The Translucent Culprit

The difference between a jellyfish and a plastic bag may not seem relevant to the average shopper reaching for something to hold her groceries.Yet for a sea turtle living just off of California's coastline, the difference between the two for his dinner could mean life or death.Most Americans do not think twice about accepting plastic bags from their grocery store clerk or about the disposal of all these bags; yet the accumulation of these flimsy, single-use items can build up much faster than expected.Although extremely handy, the convenience comes at a price.Each bag has a much longer lifespan than its one time purpose of simply carrying vegetables from Albertson's to the fridge.From plastic production to decomposition, using a plastic bag for every purchase we make is taking a toll on the environment as well as our own health.Making a change is necessary, but how do we reconstruct a society that has come to revolve around ease?To start, San Luis Obispo adopted an ordinance in October 2012 that outlaws the distribution of plastic shopping bags for most retailers within county lines.These locations are also required to now charge a fee of at least five cents for every single-use paper bag a customer uses when checking out (Save).The point is to get shoppers in the habit of using reusable shopping bags.Some residents are onboard, while others debate whether or not making the switch is the best tactic for fixing the problem.Even though there might be some negative aspects, the ordinance to reinforce the use of reusable bags is overall beneficial to the county as well as society as a whole.Concerning the future of our planet, the fate of our ocean is in our hands, literally, when we carry a plastic shopping bag out of a store.Unfortunately, the destination of these manmade items usually ends in marine debris: pieces of garbage that have journeyed from land to sea by wind, storm drains, or directly dumped into the ocean.Ninety percent of marine debris is derived from plastics because of their tendency to float and their strong resistance to breaking down ("The Problem").Overtime, the poor habits of people and the bags that aren't biodegradable have created a particular patch of garbage that is residing in the North Look HereFor an alternative viewpoint on the use of plastic bags, go to http://savetheplasticbag.com/ Look HereTo learn more about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, check out this documentary: http://plasticparadisemovie.com