Climate change, they say, isnt the only form of environmental degradation to worry about. Some social justice activists who work in low-income urban neighborhoods or communities of color also argue that plastic bags are a particular scourge. Plastic Bags Take Up To 1,000 Years to Decompose. And I also looked at not just shopping at a supermarket across the border but also eating out Instead of grocery shopping, and I do find that there is this, you know, substitution, this cross border shopping, some people do try to avoid going to, you know, regulated supermarkets, especially if they live near a border, where they can easily get to another another grocery store, while other customers if they dont live near a border, they might be slightly more likely to decide to eat out for dinner as opposed to grocery shopping, especially if they didnt bring their bags with them or that party. Lets start with paper: the only kind of bag that is, in the most literal tense, tearible. Often they need to be reused at least 100, if not more times, to be more environmentally friendly than those thin plastic bags that were so familiar with. They were reusing their carry out bags as garbage bags. Not So Fast by Ben Adler The author of the piece Ben Adler agrees that plastic bags have an adverse impact on the environment. 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. 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. ITS PAPER. Thats where this gets interesting. Advocates for plastic bag bans often neglect to ask what will replace plastic bags and what the environmental impact of that replacement will be. What she finds is actually leave the bag bonuses really dont have an effect. 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? Thats leading to a split in the anti-bag movement. Because with any product, its important to think about all those three dimensions, can we as consumers reduce the amount that were using? Different studies say different things, but the point is clear: even though paper bags are much better for the environment in the disposal stage, the rest of the supply chain is riddled with problems. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. TAYLOR: Yes. Climate change, they say, isnt the only form of environmental degradation to worry about. Paper does have its own environmental consequences in terms of how much energy it takes to generate, acknowledges Emily Norton, director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club. [wrong buzz, rewind] Cracker? It honestly sounds like a superhero, doesnt it? Proposition 67, also known as SB270, officially passed in November 2016, prohibits plastic bags . In fact, the only place they havent been is Dave and Busters. 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. If someone wants a straw, they can ask and get it, no questions asked. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. 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. So thats exactly what I did. 12:48 PM PDT March 16, 2023. And I think part of what intrigues me is a sort of principle of like free market economics is that people are rational actors. Because we do see such a strong response of having to pay for your bag, when you have to pay for your bag, it makes it an active decision, instead of just default, getting a whole bunch of bags that you dont really think about, we find that bag taxes are actually as effective as bag bans, and getting people to change their behavior, potentially without some of the unintended consequences of completely eliminating an option making people switch to other bags, which might actually be more harmful for the environment. What do they think this is, a Ritz quick scheme? So some of my recent research was looking at to what extent do we actually see border shopping occur? Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. All donations matched! Im really proud of this one and I hope you enjoy it! Try Christmas now! Better alternatives are available 10. Plastic is a toxin that stays in the environment, marine animals ingest it, and it enters their bodies and then ours.. Physicists Rewrite a Quantum Rule That Clashes With Our Universe. Yes, this was a paper that was interested in how sometimes we dont always think about how people respond to policies, theyre sort of the obvious response. There are eight states that ban single-use plastic bags, and these are Oregon, Vermont, California, Hawaii, Delaware, New York, Maine, and Connecticut. Thats right, I said it. But theres also so much nuance to this issue, and its important to consider these consequences of bag bans as we come up with the best possible solutions. For more than 250 years, mathematicians have wondered if the Euler equations might sometimes fail to describe a fluids flow. In other words, rather than emitting carbon, they would take carbon out of the atmosphere. And so this is a really tense issue around. People still need bags to bring home their groceries. ETHAN: Today we are talking about bags: a word that simultaneously means a container with an open top used for carrying things, a lot of money, and any goal youve ever had in your life. And if not, then maybe totes arent the best alternative. That way youre reducing the amount of material thats going into the product, but you still want it to be something that youll actually find convenient and reuse with you. If your chief concern is climate change, things get even muddier. But University of Sydneys Dr. Rebecca Taylor says not so fast. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. But that understanding of each bags impact is not taken into account when we make a sweeping plastic bag ban. And honestly, a little sketchy that ethylene cant handle sunlight. 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. And all of these materials do better? Donate today to keep our climate news free. Was Implementation the Right Theme for COP27? Lets start with paper: the only kind of bag that is, in the most literal tense, tearible. In fact, they may even feel too awkward to ask for one. 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. NADJA: Where did you get your hands on a peer-reviewed study? The reasons for papers higher carbon footprint are complex, but can mostly be understood as stemming from the fact that paper bags are much thicker than plastic bags. Amid fracking boom, Pennsylvania faces toxic wastewater reckoning. So is there anything you would suggest to policymakers as they tried to address the issue? That said, it doesnt have to hit these communities hard if they have access to reusable bags. And you even have some states, at least 17 in the US who have actually banned bag bans, banned regulating bags in general. ETHAN: Another thing I wanted to bring up part of why I was so excited to talk to you is that there is the word behavioral economics in your work. ETHAN: But first, its time for Plastic Bags 101. I happen to have a peer-reviewed study that suggests otherwise. Have a listen. ETHAN: So where do we go from here? As far as I know, nobody has done the definitive analysis, which would necessarily need to have a large number of caveats and qualifications. So I am an environmental economist. Will we use our cotton tote hundreds or thousands of times? On one hand, we are reducing the amount of litter. ETHAN: Hopefully ethylene makes its What We Do In The Shadows debut in season five. First, we transport our fossil fuels to a type of petrochemical plant called a cracker. Cracker? Again, Im not referring to carbon emissions, Im talking nitrous oxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, smog, Sagittariuses, really bad stuff. You know, thats a bit of sort of the speculation of why these behavioral changes occurred. Businesses may be reluctant to engage in default choice modification because customers might not realize the law and think theyre just getting bad service. 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. 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. NADJA: After much deliberation, Nandor and I have invited a new resident into the house. Thicker, reusable bags are still available for purchase for 10 cents. But not just anywhere. Then Oregon, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont passed laws against them. Not only are there these human health concerns, but crackers and other petrochemical facilities are not located very fairly. And I think thats the topic I dont know enough about. Its the type of giving that allows us to plan for future projects and provides us with the consistent funding we need to continue bringing you the climate news that you rely on. TAYLOR: Yeah, well, Ill circle back to the three Rs. And thats not purchasing garbage bags. Okay, maybe Im going overboard, but honestly, if it were a small ordeal to get a single-use bag, I could see the inconvenience of that motivating people to bring their reusable bags to the store a whole lot more than a five or ten cent tax. Thats right, its always the one you most suspect. Our world faces increasingly severe hurricanes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and more, but grocery bags have somehow become one of the hottest environmental topics. 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. Cause of environmental pollution 2. Not So Fast Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. In fact, we can take it a step further. ETHAN: Like, come on, we dont need more toxic chemicals in one spot! Its like time outs. Thats one idea that Ive seen floated all over the internet. Wait, sorry, wrong kind of cracker. So if its something thats easy to keep in your car, or in your purse or in your backpack that you know youll reuse, then thats going to be the bag for you. This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. There are many factors to consider when looking at the environmental impact of plastic bags, and also paper bags may not be as environmentally friendly as people think. ETHAN: Specifically, well be talking about grocery bags. Come with external costs 9. I mean, throw some Dijon on there and youve got lunch! Over Half of the Worlds Penguin Species Are Threatened, A New Natural Gas Project in Mozambique Gives Locals All of the Costs and None of the Benefits. ETHAN: And that wraps up episode 106 of The Sweaty Penguin. And in particular, stores start offering thicker plastic bags and sticker paper bags for free. Produce sellers in this busy agricultural hub 95 miles. Oil and natural gas are also made of carbon and hydrogen, so in addition to using them for energy, we process them into plastic. 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. 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. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group. Because of that, the climate impact of a cotton tote is 131 times that of a plastic bag, and its overall environmental impact is thousands of times worse. And now theyre using a thicker product with more packaging. Its right up there with Taylor Swifts jet, Beyond Burgers, and figuring out which soup is best for throwing at artwork. Last month, the New York City Council passed a 5-cent-per-bag fee on single-use bags handed out by most retailers. Youre being ridiculous. 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. Recently, many politicians were in such a hurry to ban plastic bags. In a rational model. Monthly or one-time, donate now when all donations will be matched by a generous group of donors. Whats more? Like, get a life, man. 2- From a retailer's perspective, the thin plastic bags are the most economical of all. Whereas the small taxes are very effective. All rights reserved. California became the first to introduce regulations banning single-use plastic bags in August 2014. Its like excuses for not doing your homework. Multi-use plastic bags are catching on slower than their cloth counterparts. [deep echoey filter] ITS INSATIABLE! So I usually recommend considering a bag tax first. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise. Last month, the New York City Council passed a 5-cent-per-bag fee on single-use bags handed out by most retailers. Its like the Snapchat of ocean trash its no YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter, but its still relevant. Were finding that hybrid bands can be as you know, as successful as the taxes, just standalone taxes. I mean, look at all the kids roaming the streets looking for water after eating a single Saltine. But for UPROSE, that concern is outweighed by the negative impacts of plastic bags on disadvantaged communities. NADJA: Will you at least go and talk to it? 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? Others, like in New York City, treat all single-use bags equally. Cotton tote bags dont fare well either. The Massachusetts proposal may not become law this year, but it's the latest sign that the plastic bag industry is losing this war. There are so very many variables. Fees have a smaller, but still significant, effect. 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. 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. And in pretty much any case, people shift to an alternative type of grocery bag, and while plastic is unique in that it does not decompose, other types of bags have issues of their own. ETHAN: After we drill and frack and insert other PG13 sounding term here, we have to actually turn our fossil fuels into polyethylene. How Do We Protect Them? And thats just not true. The reasons for papers higher carbon footprint are complex, but can mostly be understood as stemming from the fact that paper bags are much thicker than plastic bags. Not So Fast." Whos building these things, Triscuit? And then sometimes theres these added responses that are unintended. Businesses may be reluctant to engage in default choice modification because customers might not realize the law and think theyre just getting bad service. And even if you use the word fee, sometimes people dont like that as well. Bags made out of woven plastic like polypropylene can be reused over and over, meaning even though there are consequences to producing plastic, you dont have to manufacture as many bags.
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