have got to understand........after the bags these left wingers will then set their sights on something else to ban. It will never end. Does ANYONE have ANY backbone in that liberal democrat state to stand up to these worthless libs and tell them to shove it?"
I'm not exactly sure that we should care what the rest of the country thinks about us, but thanks for caring. :)
As for banning things, I'm sure that another ban will happen.  However, I think that they happen because collectively people seem really good at making really bad choices.  While I personally think that people should be allowed to make certain mistakes, I tend to think that if our mistakes are affecting everybody, perhaps that's when the government should get involved.  This is an opinion, not fact.  Just saying.


"Let's take it one step further and ban all clear plastic wrap on meats. Grocery stores can just put everything out in the refrigerated areas unwrapped, you can grab the hunk of meat you want and the checker can throw it in your cloth bag, a paper sack, or you can just hand carry it out to your car. Oops, did I say car, I meant non-polluting bicycle."
Hey, yeah!  Now you've got the idea!  Oh wait... You weren't serious. ;)
I think that this person is a great example of our population's inability to understand that things don't have to be how they currently are.  It is kind of weird that we wrap everything in plastic.  It's a very new idea, and it's not even necessarily good for us health-wise let alone environmentally.  While this commenter thinks he or she is proposing a crazy idea, it's really not.  Butcher paper is certainly an alternative.  It's been done before.


"Have you lamebrains thought yet about HOW MUCH IT RAINS IN OREGON? Those of us that have to haul our junk from Fred's home in it surely haven't ... but going to paper bags just means we won't be able to carry that stuff home before the bags get soaked and everything falls out into the puddles! Big help from you people who know what's best for the rest of us! No thanks to any of you or any more of your stupid ideas!"
Again, convenience is not a valid reason to continue doing something detrimental.  Additionally: Reusable bags.  I'm an Oregonian lamebrain who manages to walk to and from stores without plastic bags without problems. :)


In a sort of conclusion, let's use this moment to examine what we do and consider the immediate and future effects.  Let's be willing to reconsider our understanding of the world around us.  Let's be willing to inconvenience ourselves for the benefit of others.  Let's make good decisions so that the government doesn't feel the burden of the results of our poor ones.


And, of course, don't forget to be awesome!