What would the world be like if the whole world switched to being “green”?
Imagine that breath of clean, fresh air (not the air we say is “clean” now, but with barely any toxic gases sneaking in); the bright green foliage; the true contentment of life.
Of course, this world may not happen in my lifetime (but I can wish!). Yet is it not something to wish for? So now, all we can do is take small steps that will turn into larger steps to reach this paradise.
One of those small steps Edmonds took for people like me yearning for that heaven is the plastic bag ban. As many of you may know, Edmonds enacted a ban that said no plastic bags can be used during checkout (paper bags will still be used at checkout and plastic bags for produce and raw meat). Sadly, we were not the first city to pass this ban: Palo Alto and Malibu, Calif., and other places around America, along with many more cities and countries around the world, passed this law. Yet I am sure many wonder … how can this help at all?
A good question! The issue is not paper versus plastic, but to switch to reusable bags that have many more uses than even a regular paper bag — and therefore reduces our waste. Have you ever imagined what happens to plastic bags after they disappear from your hands? Either they go to a landfill taking up space, or break down into small, toxic particles that enter the water, soil and thus the food chain.
With this in mind, recycle your plastic bags where you can! Hopefully the estimated amount of plastic bags used in a year will significantly decrease — in Edmonds alone, for example, 8 million bags.
So get ready, Edmonds, for Aug. 27, 2010, the date when the ban will be enacted! Recycle as much as you can, reuse things whenever possible, and work with your friends and family to make this a more pleasurable experience!
The number of reusable bags continues to grow — but not enough that we can change Edmonds as we see it. There is still litter. There is still waste. There is still the over-use of resources. And yet … there is still hope that one person can make a difference on OUR Earth. Be that person.
Teos Bisbee is a senior at Meadowdale High School.
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