Ways to Throw Away Less Plastic
Author Archives: Deborah Miuccio
People’s Climate March
Save the Date – the weekend of September 20 is the People’s Climate March in NYC.
People’s Climate March
Bill McKibben calls it an invitation “to anyone who’d like to prove to themselves, and to their children, that they give a damn about the biggest crisis our civilization has ever faced.”
Without a doubt, the People’s Climate March will be the largest single event on climate that has been organized to date.
In September, world leaders are coming to New York City for a historic UN summit on climate change. Organizers are hoping the People’s Climate March will be the largest-ever demonstration demanding action on climate change.
The goal of the march is to take to the streets to demand for “a world with an economy that works for people and the planet. A world safe from the ravages of climate change. A world with good jobs, clean air, and healthy communities for everyone. This is the moment to bring our different movements together, articulate our common challenges and solutions, and go big.”
See Bill McKibben’s article from Rolling Stone
A Call to Arms: An Invitation to Demand Action on Climate …
When world leaders gather in New York this fall to confront climate change, tens of thousands of people and maybe you will be there to demand they take action before …
The High Environmental Cost of Plastic Bags
Here are some reasons for us all as residents, organizations, and businesses to consider reducing our use of plastic and plastic bags.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers: $4 billion)
- Only 1%-3% of plastic bags are recycled worldwide.
- Industry figures show 90% of all grocery bags are plastic.
- Plastic bags are made of polyethylene, which is a petroleum product, and their production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption.
- It takes 1,000 years for polyethylene bags to break down.
- The amount of petroleum used to make 1 plastic bag would drive a car about 11 meters.
- Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade, breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits that contaminate soil and waterways. They then enter the foodweb when animals accidently ingest them.
- 86% of all known species of sea turtles have had reported problems of entanglement or ingestion of marine debris.
- Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die each year by ingesting plastic bags. These poor animals suffer a painful death. The plastic wraps around their intestines, or they choke to death.
- Less than 5% of US shoppers use canvas, cotton, or mesh bags. Please change that number by choosing reusable bags when you shop.
