Corporate greed behind move to keep plastic bags

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It was a sad surprise for me to read that our South Dakota legislators are planning on saving us from the plastic bag police. Apparently, a number of them are signing on to legislation to keep communities from outlawing single use plastic bags. I’m going to start saving any that come our way so I can recycle them to these legislators. I’ll mail each of them a gift box when it gets full. 

Millennium Recycling doesn’t want plastic bags in the city recycling operation. Neither does China nor Malaysia. Malaysia is sending 150 shipping containers full of plastic waste back to 13 different wealthy countries with the message they won’t be the dumping ground for the rest of the world. Eleven of these containers are coming back to the U.S.

France wins the gold for this return with 43 containers. Sixty more will be returned to the U.S. by the middle of 2020. 

Since China stopped taking our “recycled” plastic in 2018, we’ve been sending it to Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. All these countries are beginning to say “no.” Ironically, China, after being the world’s dumping ground, has now been sending its plastic waste to Malaysia as well. 

(It should be well known by now that a lot of plastic is simply going into the ocean or other natural environments).

Our South Dakota legislators justify keeping plastic bags in circulation as a way of protecting the small business people of the state. I’m afraid the only business they are supporting is the largest, most wealthy and powerful business the world has ever known, the fossil fuel business. Plastic bags are made from polyethylene. Ethylene is derived from natural gas and petroleum. Driven by their need to protect their investment in the ground, worried we will actually develop our alternative energy resources, the fossil fuel industry is working hard to incase us in plastic, from the cradle to the grave. For instance, why cut down trees to have a wooden casket when plastic will be more durable and maybe even cheaper?

I’m guessing those same state legislators would agree with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. When asked if divestment from fossil fuels, proposed by climate activist Greta Thunberg, would pose a threat to U.S. economic growth, Mnuchin responded: “Is she the chief economist, or who is she? I’m confused. It’s a joke. After she goes and studies economics in college she can come back and explain that to us.”

Mnuchin, and too many other government officials, are representatives of an American Dream centered in consumption, in unrestricted economic growth, in unbounded capitalism, in continuing to foster fossil fuels. This works well for the privileged few and Wall Street. But somebody has to pick up the garbage and decide what to do with the plastic bags. Why should political decisions and everyone’s taxes be used to subsidize big oil when the industry uses that aid to make more plastic bags and continues putting carbon into the atmosphere, destroying the environment on which life depends?

Plastic bags is the news of the day as I read about “loneliness” in American society. We seem to be so concerned about “getting ahead, “or even “keeping our head above water,” that we long for relationship, with others and with the natural world. A 2019 survey discovered that nearly half of all Americans feel alone or left out. More than half said no one knows them well. We are discovering that loneliness is as physically problematic as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, or as obesity. It leads to more heart disease and longer hospital stays.

In a recent interview, writer Barry Lopez remarked, “Lack of intimacy seems to cover a lot of the trouble we’re in.” If our focus is on consumption, it’s hard to have true intimacy with things. A yacht is a poor substitute for trusted friends. Volunteering works better against loneliness than one more possession added to the storage bin.

In the same way, we need intimacy with the natural world to avoid loneliness. Whether it’s a walk in the park or a hike in the mountains, climbing a tree or playing with the dog, that kind of intimacy with our environment is essential for our mental, emotional and physical health. It’s a sure fire way to beat the loneliness epidemic. 

An earlier understanding of the American dream included shelter, food, health, meaningful work and community for each and every person. It included neighborliness and mutual aid. It included town hall meetings and ice cream socials. The structures of society encouraged social and environmental interaction, often out of necessity. It didn’t include plastic bags. I doubt small business people include them as essential to their well being and part of the American dream.