Blog: Morgan Hill Making Bad Decision on Plastic Bags

Morgan Hill is making a bad choice in trying to ban plastic bags. It's one of those politically correct decisions that is based on bad science. If they did anything like this they should ban paper instead of plastic because plastic is the cleaner technology. Paper is the real problem.

Paper uses 14 million trees a year. It uses 20 times as much fresh water. It uses more energy to make than plastic. Paper adds more carbon to the environment to make than plastic. Paper uses more harsh chemicals than plastic. If you Google paper vs. plastic you will see what I'm talking about.

It's bad science to pick on plastic bags and pretend you are helping the environment. If you are a real environmentalist you need to look at science and make decisions based on the facts. The facts point to the opposite. Paper is worse than plastic. Ban paper if you are going to ban something.

Interestingly enough paper bags could become cleaner if they were to use hemp fibers instead of wood to make paper bags. Hemp fibers are 10 times as strong as wood and you could make paper thinner and stronger without cutting down trees. But you'd have to get the DEA to change their position to allow it.

But, for those who really want a solution to global warming, there is but one real issue to address, global population control. If Morgan Hill wants to really do something for the environment they should put a condom in every water bill. Every time a condom is used to prevent a pregnancy you are taking 44,000 tons of carbon out of the environment as compared to bringing yet another consumer into the world who wants to grow up, eat, drive a car, live in a house, and make more people. If you're not focused on population control you're not really addressing the problem.

I therefore urge Morgan Hill City Council to look at science and make a decision based on the facts rather than a feel good ordinance so they have the illusion of doing something when actually making it worse.