newsobserver.com projects - environment - Comments

Re: Perdue to announce energy plan

wolfpackalum — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:09:45 -0400

So...is this where she is going to announce the committee to study the possibilities of off shore drilling? Or was that another campaign lie?

Re: Senate votes to ban the bags

PaulTerrell — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:29:38 -0400

I think that the implementation of this bill should start in Josh Stein's district.

When will this end? What I am saying is that how did we get to this point of using these plastic bags? This came about because environmentalists were complaining we were chopping down too many trees to make paper bags.

Actually if the paper bags were not so much more expensive than the plastic ones this bill would be a slam dunk. We have tree farms that grow trees strictly for making many types of paper products.

I do protest wheening people off the pastic bags, that in their production involve the use of petroleum products. What I detest is this is ANOTHER thing the government is telling us NO we cannot so. Why don't we let the FREE capitalistic system that exists in other states be used here in North Carolina?

Amazing

James_Protzman — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:03:49 -0400

This thread should be bronzed as a testament to American family values.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

SouthsideJohnny — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:09:43 -0400

"I'm driving down the road right now and looking out my window and in the trees and in the gutters and on the fences, everywhere are plastic bags...."

If he drives down east amid all the cotton fields 'he will look out of his window and in the trees and in the gutters and on the fences, everywhere will be cotton' that has fallen off the back of the trucks hauling it to the gin. During cotton picking season the roads are littered with cotton. Add that to the bill. It is unsightly. And biscuit wrappers. And plastic cups. And cans. And cigarette butts. And junk mail. And beer bottles. And campaign signs that are still posted. And signs that say fresh strawberries next right.

Ban it all.

to the guy who wants to clean all the bags up

John_Burns — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:27:45 -0400

are you able to pick up 100 billion of these infernal things?

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

John_Burns — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:26:44 -0400

The guy could cure Cancer and some of you would go on the N&O website and complain about it.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

John_Burns — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:23:56 -0400

There is an area in the Pacific Ocean the size of Texas that is covered with these bags.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

scharrison — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:49:39 -0400

"Josh do you know why grocery stores use these RECYCLABLE plastic bags?
Because environmental wackos like yourself said we were cutting down TOO many trees to make paper bags."

That's not really true, Paul. While there were several "save the trees" movements in the 60's & 70's, the real trigger for the widespread use of these (grocery) bags was economics—they became much cheaper than paper.

Environmentally speaking, there are many good reasons to stop using these bags. But I can tell that many commenting here don't really want to know about that stuff, so I'll give you something else to chew on: in North America alone, around 100 billion of these bags are used and discarded every year. Most of those are made from polyethylene, which is a petrochemical byproduct from (mostly) natural gas. The next time you have to take out a loan just to pay your gas bill, keep that in mind.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

flyer1965a — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:40:56 -0400

Could we have a bill.... to outlaw STUPID IDEAS like this one? Give me a BREAK. Feel better about yourself Josh? Legislating all of us to make your conscience clear? Why not organize a cleanup day yourself and do something productive instead of make my life more complicated by having to remember to bring bags to the store. I really wonder how sanitary it is to have raw meat with juice leaking out and more dripping from dairy products sit there in a cloth bag. What a bacteria fest. WAY TO GO JOSH.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

Clooney1 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:18:59 -0400

Hey Josh! When you see plastic bags on the street and "in the trees" why don't you get out of your car and pick 'em up instead of complaining about it and TAX US AGAIN with all of the gobble-dee-gook that you politicians love to shove down our throats!

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

alaskan1 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:19:32 -0400

TAX them--that is the Democrat Party answer to all problems. Think of all the revenue the Democrats could raise by taxing these bags.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

booboo7 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:26:31 -0400

What dumb***,Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, waste of tax dollars in action.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

wwf165 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:58:39 -0400

"Stein said most people would switch to reusable plastic and cloth bags, which can cost as little as a dollar"

---

Apparently Mr Stein, for whom I voted, does not need to shop at Walmart to save money for his family. If he did he would know that their reusable plastic/cloth bags only cost fifty cents. While I applaud his efforts to attempt to protect the "smaller" retailer, I have a feeling that his legislation will only in the long run hurt the "smaller" consumer.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

tangoz — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:16:09 -0400

Josh do you know why grocery stores use these RECYCLABLE plastic bags?
Because environmental wackos like yourself said we were cutting down TOO many trees to make paper bags. Again here is a liberal that wants it both ways. Does he want to pass a law saying you have to bring your own clothe bags to the store? Again this is more NANNY state ridiculousness.

We all wants a safe, clean, and healthy environment. There are just some people like Josh who want someone else to pay for it.

Re: Bill would ban plastic bags

paulvail — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:06:38 -0400

Nice :)