There seems to be a really positive movement across the world for everyday people to make a difference to the state of the environment. Everything you hear these days seems to be ‘green this’ and ‘eco that’, and I for one, think that this is great news. One problem that always seems to arise when people become interested in something, is that the opportunists sweep in to make a bit of quick cash out of the situation.
For a while it’s been obvious that a charge-per-plastic-bag was on its way. But now it’s here, how does it actually affect us?
To my mind, it’s another symptom of scandal which we are supposed to believe point-blank is a good thing. But, while the government insists that this charge is going to cause people to think twice about paying for a bag, I happen to disagree completely. Here is why…
Saying that five to ten pence is some kind of a deterrent to customers is a bit like saying “let’s put the price of red diesel uk up so that farmers are forced to find a new way to maintain their crops”. Of course, on the surface, cutting down on diesel would be a breakthrough. Yet the problem still remains: farmers need to do their work, and just as they need to do their work, customers will need plastic bag. So, in fact, the charge of a paltry five or ten pence here or there isn’t really much of an issue, is it? Surely after a few months we will all be used to paying for this and then we won’t even give it a second thought.
Hopefully, if the government see some sense soon, that won’t be the inevitable conclusion…
This brings me to one conclusion which I really wish wasn’t the case: they are putting the prices on the bags as a form of tax…a way to squeeze yet more money out of the man on the street and into the pockets of the government. Really, what other way IS there to look at it?
The die-hard enthusiasts for this idea will probably say that it’s to do with our resources dwindling, that it’s something to do with the damage that plastic bags do and how charging a fee for them will somehow absolve this. This is, of course, utter nonsense. That money will be distributed in a number of different ways, and while I can’t be sure of it, I am willing to bet that it will not be going into helping solve our energy issues.
The answer, really, has to be recycling. That’s the only way to produce bags that actually break down again. I don’t want my children growing up in a future where the whole surface of the planet is covered in plastic bags which won’t degrade for another 500 to 1000 years. Hopefully, if the government see some sense soon, that won’t be the inevitable conclusion. Just don’t hold your breath…
Just over two years ago, the owners of Chicago’s Willis Tower, formerly called the Sears Tower, announced a plan to modernize the building in order to make it significantly more “green.” Then, for a while, the process was log jammed due to a lawsuit. The owners of the Willis tower were reportedly rethinking whether they even still wanted to go through with the 350 million dollar procedure, given the complications that arose.
Thankfully, the situation has worked itself out, and More
I saw the postings here about green vacations and had to contribute.
Three years ago, I bought a 1984 Volkswagen Jetta and had it converted to run on vegetable oil (WVO). The theory behind this process is that, regardless of whether or not WVO is cleaner when it burns–which, in some ways, it is, and in other ways, it isn’t–you’re not putting any new carbon into the air. To really be enviro-friendly, you need to use true WVO (which stands More
Taking a “green” vacation is a lot of fun and easier than you realize. The following ten ways will help you save the environment while you travel. These tips will help lighten landfills, lower carbon emissions, reduce waste and even save your hard earned money. • Print all your maps and information before you leave on your journey instead of buying maps and guidebooks that are expensive. This way you will be able to spend money on more worthwhile items. More
Taking a “green” vacation is a lot of fun and easier than you realize. The following ten ways will help you save the environment while you travel. These tips will help lighten landfills, lower carbon emissions, reduce waste and even save your hard earned money. • Print all your maps and information before you leave on your journey instead of buying maps and guidebooks that are expensive. This way you will be able to spend money on more worthwhile items. More
A number of people keep a variety of pets ranging from the more common dogs, cats and parrots to the uncommon birds, tortoises and monkeys irrespective of whether they stay in huge mansions in South China or lofts in east London. This is a common misconception that what is safe for humans will obviously be safe for pets as well. The key is to be careful about what to keep in a house and where to keep it. Some More
The US has been quite cited as being the only country that talks more than it actually does when it comes to the performance of their promises. They have obtained quite strong positions to the development of green programs and yet remain the greatest polluter of the environment, closely followed by China and India. However, while the countries after the US are countries with developing economies, the US is supposed to be working on quite a higher level when it More
Disposing your garbage in an eco-friendly manner instead of throwing around can prove to a highly beneficial step in saving our planet. It will not only help you in dealing efficiently with the menace created through waste, but will also give you peace of mind that you contributed in the welfare of the planet.
While disposing garbage in an eco-friendly manner, all you need to do is to separate the trash according to its material. For example, the disposable trash More
I had a friend come to my home to use my computer to do a search for a GP job when he started talking about the governments push to have people recycle used products. He claimed that many people are focusing on plastic products and not many consider recycling cardboard products because they think it’s difficult. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"/>
If you believe that cardboard recycling is a very difficult process, then you are completely wrong! Cardboard More
