“A house divided cannot stand,” Abraham Lincoln once said. In a perfect world everyone would be able to compromise on issues in which we are unable to give an inch, but that will never be the case. Our differences and near 50-50 split on most issues make this country so amazing and unique. Yet, in my humble opinion, there are certain issues that we can’t be split on, like our environment.
Plastic bags, if you want to get a bit more local.
A huge fight going on within the city of Athens is a fight over plastic bags and if there should be a tax on them, a very big tax on them or if the city should try and outlaw them as a whole. The idea was proposed by councilwoman at-large Jennifer Cochran. When first proposed many were against a tax, ban or anything that would affect their life in anyway. While no one likes to feel inconvenienced, we cannot afford to be short sighted when it comes to the future of our city and planet. Plastic bags, while technically recyclable, present such a challenge that less than 1 percent of the time they actually get recycled and end up in the landfill. Almost every plastic bag that gets produced will find its way into either the ocean, the landfill or somewhere it isn’t supposed to end up. We are being inherently egocentric if we cannot do away with plastic bags simply because we don’t want to take our own reusable bags with us when we go to Kroger.
Councilwoman Cochran’s proposal for either a tax or an all-out ban has received so much backlash that is more than surprising to me. Many large cities have adopted bans or taxes. These cities include Austin, Dallas, Chicago and Portland.
States and territories have also adopted the ban. The entire state of California has enacted a ban on plastic bags for all retailers’ while American Samoa and Puerto Rico have phased out plastic bags entirely. While the move to ban is still in its infancy and I understand that answering “plastic” when a cashier asks your bag preference has become a part of all of our lives and a 10-cent tax can be a burden. We have to think, how fast are the plastic bags and all other waste we litter adding up and destroying countless animal lives around us? It really isn't such an inconvenience when you look at the bigger picture.
Tyler Corbit is a freshman studying journalism with a focus in strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you prefer paper or plastic? Let Tyler know by tweeting him @tylercorbit.
