[Michael-jeckson2]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It could soon cost California shoppers at the checkout aisle if they forget to bring their own bags to the store under what would be the nation's first statewide plastic bag ban.


The California Assembly on Wednesday passed legislation prohibiting pharmacies and grocery, liquor and convenience stores from giving out plastic bags. The bill also calls for customers to be charged for using store-issued paper bags.


The goal is to get rid of unsightly disposable plastic bags that often wind up in urban rivers and the ocean, as well as to reduce the number of bags heading for landfills.


"The biggest way to eliminate this kind of pollution is to ban it," said Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, who authored the bill.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100603/...s_plastic_bags Stop it! Stop it stop it stop it!

I hate California. It's like living in some tree-hugging alternate freaking universe.

[Theariwinna]

Wouldn't it be much better if they were to charge for plastic bags or both plastic and paper bags (like they do in a lot of countries/stores outside U.S.) and then use that money for environmental protection initiatives?

[Zhgpavye]

I think that sounds wonderful. Having a reusable bag in the glove box is not difficult. It just needs to be a habit.

[Sawyer]

I buy all kinds of food at Aldi (a cheap supermarket but it has great deals on stuff like chicken breasts, fresh produce, tomato sauce, diced and stewed tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.). You have to bring your own bags or boxes to carry out what you buy.

Personally, I love it, and it entails a very, very minor inconvenience.

Give it a chance!

[Jellowstrom]

In Ireland we pay 22 cent for every plastic bag. It's amazing how quickly you get into the habit of bringing reusable shopping bags.

[Michael-jeckson2]

I don't mind the bring your own bag idea, if that's what someone wants to do. But I don't think it should be legislated. If a store wants to provide bags for me to carry their items in, what business is it of the government's to charge me for it?

Eventually, California will force me to adopt a family of freaking Piping Plovers.

[Sawyer]

I don't mind the bring your own bag idea, if that's what someone wants to do. But I don't think it should be legislated. If a store wants to provide bags for me to carry their items in, what business is it of the government's to charge me for it?

Eventually, California will force me to adopt a family of freaking Piping Plovers.

Is this one of the 12 days of Christmas?

[broksaksaak]

I'm with Kirkus on this one.

Not using plastic bags: a thoughtful personal commitment, one which I suggest every person (and socially conscious business) adopt.

Legislating that businesses not offer plastic bags without a fee: overstepping the government's necessary role.

[FrassyLap]

In a perfect world, you'd hope that everyone would be environmentally conscious enough to eventually start bringing their own bags, but people are too lazy for that. Sometimes we need a push.
Personally, I think this is a great idea.

[vforvandetta]

They tried charging here last year, wth the fee going to an eviromental fund, but it was quickly stopped after a public outcry. (can't remember the full ins and outs now)
I use my 'green' reusable ones most of the time but if I happen to pop into the supermarket on the way home I'm guilty of using plastic. One day I'll get into the habit of keeping the reusable ones in the car.

[Michael-jeckson2]

In a perfect world, you'd hope that everyone would be environmentally conscious enough to eventually start bringing their own bags, but people are too lazy for that. Sometimes we need a push.
Personally, I think this is a great idea.

And now you're calling me lazy.

Bitch.

[Michael-jeckson2]

I'll make a deal with the state of California. As soon as they stop oil companies from drilling off my coastline and mandate that every citizen of the state own and operate an electric automobile and take big-rig semis off the road and legislate the microbial-crap out of my tap water so I don't have to buy clean water from the super-market... then they can come after my plastic bags.

If they do that first I might even consider adopting a freaking Piping Plover (not a whole family mind you. Just one bird.)

[squeerisott]

Where's an anti-government tea-partier when you need one?

[Innockcroff]

I don't mind the bring your own bag idea, if that's what someone wants to do. But I don't think it should be legislated.

Thank you. Why can't government focus on the major issues of the day, instead of things like this. States and cities are going broke, services are being cut to a minimum, there are innumerable problems that require attention, and difficult decisions. And they best our paid elected officials can do is a plastic bag ban?

[iNYZgxNC]

Where's an anti-government tea-partier when you need one?

LOL!

There's nothing like that here, but the closer you get to the college it's just a given that you bring your own cloth grocery bags with you. You get nasty looks otherwise.

[HBPujWBe]

I love the idea of this law. Otherwise, Safeway & other grocery chains will just start charging for bags, and keep the money themselves. Might as well use it for environmental clean up.

And I thought coastal oil wells were already off the table in CA? One of the things I've liked that the Governator enacted.

[Ettiominiw]

I'm all for it, I hate plastic. And after seeing those bags in trees in manhattan all winter long, just a bare tree with a bag or 2 stuck in branches rattling in the wind, I haven't used a plastic bag.

[Michael-jeckson2]

I love the idea of this law. Otherwise, Safeway & other grocery chains will just start charging for bags, and keep the money themselves. Might as well use it for environmental clean up.

And I thought coastal oil wells were already off the table in CA? One of the things I've liked that the Governator enacted.

There may be a moratorium on new leases, but as far as I know there are plenty of operating platforms off of California's coast. This is just over a month old:
SACRAMENTO — With the front end of an oil slick estimated at 600 square miles expected to hit the marshlands of the Louisiana coast today, California policymakers and spill-response experts said a similar disaster here could create even more problems, more quickly.

The reason: While the Deepwater Horizon platform that burned and sank in the Gulf of Mexico 10 days ago was about 50 miles offshore, all 27 platforms off the California coast are located much closer to shore, most in the range of three to 12 miles.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/apr/...y/?partner=RSS

[FrassyLap]

Sure, we want them to focus on bigger stuff (like the drilling stuff and the cuts), but you know government isn't going to fix a bunch of things at once. That's too much like right.
This is a step in the right direction

Seeing them doing something in the right direction is better than so much other crap they've done that's been to the detriment of California's citizens.

Seriously.

I don't see how anyone can see this as a bad thing, but that's just my opinion.

[Michael-jeckson2]

I'm not opposed to the idea. I'm a friend of the environment.

I'm opposed to government legislating it; making it law. I'm already paying 8.75% sales tax on every damn thing I buy. The registration fees on my car have doubled since I bought it 3 years ago. And now I'm supposed to buy bags to bring my groceries home in?

Bullshit. It's progressive window-dressing.

They should do something worthy of their time; go after the real polluters.