To the Editor:
“In our obscurity – in all this vastness – there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save
us” — Carl Sagan.
This quote encapsulates why I am writing this letter. The plastic bag ban being debated by the city
council is something that we must implement.
A report done by the World Economic Forum states that by 2050 there will be more plastic bags than fish
in the ocean – let that sink in.
If we do not act in some way, we face severe environmental impacts that will be permanent. While the
plastic bag ban will not solve everything, it is an important step that our community has to take.
While the positive environmental impacts are paramount, Bowling Green will also see cost related savings
if we implement this ban. A 2004 report done by the San Francisco City Council found that it costs about
17 cents per bag for cleanup, that adds up to a national total of $11 billion in cleanup.
In short, I encourage my community members to attend city council meetings and encourage your council
member to vote for a plastic bag ban. Carl Sagan was right that we must help ourselves, and we have the
perfect opportunity to help heal our planet, the only home we’ve ever known.
James Egan
Bowling Green