For decades, plastic bags have been demonized. Endless complaints are made about them. This may indicate that too many people have too much time on their hands, or, that the leading “Plastic Bag Demonizers” have figured out a way to make money from the makers and users of plastic bags.
From an engineering, manufacturing, and customer point of view, plastic bags are a miracle. They’re light, strong, re-usable, and about one fourth the cost of a paper bag. More importantly, they’re waterproof. That stops millions of inconvenient accidents that take place when the soaked bottom of a paper bag gives way, dropping the bag’s contents to the floor or ground. As an added plus, a person can carry far more groceries in plastic bags than in the one or two paper bags that most shoppers can handle. Even the most rabid “Plastic Bag Demonizers” admits that plastic bags take up far less room in landfills. From every standpoint, they’re preferable.
But, the “Plastic Bag Demonizers” are above concerns about cost, convenience, or anything except getting rid of plastic bags. We get a hint as to the “Plastic Bag Demonizers” motives when we learn that an important leader of an environmental organization was recently hired by an organization representing plastic bag manufacturers.
That means a deal is in the works. The manufacturers have surrendered to their attackers. They have agreed to pay dane geld to the environmentalists. All that’s necessary now is to work out the details. The only sure thing is that we’ll soon be regaled with news stories telling us that “The plastic bag crisis nears an end!” and that “Progress is being made solving the environmental problems caused by plastic bags.”
A fraction of a cent per plastic bag will be paid to “concerned environmentalists” by the plastic bag manufacturers to get them off their backs. To pay that blackmail, the price of plastic bags will be increased. That increase will be blamed on “rising oil prices”. We will all pay more for plastic bags, and the enviro-blackmailers will have the funds to go after other manufacturers of useful, necessary products and extort money from them “To help the environment.”
Environmental pirates have done very well by attacking businesses that provide useful products. Their ocean-going ancestors made a lot of money attacking commercial shipping. Vikings did well in raids on defenseless farms and cities. Things go on.
