Plastic Unwrapped
California considers ban on plastic bags — would be the first state to adopt measure.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
A year ago we reported on the growing island of plastic trash, now twice the size of Texas, floating about 100 miles off the California coast. The story reported how every plastic product ever manufactured still exists, broken down by the sunlight into smaller, even microscopic pieces, but not biodegraded. And much of it is ending up in the ocean, swirling about in a tidal vortex offshore, threatening ocean life while some ends up back in our food chain. If California’s Secretary of Resources Mike Chrisman has anything to say about this — he heads up a cabinet-level panel called the California Ocean Protection Council — then we’ll see a statewide ban of plastic bags. Assembly Bill 2058 could put an end to the question: Paper or plastic? Kera Abraham’s MC Weekly Cover Story last year on the floating island: http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2007/2007-Jun-14/Article.cover_story/1/@@index An update on recycling from our March story: http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2008/2008-Mar-27/even-with-the-help-of-inspired-local-recycling-centers-peninsula-residents-can-do-more-to-stop-the-onslaught-of-trash/1/@@index Californians Against Waste’ summary of the Assembly bill AB 2058: http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/current_legislation/ab2058_08 A SJ Mercury story about Chrisman’s efforts: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_10039462
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