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California becomes first state to ban plastic bags, manufacturers fight law

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Bogus arguments (Score: 4, Insightful)

by tanuki64@pipedot.org on 2015-01-02 20:37 (#2WMP)

Thin plastic bags are reused, he said: They are repurposed as lunch bags and trash can liners, and they come in handy for pet cleanup.
That is not the point. Even if a plastic bag is 10000 times reused, what matters is their number and their effect in the environment. To defend the plastic bag they'd have to show that their impact is less or equal than all of the alternatives. Since they don't do this one can safely assume they cannot do this.

Re: Bogus arguments (Score: 2, Insightful)

by morgan@pipedot.org on 2015-01-02 23:53 (#2WMV)

By that logic, we should stop making any and all plastics right now, and go back a century in industrial technology (you know, back when the skies were far more polluted than they are now). There are environmentally friendly uses for all manmade materials, and there are environmentally irresponsible ways to use them. I try to do my part to keep the planet clean. Simply put, a reused bag is one less newly manufactured bag. If that's not good enough for you, get out there and picket, or run for office to legislate changes.

Re: Bogus arguments (Score: 3, Insightful)

by tanuki64@pipedot.org on 2015-01-04 15:41 (#2WNH)

By what logic? I did not say anything about making or banning plastics. I pointed out an argumentative flaw in the arguments of the plastic bag manufacturers. What I would have expected were paid studies, which show that plastic bags have only very little environmental impact. Promises to recycle more. Promises to make them environmentally more friendly. However, more or less they answered the concerns that plastic bags could harm ocean life with: They are so convenient and have many uses. Or even shorter: So what?

What's more:
who say their product can be easily recycled
Again a non argument. So they are not recycled, but only can be recycled? Not they want to recycle more? Who is exactly supposed to recycle? Sounds to me like the usual 'privatize profits, socialize costs'. All in all if that's all the plastic bag manufacturers have to say, they should fire their spin doctors. They are absolutely incompetent.

Moderation

Time Reason Points Voter
2015-01-05 08:22 Insightful +1 bryan@pipedot.org
2015-01-05 15:39 Interesting +1 spiritfiend@pipedot.org

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