It is the EEI’s vision to bring environmental literacy to all California classrooms. 90 percent of California parents share this vision, according to a recent PPIC poll. The California Department of Education and Legislation directed Cal/EPA to create the EEI curriculum. The lessons were subjected to multiple levels of expert and field-testing, independent review, and public comment. In order to ensure that the EEI text is factually accurate, free of bias, academically rigorous and engaging to students, the state went to great lengths.

It was revealed last summer that the plastics industry heavily influenced some changes to the proposed Cal/EPA Environmental Education Curriculum.  One High School lesson plan titled “Consequences of Consumption” was changed after the industry made some suggestions:

“In 2009, Gerald Lieberman, a private consultant hired by California school officials, added a new section to the 11th-grade teachers’ edition textbook called ‘The Advantages of Plastic Shopping Bags.’ In one instance, the title and some of the textbook language were inserted almost verbatim from letters written by the American Chemistry Council.

Although the curriculum includes the environmental hazards of plastic bags, the consultant also added a five-point question to a workbook asking students to list some advantages.  According to the revised teachers’ edition, the correct answer is: ‘Plastic shopping bags are very convenient to use. They take less energy to manufacture than paper bags, cost less to transport and can be reused.’ ”

When this story broke, it caught the immediate attention of concerned parents as well as environmentalists all over the state.  State Senator Fran Pavley, who authored legislation that led to the creation of the curriculum noted, “The American Chemistry Council obviously got engaged to protect their bottom line.”

On May 4th, Cal/EPA announced a new and improved set of changes.  The comment period ends on June 4th.

According to the Cal/EPA website: “These improvements are geared toward ensuring the text is academically rigorous, free of bias, reflective of instructional best practices, and factually accurate (e.g., all statistics reflect the best information available at this time).”

We are all pleased to see that the test question, “What are the advantages of using plastic shopping bags?” has been reworded to “What factors have contributed to the consumption of plastic shopping bags?”.   In addition, the recycling rate of plastic bags is also more accurately stated (3% in 2009 according to CalRecycle and not the 12% in the original version).  Best of all, the “Advantages of Plastic Shopping Bags” section has been removed entirely in this version.

We must continue to educate future generations about the severe environmental (among others) impact of the use of plastic bags.  In addition, we all need to remember…just one reusable bag can replace hundreds or even thousands of single use plastic bags over the course of its lifetime. Most are fully recyclable and some are even biodegradable.

A new method of counting plastic by Giora Proskurowski includes wind strength as an influential factor. According to Proskurowski, the higher the wind at the surface, the deeper lightweight plastics can be found below.  Studies previously conducted have only skimmed the surface of ocean waters.  Proskurowski’s method will include plastic as far down as 100 feet below the ocean’s surface.

As reported by Discovery (http://news.discovery.com/earth/ocean-plastic-hiding-below-surface-120427.html), Proskurowski recently tested his method in the North Atlantic and “almost every tow we did contained plastic regardless of the depth.”

In addition, “The submerged plastic measuring system could become the new standard for measuring the amount of plastic in the ocean. If so, it could change the way policymakers plan to deal with the plastic pollution drifting with the ocean currents, most of which is widely dispersed in millimeter-sized bits of debris.”  Proskurowski and his colleagues are planning to publish a simplified version of the model so others investigating ocean plastics can use it.

Mariel Garza, the editorial page editor of the L.A. Daily News who wrote the story, spoke of how this grocery store, apparently a staple of the working-class neighborhoods of the Inland Empire, found a completely “new way to sell a plastic-bag ban to consumers: saving money.”  According to Save A Lot, the company discovered a new way to save money merely by cutting the cost of providing plastic bags.  That cost has always been factored into the cost of goods, so eliminating plastic bags from their stores ultimately saves the consumer money.

As Mariel Garza added, “When you put it that way, it’s hard not to agree that those thin plastic bags are unnecessary.  Plus the cardboard boxes that once held the off-brand foods that Save A Lot is famous for were free for us to use.  We took one.  This also explained the counter against the wall in front of the checkout lanes, under which were stacked a bunch of boxes.  It was a place for customers to fill their reusable bags or one of the spare boxes.”

It goes to show you, the move toward reusable shopping bags is unstoppable at this point…whether cities or counties adopt bans.  Retailers can and are taking the lead when their local governments aren’t.

Save A Lot has “A Lot” to be proud of, not only by saving their customers money, but by saving our environment too!

In the next few weeks, at least three other City Councils are going to consider the same action.  Just yesterday, Watsonville held a public hearing and had the final reading of their ordinance.  Today Solana Beach, and on May 14th, Fort Bragg. Despite the aggressive, best efforts of the plastic bag industry, local governments all over the State of California are taking the lead and fighting back against the overwhelming plastic bag pollution.

The Ukiah ordinance bans plastic bags at all retail stores but allows the sale of paper bags for ten cents each.  Restaurants and farmers markets are exempt. Consumers all over have been using reusable shopping bags and totes for quite a while, so that option has already become habit for many.

This is the first plastic bag ban in Mendocino County.  Great job Ukiah!!!

This past week, the Honolulu City Council approved a bill that would implement a ban on plastic bags.  Plastic bags used to collect animal waste, and those that hold vegetables, meats and even newspapers, would be exempt from the ban.  If approved by Mayor Peter Carlisle, it would become effective in July of 2015.

If the ban becomes law, consumers may use reusable shopping bags, biodegradable plastic or paper bags.  The switch to reusable shopping bags has really taken off in Hawaii, as even hotels have moved in the direction by providing or selling reusable shopping bags and totes to their guests.  The reusable bags are not only eco-friendly but make great souvenirs as well.

Good move Oahu.  No one likes to swim with trash, no matter if you are a native of the Hawaiian Islands, a tourist or a marine animal.

The new policy seeks to encourage the use of reusable shopping bags by prohibiting plastic bags, and charging consumers a minimum fee for using paper bags.  The proposed ordinance, if adopted, would apply not only to grocery stores, but all retailers.  However, it would not apply to restaurants or to bags used for prescriptions, produce or meat.  Similar policies are already in effect across a number of California cities and counties.  And, the number continues to grow each and every day.  As the San Mateo County Health System so eloquently stated, in supporting the proposal, “We Think it’s Time to Bag the Bag”.

18 of the cities are in San Mateo County and 6 are in Santa Clara County.  A series of regional meetings have been held throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties since April 18th, and will continue to go through tonight, with the last two meetings being held in Milpitas and Redwood City.  The Milpitas meeting is at 2PM today at the Barbara Lee Senior Center, 40 North Milpitas Blvd., Room 140.  The Redwood City meeting will be at 6:00PM tonight at the Redwood City Library, 1044 Middlefield Rd.  The meetings have been and are being held in order to gather input that will assist in focusing the Environmental Impact Report on environmental issues that concern the public and businesses.

Milpitas and Redwood City residents and businesses are welcomed and encouraged to attend today’s community meetings to learn about the process, and provide any input.

Environmentalists have long viewed the bags as a curse to the planet because they take so many years to break down. Volunteers collect them by the thousands during regional cleanup events. Many beach advocates are optimistic about Wednesday’s decision and the fact that it just may spark a regional trend and ultimately help force a statewide bag ban.  “I’m proud … that we’re doing this,” said Councilman Mike Nichols before the council quickly reached consensus on the ban. “I hope that we’re not the last.”

The City ordinance will require stores to charge customers at least 10 cents for each paper bag they use, a move city officials hope will push consumers away from single-time use bags and make it routine for them to bring reusable shopping bags to stores throughout the city, as it seemingly has in Santa Monica.

Solana Beach is the first city in San Diego County to ban plastic bags.

Senator Fahy said, “It occurred to me during the Budget debates that this is one opportunity to take the lead in Bermuda and outright ban plastic bags.  The effect of plastic in the environment is quite unbelievable.”   While other jurisdictions such as Ireland have initiated taxes on plastic bags to discourage their use, he went on to explain that some areas of India have banned the use of plastic bags entirely.   Senator Fahy also realized that various local retail establishments have had some degree of success in promoting reusable shopping bags, and effort which he encouraged.

Although the government in Bermuda announced, in the 2010 Throne Speech,  that it would consider legislation that would ban balloons and plastic bags as as means of protecting the environment, it has yet to be tabled.  Perhaps Senator Fahy’s current position will assist in Bermuda’s environmental progress.

The Watsonville City Council approved a new ordinance prohibiting retailers from giving or selling single-use plastic bags for carryout purposes.  The City will now require paper or reusable bags.  Stores will add a 10-cent charge for paper bags in the first year; it will be 25 cents after that.

Santa Cruz County adopted their plastic bag ban ordinance back in September of 2011, and it went into effect on March 20, 2012.  However, Watsonville is the FIRST CITY in the county to eliminate plastic bags at stores.  Currently, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Capitola are still considering bans of their own.

According to Nancy Lockwood, Environmental Projects Manager for the city, “Since the county ordinance went into effect, some of the stores in Watsonville are already making this change.”  Laura Kasa, executive director of Save Our Shores, said in the month since the county’s plastic bag ban started, Safeway has seen a phenomenal increase in the number of customers who bring their own reusable shopping bags.  80% of customers were bringing their own bags after 4 weeks, up from only 10% when the plastic bag ban began.  About 18% of customers were paying for paper bags, she said.  That’s a huge increase in such a short amount of time.

The City will hand out reusable bags as businesses eliminate plastic bags from their check stands.