ConservingNow Community Change

Lois Kazakoff: On plastic bags and political will.  Lois writes about what is going to make a society change their opinion and laws about plastic bags.  Money, tourism and jobs.  Kazakoff, in a tiny editorial, writes that although plastic bags are not a priority for many tiny island nations - jobs and tourism certainly are.  And nothing will dampen tourism like a large floating mess of plastic bag rubbish in the sea or on land.  Kazakoff is right.  In order to see why plastic bags should be banned each person, city or nation needs to frame the debate in a way that is meaningful to them, the families or their livelihood.  In this case - tourism equals money.  Rubbish doesn't equal tourism, which means no money or jobs.  The plastic bag industry has a lot of power, resources and money.  In order to properly fight the fight and rid our lives of plastic bags - we need to be able to see why it matters.  Framing the debate in this way makes this issue real and quantifiable in a way that makes it so much more personal than saying "its good for the environment".  And that will insure success! 

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/opinionshop/detail?&entry_id=58493#ixzz0hGzMm1Ca