Asia leads world in dumping plastic into sea | Letter
Published 10:38 am Monday, February 16, 2015
Having just slogged through Gregory F Smith’s rambling defense of city staffers being concerned about the “Pacific Garbage Patch,” the Wall Street Journal reportage comes at just the right time to defuse his and others concerns.
Here’s the takeaway, in simple science terms: “An international research team of environmental scientists reported Thursday” that the United States – as a country – has contributed a paltry 0.3 metric tons of “mismanaged plastic waste” to the global seas.
I use the word ‘paltry’ because China is attributed with 8.8 million metric tons. Thus, even though it may ‘feel good’ to get on our high horse and think that Kirkland (or even big brother Seattle) can lead the way in ‘saving the planet’ from plastic bag waste is self-delusional to the point of being pathological. If the ENTIRE United States is not a significant contributor to the problem, a ban on plastic bags will do virtually nothing to reduce the “Pacific Garbage Patch.” So, unless there are other (non-scientific) forces at work here, city staffers can breathe easy and stop worrying about plastic bags.
P.S. Mr. Smith’s only other complaint about plastic bags is “the disruption of Kirkland’s recycling systems.” Does he not know we are supposed to recycle plastic bags? Would he also argue that throwing away gum wrappers in city-provided (solar-powered, compacting) sidewalk trash cans disrupts Kirkland’s solid waste disposal systems? If so, clear thinking will have dropped to an all-time low, and it makes one wonder whether legalizing marijuana was such a good idea after all.
Lively editorial debate makes for increased readership!
Roger Clarke-Johnson, Kirkland
