A popular infographic depicting the life cycle of a plastic bag is the product of a Chinese reusable bag manufacturer. The infographic, which has been circulating on the Internet among environmentalists, was produced by Factory Direct Promos (FDP), a reusable bag manufacturer based in the Guangdong province of China. Go To Site

Progressives tend to be “less authoritarian, in that they have shades of gray, they don’t have unquestioning respect for hierarchy you know,” said Barth. Go To Site

California politicians didn't even bother studying the possible health effects of their anti-bag laws. They were in such a hurry to tell their constituents what's best for them, they forgot to check how their busybody scheme might go wrong. -Debra J. Saunders, SFGate Go To Site

Businesses: Environmentalists' bag bans fuel shoplifting

Environmentalist, Liberal, Crime, Oops

A Seattle, Washington ban on plastic shopping bags has resulted in spikes in shoplifting and net losses of thousands of dollars, according to local business owners. Mike Duke, who operates the Lake City Grocery Outlet with his wife, said that since the plastic-bag ban started last July, he’s lost at least $5,000 in produce and between $3,000 and $4,000 in frozen food. “We’ve never lost that much before,” Duke told local KBOI News.

Grocery Bag Bans and Foodborne Illness by Jonathan Klick, Joshua Wright :: SSRN

Environmentalist, Liberal, Government, Incompetence, Brilliance, Oops, Healthcare, Metaphor, Law, Regulation

Abstract: Recently, many jurisdictions have implemented bans or imposed taxes upon plastic grocery bags on environmental grounds. San Francisco County was the first major US jurisdiction to enact such a regulation, implementing a ban in 2007. There is evidence, however, that reusable grocery bags, a common substitute for plastic bags, contain potentially harmful bacteria. We examine emergency room admissions related to these bacteria in the wake of the San Francisco ban. We find that ER visits spiked when the ban went into effect. Relative to other counties, ER admissions increase by at least one fourth, and deaths exhibit a similar increase. -Jonathan Klick, Joshua D. Wright

UO chemistry professor David Tyler: Cotton Tote Bags

Environmentalist, Liberal, Narrative, Oops

So when you go to the grocery store do you get a plastic bag, a paper bag or do you use a cotton tote bag? The most sustainable option is a reusable tote bag made out of recycled plastic. That's interesting because the cloth bags are so vogue right now. Well, cotton requires a huge amount of water to grow. So in terms of water use, cotton is really low on the list. It's bad for the environment in that sense. Also something like 25 percent of all pesticides used in this country are used on cotton. So yeah, there are issues with cotton.

Plastic Bag Bans Lead to E-coli Deaths

Environmentalist, Liberal, Oops

Researchers examined these reusable totes and found significant amounts of dangerous bacteria, including, among others, E-coli. And there seems to be a correlation between plastic bag bans and increased illness, as bacteria-related deaths spiked immediately after San Francisco’s bag measure began.

Oregon norovirus traced to reusable grocery bag

Environmentalist, Oops

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon investigators have traced an outbreak of norovirus to a reusable grocery bag that members of a Beaverton girls' soccer team passed around when they shared cookies.

Plastic fantastic! Carrier bags 'not eco-villains after all' - Green Living, Environment - The Independent

Environmentalist, Liberal, Narrative, Oops

HDPE bags are, for each use, almost 200 times less damaging to the climate than cotton hold-alls favoured by environmentalists, and have less than one third of the Co2 emissions than paper bags which are given out by retailers such as Primark.