This blog was started, and is intended to illustrate that environmentalism happens through small acts, is not difficult, and that it does not always have to be some big life changing event that forces you to live in the tree tops with no electricity. All that being said, one of my small acts was to start this blog to gain some friends to help me save the world.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Plastic bags blow


Everyone knows that plastic bags blow.  Well I thought everyone knew, but seeing as how people still produce, sell, and distribute plastic bags, maybe everyone does not know.  So maybe it warrants a short discussion.
I think when we discuss plastic bags, so as not to bore people to tears, we can ignore the obvious environmental impact they present at the start of this chat.  Maybe a better approach is to think about the overall costs of the bags, not just on the planet but on people too.  Perhaps there is a reason they are so cheap, and can be given out at your local whatever shop.  But just because something is cheap does not mean it does not have a price, monetary, human, environmental, or otherwise.  I think that is fair to say if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.  There is always a price that someone pays, whether that me cheap labor or negative environmental influences.  And this is where I think the real lesson is for us, not always so intelligent humans, because it appears that we are sometimes slow learners.  The price we pay may not always be charged immediately, but it does not mean some nasty collector won't eventually come around.  And I think the collector is here.  The planet, as well as the animals and the people of this planet, are asking to stop using plastic bags, it is just not worth it anymore. 
We cannot get rid of these bags, and now we, as well as other life on this planet, are starting to pay for the extra baggage.  The bags clog our water systems, they pollute animal and plant life.  And for what, so you could bring a few things home from the grocery store, which could have just as easily been placed in a reusable bag.
It is actually quite funny to me, because when I was growing up (not so long ago) the grocery stores that my family frequented charged for plastic, and so to eliminate this extra cost we took our own bags.  Maybe that is why it is such a natural concept to me, take your own bags.  And honestly I get far less funky looks these days when I very politely say no thanks to plastic, wherever they may be doling it out.  
My environmental message can generally be summed up in a few short words (yeah right like whatever I say is ever short).  And that is not everything has to be easy and convenient, which is what is promised to us with a disposable lifestyle.  In fact the lies of disposable lifestyles are finally being revealed, and we should now know that simply taking any sort of reusable bag to ANYWHERE, not just grocery shops, is much better and dare I say smarter, than taking one of those pesky and always lingering plastic bags.  And guess what else, it really is just as easy and sometimes even more convenient. So haha take that plastic bags.   
Why do we need all this extra baggage?  Answer is we DON'T!  If you are like me I am sure you have enough baggage already.  So let’s applaud all those many cities that are banning plastic.  I am so proud of all the work you are doing for the citizens not only of your city, but also the planet.  I would gladly live in any one of those cities.  So please remember that it is easy to say no to plastic when it is offered, because let’s face it, plastic blows!  http://www.factorydirectpromos.com/plastic-bag-bans