By Katy Sweeny
A gigantic oak tree at Jellystone Park stands stories tall and yards thick. It”s huge.
I wondered how wide around it actually was, certainly more than a few people”s arm span. During the Record-Bee”s company picnic in June, I gathered some friends and my mom to help in the research. We stood holding hands, arms spread wide, encircling the tree. It took nine of us.
Though I might have been a tree-hugger at the company picnic, I don”t consider myself a radical environmentalist.
I have a sizable carbon footprint. But I do bring reusable bags to the store to buy groceries and the girlie products I want.
When I forget my bags at home or in the car, people can see me trying to balance my favorite spaghetti sauce atop my diet-breaking frozen pizza along with bread, milk, fruit, vegetables and whatever else I need. Sometimes I do get a plastic bag, but I feel guilty.
Californians use 19 million plastic bags every year, harming the environment and costing the state $25 million annually to collect and transport to landfills, according to an Associated Press article.
If plastic bags make their way into the garbage, they”re likely to stay in the landfill for dozens of years.
Some people argue that plastic bags and other products are degradable, but it might take decades, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“In truth, degradation occurs very slowly in modern landfills. Sunlight can”t penetrate, so photodegradation can”t occur,” according to the EPA. “Furthermore, researchers have unearthed cabbages, carrots, and readable newspapers that have been in landfills for 30 years or more.
It is unlikely that products marketed as degradable would achieve better results. Even if biodegradable products do perform exactly as they are supposed to, they still use up resources that could be reclaimed through recycling.”
While I see many Californians walking into shops with reusable bags, it”s not yet a requirement.
“California lawmakers have rejected a bill seeking to ban plastic shopping bags after a contentious debate over whether the state was going too far in trying to regulate personal choice,” the Associated Press reported.
“The Democratic bill, which failed late Tuesday, would have been the first statewide ban, although a few California cities already prohibit their use.”
Sen. Pat Wiggins, who represents Lake County and the 2nd District, did not vote on the bill Tuesday.
Assemblyman Wes Chesbro, who represents Lake County and the 1st District, voted for the ban on June 2.
“The bill”s author, Democratic Assemblywoman Julia Brownley of Santa Monica, said lawmakers had failed Californians by defeating the measure. But she said the movement to ban plastic bags would continue despite the setback,” the Associated Press reported.
“?It”s not a matter of if, but a matter of when consumers bring their own bags and become good stewards of the environment,” Brownley said in a statement early Wednesday morning.
“The bill, AB1998, called for the ban to take effect in supermarkets and large retail stores in 2012. It would have applied to smaller stores in 2013.
“Republicans and some Democrats opposed it, saying it would add an extra burden on consumers and businesses at a time when many already are struggling financially.
“?If we pass this piece of legislation, we will be sending a message to the people of California that we care more about banning plastic bags than helping them put food on their table,” Sen. Mimi Walters, R-Lake Forest,” said.
In most cases, I doubt charging for recycled paper bags would keep families from eating. There are many food assistance programs, even in Lake County.
Though California doesn”t have a ban on plastic bags, I think we should all act as if there is one, buy those $1 reusable bags, save the state a few million dollars and the landfill a few million pounds.
Katy Sweeny is a staff reporter for the Record-Bee. She can be reached at kdsweeny@gmail.com or 263-5636, ext. 37.
