Plastic Bags

[Guest guest]

When checking out at the grocery store, you may think that the

plastic bag you are being offered is free. The truth, however, is

that from the beginning of its life cycle, the plastic bag brings

costs too great to ignore. The price is paid by our air, our

oceans, wild animals, and even the human economy. Just look

around and you will notice the bags are everywhere, they are

hanging in trees, floating on the side of the road, in the

bay...everywhere.

 

Plastics do not biodegrade; no naturally occurring organisms can

break down the polymers in plastic. Instead, plastic photo

degrades: sunlight breaks the plastic down into smaller and

smaller pieces until plastic dust remains.

 

Broken down plastic dust may be small, but can still be consumed

by birds, fish, and sea turtles, and interferes with natural

ecosystems. In the central North Pacific, researchers have found

six pounds of degraded plastic for every one pound of surface

zooplankton.

 

There is only one way out from the damage that we have caused to

the environment, purchase sturdy, environmentally friendly,

reusable bags. Scale back the role plastic bags play in your

life.

 

Do something before our children face a day when birds and

turtles are historical animals, like dinosaurs are for now.