2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

First of all, I'd just like to say that it's sad that OPB brought an industry-supported lobbyist on air to postulate on the glorious nature of single-use plastic bags. That's like inviting a tobacco industry flak to debate the merits of cigarettes. It would have been better to find someone who wasn't getting paid to spout off.

Secondly, people act like they can't live without these bags. How long have they been in use anyway?  Didn't people do fine without them before?  I don't remember reading in the history books about the populace rising up in arms because they couldn't figure out how to get their groceries home.

When seatbelts were introduced, it caused a huge stir. It required a change in human behavior. It was a nuisance to put the darn thing on before you started driving. Now it's second nature. You just do it. It would be the same with bringing your own bags. If no bags were available, you might forget a few times, but after schlepping your groceries home without any bags, it would become second nature to bring your own.

Let's not underestimate the power of habit, or the power to change our habits for the better.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
view in context