Posted by
Rural Anorak on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 9:02:38 AM
Twenty years ago, I started my first job. It was my senior year in high school and I was a bag boy at a grocery store. I still remember my first day when I was trained to bag groceries for customers. We used paper bags and where shown to build up inside the bag, creating support that allowed the bags to hold a fair amount of merchandise purchased. While I was there, the plastic shopping bag was introduced to the store. We were told to use plastic more than the paper because it would be better for the planet to use plastic. We would be saving the trees.
Fast forward twenty years, and plastic bags are frowned upon. We need to recycle them so they don't fill up the landfills and sit there for years and years and years. People are encouraged to use cloth bags when they shop and the good old fashioned paper bag is still in use.
Since the price per barrel of oil has risen past $100 I have been hearing from people on the left that we have to do away with all of our dependence on oil. OK, fine. Let's just do that. Please lead the way, by getting rid of all that you have that is oil based. You know, your television, stereo, iPod, computer, cell phone, clothes (anything with Nylon and polyester). Plastic is in more stuff than most people realise.
Everyone is talking about lessening our dependence on oil and all they are thinking about is fuel. What a lot of people are not realising is that there is much and more made from oil. Let's think about that before we embark on a course of action that will have more consequences than benefits.