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February 15, 2008
Save The Environment!
When I was coming up (we say that here in the South) I used to hear all the time, "Save the whales!" Well, I guess we saved them, since we don't here that much anymore. Not around here, anyway. I imagine that the whales say it a lot, but they're not talking to us, so I'll just move on.
Now, we hear calls to make this a "green planet". We've actually been hearing these calls for about as long as I have heard "Save the whales", but now, it seems, we are listening. I know I have listened. I now recycle as often as I can, wherever, and whenever I can. Sometimes, others don't care, but I do. We recently purchased recycled bags, and now we don't use those awful plastic bags anymore, which just clutter up our environment, and take up valuable space in the landfill.
Did I say we don't use them anymore? Let me adjust that statement by saying we don't use them as much anymore. We still use them for garbage bags, so they still clutter up our environment, and take up valuable space in the landfill, but somehow, I feel better for not using as many of them. I mean, we are just one family, trying to leave this world a little bit better than we found it. We do our part.
Do you?
Here are some facts about those ubiquitous plastic bags...
Plastic bag facts
• The US uses 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many bags.
• Four of 5 grocery bags in the US are now plastic.
• Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found incoastal cleanups, according to the Center for Marine Conservation.
• Plastic bags take up to 1,000 years to degrade in a landfill.
Source: Reusablebags.com (a website which sells reusable shopping bags and advocates against plastic bag use)
Sorry for the guilt trip. You may go on about your day now.
(Actually, I'm not that sorry. Recycle!)
Posted by Jon at February 15, 2008 08:27 PM