It’s an issue that has been brewing for quite some time. Now the state of California is taking things to the next level, as Assembly Bill 1998 works it’s way through the state legislature. The bill, if passed, would enact a partial ban on the use of plastic bags in the state of California at supermarkets and other retailers. But the movement toward getting people to switch to reusable bags and ditch the plastic bags has not come without a fight.

While millions of people are hoping that the bag ban takes effect, many others have fought against it, not least because those who make all those plastic bags each year will lose money if the bill is enacted. Others who have publicly opposed banning the plastic bag have cited such reasons as a concern that reusable bags may carry germs, since people may not take the time to properly wash them.

As California pushes on toward banning plastic bags, including recently gaining the support of the Governor, many facts regarding plastic bag use have come to the forefront. In California alone, roughly 19 billion plastic bags are used per year, and that averages out to about 600 bags annually for every person in the state. All those bags add up to approximately 147,000 tons of waste each year. Furthermore, the state spends some $25 million per year to clean up the waste from all these bags, which frequently end up clogging the waterways.

If AB 1998 passes, the bags that are still permitted may have a nickel tax imposed upon them. But when you consider the environmental damage related to the use of plastic bags, the money raised by that new tax would be a drop in the bucket. It takes a tremendous amount of oil to produce and ship plastic bags, and far too many end up harming the environment, often making their way into the oceans, where they contribute to immense garbage patches. Such bags have even been blamed for killing sea turtles.

As the state moves closer to a plastic bag ban, there is no doubt that other states will end up following suit. The sooner we all take reusable bags by the handle and get busy using them, the better. And, to avoid any germ-related risks associated with them, simply make them a regular part of your wash-day routine.

Helpful Links:

Mercury News: Plastic bag fee is a tax you don’t have to pay.

California legislature looks to ban the bag.

According to news reports, the firm behind the “Octocopter” is readying a future demonstration of their technology for U.S. representatives of the anti-whaling organization. From the article: “Developed over two years, the machine features state-of-the art electronic GPS wizardry and video and still cameras. The ‘octocopter’ – so called because of its eight propellers – is ‘flown’ like a helicopter and can be kept in the air for up to 30 minutes before batteries have to be recharged.”

Excessive whaling is as illegal for Japanese ships as for anyone else in the world, but ships like the Nisshin Maru have been able to skirt the rules under the guise of “research sampling.” An extra pair (or eight) of eyes in the sky courtesy of Sea Shepherd, however, could seriously aid in monitoring illegal on-deck activities–and, perhaps, prove a crushing blow to the whaling industry.

And we’re not talking simply cans and bottles here either; in 2006 Mayor Newsom instituted a Mandatory Construction and Demolition Debris Recovery Ordinance, which means that 72% number includes all waste generated on construction sites too.

Truly remarkable! San Francisco is a city of principals, however, and officials are not content to sit back comfortably on a number like 72% — though it may be the best so far, it’s still a C-average in the grand scheme of things, and San Francisco is looking to bring their A-game as soon as possible.

“If we captured everything going to landfill that could have been recycled or composted, we’d have a 90% recycling rate” said San Franciso Department of the Environment Director Jared Blumenfeld. “The Board of Supervisors will soon be considering an ordinance that will require residents and businesses to sign up and use the recycling and composting programs, which we need to make our goals.”

Go, San Francisco! We look forward to tracking your continued progress, and can only hope that many other cities see fit to follow in your footsteps.

Why is the fee 25 cents?

* To effectively deter the use of single-use bags and encourage consumers to switch to reusable bags, the fee must be set high enough to have a real impact on consumer behavior. Ireland’s current bag fee is set at the equivalent of 33 U.S. cents. The policy was so successful that it significantly reduced plastic bag litter by over 90%.

Is this a tax?

* No. This is a regulatory fee under Article XIII A of the California Constitution because the amount and nature of the fee have a fair and reasonable relationship to the environmental, public health, and societal burdens imposed by the use of plastic and paper carryout bags.

This bill could be huge — one of its strongest points is that it doesn’t let paper bags off the hook, curbing the plastic industry’s cries of biased treatment and holding paper plants equally accountable for wasteful production and unsound ecological policies. But this bill needs your help. Do you believe in a less wasteful tomorrow for California? Then send Assemblymember Brownley a letter and let her know you support the cause! It only takes a few minutes, and it’s an uphill battle for these sorts of bills. We already sent ours! Take the time today — the environment will thank you for it.

U.S. Vice-President turned eco-activist Al Gore has been a major player in the fight against global warming in the past few years, and according to him the tides are about to turn in our favor. At a speech last Monday at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, Gore indicated that this year will be monumental for environmentalists asserting the importance of their cause, and compared the year’s importance to the battle of Gettysburg in terms of turning the tides of battle.

“We are radically changing the relationship between the human species and the rest of the Earth,” he said. “This year, 2009, is the Gettysburg for the environment. It is the time we have the opportunity to change.”

“The one thing that is going to allow us to win this is that thing that is inside these award winners,” Gore said. “Remember what we have to do, this year.”

Gore is no newcomer to environmentalism — it is an issue he has explored many times on the lecture circuit and in his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and his efforts with the matter helped earn him the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. This time, Gore addressed this issue as part of his keynote presentation of this year’s Goldman Environmental Prize.

Photo via Flickr!

LANCUP: Celebrate Earth Day #EarthDay in Los Angeles by helping clean up Echo Park!!! http://www.usaservice.org/page/event/detail/environment/4rxyg

Or how about WhiteFence blog‘s tips about eating healthier and greener?

WhiteFence: Tip Number 8 in our Countdown to Earth Day: Green Eating! http://tinyurl.com/d7u5ht #green #earthday #food

Plenty of personal blogs and eco-activism blogs alike have been posting about a number of conservation-related topics.

EcoInteractive: Important Project: The Prince of Wales introduces his rainforests project http://replantingtherainforests.org/site/index.php/urgency/rainfore… #rtr09 #earthday #eco #green

Interested in getting in on the micro-discussion? Simply check out the Earth Day channel for Twitter and see what pops up! It seems like there’s something new every minute.

Even though Earth Day is a couple of weeks away, EPA is teaming up with several telecom conglomerates to promote Earth Week from today through the 12th, an event designed to raise awareness of e-waste encourage proper recycling of cell phones, PDAs, and other electronic devices.

Wireless customers of any carrier can drop off used cellphones and accessories at any of the 2,000-plus AT&T stores across the U.S. Another option is to download free shipping labels from att.com/wireless and mail the phones to Cell Phones for Soldiers (CPFS), a charity that recycles used cellphones and uses the proceeds to buy free phone cards for troops overseas.

The EPA reports that over 100 million cell phones are discarded every year, but with the help of such awareness events, perhaps we can reign that number in. For more information, podcasts, and schedules of partner events, check out the EPA’s official Earth Week page!

Last Friday we posted about Earth Hour — a global event, taking place this past Saturday night, in which everyone was encouraged to turn off their lights for one hour in a bid to make an impact on the environment. It was the subject of much controversy as some rallied behind it while others ranted against it. To the latter: sure, one hour of reduced electricity usage may or may not make a wild life-changing difference, but the true point of this was to get people thinking on a larger scale about what can be done — as an ongoing measure — to help improve our environment.

Despite the naysayers, Earth Hour went as planned, and the result was a heightened awareness of needless electricity waste — and some stunning photographs. Boston.com has images from seventeen landmarks around the globe, both before and after the lights went out. The visual impact of seeing places like Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower powered down is effective, thought-provoking, and a testament to the project’s success. Check it out! You will not be disappointed.

Hat tip to Ecorazzi!

Dianna Smiley, SOLV’s Executive Director, said, “Once again, our citizens have demonstrated their pride in this great state by turning out to preserve and enhance Oregon’s beaches. We extend our special thanks to our partners, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and the local garbage haulers all along the coast who help make this event possible.”

Volunteers unearthed some unusual finds, both big and small, throughout the day.

Many interesting items turned up in the volunteers’ SOLV bags, including a pair of binoculars, a fishing permit from Alaska, an empty piggy bank, a mannequin foot, a work boot and a construction hard hat. Hard-working volunteers also pulled in some larger items, such as a TV, four boat refrigerators, a 300-pound chest freezer, 25 feet of cattle fencing, crab traps and a couple of large fishing nets

That said, some of the most prevalent pick-up items were also the most predictable: plastics were to be expected in this day and age, and they lived up to their reputation by being everywhere.

Beach Cleanup Coordinator Diana Bartlett said there was lots of plastic packing tape, among other strange and common day finds. “Pipes, flip flops, light bulbs, plastic bottles, a propane tank; a large fish sorting tub from a fishing boat, lawn chairs, tires and a rims, some scrap metal, and a plastic truck liner,” she said.

[...] Charlie Plybon, who oversaw the Newport area as well as served as the main coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation, said plastic was the big problem. That was something the Surfrider Foundation was trying to raise awareness about, partially by providing reusable bags to all the participants.

Also making a bid for most prevalent contaminant was the much-less-expected contender “sheet metal.” Strange though the day may have been, much was accomplished. Before the day was over, some 60,000 lbs of garbage were hauled away, leaving the coast of Oregon a much more pleasant and enjoyable place to be.