To some a thin plastic bag holds no
value, and to others it holds too much of a value. What about those that just
want to take the middle ground? We care but not to the extent that we make it a
law to ban them. Understanding the importance of these bags is essential to
understanding the impact of them. So what purpose can a thin bag provide well
for one it make a great basket cover for a trash can, acts for storage
purposes, grocery usage, lunch carrier and numerous amounts of other uses can
be listed. In Austin may such areas ban the usage of these plastic bags, which
I must admit bothers me. I feel strongly that the state of Texas should lift
the ban off of these plastic bags in areas where this is implemented. My
reasons are clear, as much as it may seem necessary to ban it, here’s why one
shouldn't.
Firstly, in busy times like these
no one remembers to carry around a reusable bag after they used it last week
for their groceries. I certainly don’t remember mine. The easier option for me?
Take a detour and visit the Walmart on Louis Henna that does provide plastic
bags for me. Does that mean that I will grab a bunch and be careless with the
usage? Of course not. Those bags that I take home will be used for garbage
carrying purposes and other such uses. Now who did this situation benefit we
think? No one really. The sales for the HEB in my area decreased and went
straight to the pockets of the Walmart located on Louis Henna. It is important
to people that they have an easy way to carry their groceries. It is important
to people that they are given an easier option to revert to rather than going
home after a long day at work just because you forgot your grocery bag.
Let’s now focus on the fact that it’s
not just about our convenience or what we want. If plastic bags are being
banned, then what about those that make it a business to manufacture and sell
them? Who will compensate for them? Yes a greener city is better, however if
people have already learned the usage for them and the city is already known as
a pretty green city, then why make further laws which will only end up putting peoples
jobs in danger. I don’t think that people have considered that quite yet, but
it is true. Everything is a business, and t stop one must impact the other.
Discussing the topic of a greener
city or state seems just perfect doesn’t it? Why stop at plastic bags then? Why
not ban plastic bottles or milk cartons or everything else that harms the
society. I find it difficult to understand that in a world where cigarettes can’t
be banned even though they are a health hazard, there is banning of something as
small as a plastic bag. Coke cans create just as much of a wastage and hazard
that supporters of plastic bag banning have suggested. No one has heard of them
being banned as yet. Therefore the point is, if you’re going to start talking
about banning, there are many things that you can ban but where does it all
stop?
I personally feel that the city of Austin
should consider its choices on the banning of plastic bags. Not only will it be
beneficial for businesses but also bring other important things to light that
require more attention. A bag is simply not something that requires a law at
this time.
In the blog post from The Bluebonnet State on August 8th, the blogger explains her criticism of Austin’s plastic bag ban. She argues that the plastic bag ban does not eliminate the use of plastic bags by customers but rather causes customers to seek out grocery stores that do still offer plastic bags. Additionally, she is concerned for the future of businesses and employees working for plastic bag manufacturers.
ReplyDeleteI understand that the plastic bag ban can be inconvenient and sometimes just very annoying. However, I think it makes a small step towards creating and sustaining a more environmentally friendly city. There are so many environmental issues facing our state and world right now. Many of these issues have seriously harmful consequences such as climate change, ozone layer depletion, deforestation… the list goes on and on. However, issues such as ozone layer depletion are very intangible to the average citizen. It can be hard to feel responsible for something that you may not ever “see” the impact of. Additionally, issues concerning the environment are so much larger than one person’s contributions. It takes large numbers of people to both pollute AND “save” the environment. Because of this, many people feel less obliged to pay attention to environmental issues and therefore continue to contribute to environmental damage.
I think that The Bluebonnet State’s argument is a perfect demonstration of why environmental issues are so difficult for people to address:
“Discussing the topic of a greener city or state seems just perfect doesn’t it? Why stop at plastic bags then? Why not ban plastic bottles or milk cartons or everything else that harms the society. I find it difficult to understand that in a world where cigarettes can’t be banned even though they are a health hazard, there is banning of something as small as a plastic bag.”
Yes, I too find it difficult to understand why so many other dangerous things are not banned while plastic bags are. But, even with as much opposition as it has caused, I think the plastic bag ban is sadly one of the few things that can pass as a citywide ordinance. Even if the plastic bag ban only has a minor impact on the overall pollution and environment of the City of Austin, at least it is something. I think we have to start small to start building support behind the environmental movement. We have to start with the little things like plastic bags that may pose an annoying inconvenience but they do not substantially change a person’s day-to-day life.
It’s important to remember how precious of a resource our environment is. It is much more difficult to “undo” damage to the environment than it is to prevent this damage. So, I hope that people like The Bluebonnet State will soon be able to support these preventive efforts so we can gain the support necessary to make more substantial laws that protect our environment.
First off, I feel that you made a strong argument overall. However, you need to work on following up on your opening statements and not making so many assumptions when it comes to preferences and lifestyle. In the opening paragraph you asked about those who want to take the “middle ground”, but then never elaborated on what this middle ground would be. Try harder to make sure you cover all of your points made in your thesis. Also, you tended to make assumptions about the general public’s thoughts and actions, solely based off of your own opinions, so try not to generalize the public in your arguments, not everyone thinks the same way. I also don’t believe that your argument for convenience is backed up enough by factual evidence to be valid. You tend to be quite choppy and repetitive in your writing, work on assembling a smoother flow to your blog post. Other than that, I think your blog is very strong.
ReplyDeleteIn this article author of The Bluebonnet State criticizes the plastic bag ban in places around Texas in which it is implemented, and firmly believes this ban needs to be lifted. I would agree with the author in saying that it is absurd and a very large annoyance. There are many reasons that the ban is a bad thing, and the article's author listed quite a few of them which I will add onto.
ReplyDeleteFor starters most people that do own reusable bags, will forget the bags either at home or in the car, leaving the customer to carry everything by hand or pay an additional fee for a paper bag. This also increases the amount of paper waste. If the argument can be made that paper is recyclable, the same argument can be made for plastic bags. Another argument the author makes is that there are many purposes for plastic bags, so it's not like they are going straight to waste.
I believe in theory the bag ban is a nice idea and may seem necessary for the state to implement if they want to be "eco-friendly", but it's ultimately not making that much of a difference in the states plastic bag use, simply because you can go outside the city limits and get as many plastic bags as you want. The article also points out that though plastic bags may be banned other plastic items (plastic bottle, milk cartons, etc) are not banned. They are just are harmful as a bag. Instead of banning plastic bags, the state should focus on having easy access recyclable centers all over. The plastic factories can work on creating clean and recyclable products to be implemented into stores.
I do agree that the environment is a very precious resource that we take for granted much of the time and we need to do what we can to protect it. That being said, I also believe that the bag ban needs to either expand to all cities throughout the state to actually create a difference, or it needs to be done away with completely because all its really doing right now is creating a nuisance.
The post "Think Outside The Plastic Bag" focuses on the impact of the the law that banned plastic bags in Austin stores. The author believes the bag ban should be lifted for the following reasons:
ReplyDeleteIt is an inconvenience because people cannot remember to bring a reusable bag; and no one has benefitted from this situation. The author states, "The sales for the HEB in my area decreased and went straight to the pockets of the Walmart located on Louis Henna." Also, "It is important to people that they are given an easier option to revert to rather than going home after a long day at work just because you forgot your grocery bag."
The author emphasizes that the businesses that manufacture and sell the bags will be put out of work; thus, putting people’s jobs at risk. Banning bags has a chain reaction.
It does not make sense to have banned bags and not continue to make further efforts to continue to push for greener options. The author makes the argument that it is illogical to not ban cigarettes, and ban plastic bags.
I respectfully disagree with the author. It is an inconvenience for people to forget reusable bags to a store that has banned for the first time. However, is it too far off to ask adults to put a bag in their car for next time? Businesses will be affected, but good businesses know times change and that to succeed they must evolve. The bags have not been completely banned in Texas; they are not completely off the market. In fact, people are purchasing plastic reusable bags.
The author also makes the point that there are other objects just as harmful as a plastic bag that are not banned. In my opinion, this is a great start to continue to push for more eco-friendly options. Furthermore, the author is correct cigarettes are not banned and people have to pay for them, which means they are making a conscious decision. Reusable bags can also be bought, which leads to people becoming/being aware. They have a choice to bring a reusable bag.
Overall, the plastic bag ban helps the environment and that alone should be good enough reason to support the bag ban.
In the blog post Think Outside the Plastic Bag the author makes it a point to express why the banning of plastic bags is too little of a step to make a positive difference and how this ban is ineffective. She talks about the versatility of these plastic bags and all the different uses they really have. I personally agree with that statement because before those plastic bags were banned I really did recycle them and used them for many things, like a waste basket liner, or to transport my dog's food.
ReplyDeleteWhen she addresses the burden put on us austin residents, to remember to always carry a plastic bag for groceries, I, as well as a lot of other people can probably relate to the struggle she addresses. It's hard to always remember plastic bags when going to the store, and even more inconvenient when you walk to the grocery store and forget, forcing you to buy one for 25 cents.
Like she mentioned, these bags that we are allowed to buy have to be compensated for by someone, and the manufacturing of them has probably caused job losses.
The point the author made about banning all plastic containers I think is an awesome idea and definitely more progressive. At the same time, it's ridiculous, and I wouldn't expect any chain supermarket to comply with any bill that banned plastic containers. But we really would be making a huge difference, by bringing jars and storage containers to the store where all of the food is organized in "bulk", obviously this would also cause a cut in the amount of necessary employees so that's one downside, but it's just something to consider.
I can tell the author really feels passionate about the plastic bag ban and enjoyed her effort to prove that many other things should be banned before plastic bags are, like cigarette butts, which are not biodegradable and can really harm the environment.
Nice information, valuable and excellent design, as share good stuff with good ideas and concepts, lots of great information and inspiration, both of which I need, Very good points you wrote here..Great stuff...I think you've made some truly interesting points.Keep up the good work
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