NBC's Williams Touts L.A. Banning Plastic Bags As Effort to Keep Them 'Out of the Natural World'
On Thursday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams announced: "Los Angeles is about to become the third big city in California to ban plastic grocery bags." He then framed the government overreach as a green crusade: "Environmental activists, as you know, have been pushing for this, to keep those bags out of the ocean and out of the natural world."
In May of 2007, Williams absurdly claimed that grocery shoppers were forced to answer a “paralyzing question” which “can make otherwise competent adults quake with fear" when faced with the dreaded choice between "paper or plastic." He added that customers "are made to feel like the fate of the planet hinges on our decision."
On Thursday, Williams explained that the fear-inducing bags would "be phased out over the next 16 months" in L.A. and noted: "Shoppers will have the option to buy paper bags for 10 cents each."
Here is a transcript of the May 24 report:
7:22PM ET
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Los Angeles is about to become the third big city in California to ban plastic grocery bags. They'll follow San Francisco, Santa Monica. They'll be phased out over the next 16 months. Shoppers will have the option to buy paper bags for 10 cents each. Environmental activists, as you know, have been pushing for this, to keep those bags out of the ocean and out of the natural world.
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I'm a Los Angeles resident ;
Submitted by redfish on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 1:06pm.
I'm a Los Angeles resident ; currently I use my plastic grocery bags to throw out trash. Now, I'm just going to go out and buy plastic trash bags, and the same amount of waste will be created.
Redfish: And your grocery bills just got bigger!
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 1:15pm.
… Not to mention that paper bags are worthless for picking-up doggy-poo when you take the dog out for a walk.
- Grump :o)
NBC ignores the obvious public health menace
Submitted by frank14 on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 2:27pm.
The recent Oregon notovirus outbreak is a good reminder that reusable totes should be washed and disinfected regularly, especially if they're used to transport foods - raw poultry, meat, eggs and produce, for instance - that can carry potentially disease-causing bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella.
The more often reusable grocery bags are used, the more they're likely to maintain colonies of bugs that could cause serious illness and death. Yet Brian Williams and his health reporter don't bother to mention this!
So they tell us to wash our bags or, to be extra safe, keep raw foods out of them altogether and instead, use plastic or paper bags for risky foods, then dispose of the bags at home. But when more than 50% of all men don't even wash their hands after using the bathroom, how many will take these steps to keep their grocery bags clean? Stupid Hollywood liberals, LA City Council and lib media groupthinking!
recent incident indeed
Submitted by jon_torlin on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 3:50pm.
And just out of curiosity, how much energy would be expended in doing such cleanings of said "re-usable" bags?
You have to use hot water, and more water to rinse out the bleach plus anti-bacterial soap and then you can either let it air dry(not recommended) or dry it in the dryer at its highest setting to make sure it's good and without any moisture to prevent any mold buildup.
Not too practical in my opinion. Doesn't help the earth, doesn't help the people.
And that's the normal cleaning routine, what happens if something gets leaky in the bag, especially grease or juice or something? Then you have to put in more effort to clean them.
-Jon
Jon
Submitted by Radical1979 on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 10:21pm.
I've washed out those bags. They don't last much longer than the third washing...I prefer brown paper bags, but they hide them under the cash register now. What a freakin' world when getting bags at the grocery store is considered a high crime.
redfish......I live in one of the California beach cities, so
Submitted by Rush Fan on Sat, 05/26/2012 - 5:14am.
I'm waiting for Los Angeles County or perhaps the state to ban the plastic bags also. I have been saving plastic bags for some time in the event the ban spreads.
As you may know, all the local radio radio stations (KFI, KABC, KRLA) have been covering the bacterial contamination associated with reusing bags, including the contamination of food in grocery stores. Also expect dog owners, who use plastic bags for the obvious, not to pick up the poo when walking their dogs.
Expect California politicians to pass other meaningless legislation, to show the citizens that although they are unable to tackle the important issues like debt, they are still earning their pay by passing plastic bag and bedsheet laws.
If I wasn't so old, I'd consider moving to Texas.
only the first step
Submitted by MidAmerica on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 1:15pm.
It's only a matter of time before the effort to 'save the trees' and shoppers will be forced to bring their reusable bags with them.
Total control over all personal decisions marches on.
Plastic Bags
Submitted by lilium479 on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 1:16pm.
It was the "green" commies that made us all use the plastic bags
to save the trees. Their bias is only overshadowed by their ignorance.
We just can't win
Submitted by CobraMan on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 2:17pm.
That's right, they didn't want us to use paper bags. Now, however, they not only want us to use them, they want governments to force people to BUY them!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Yeah, right.
Submitted by jon_torlin on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 1:17pm.
Show of hands on here how many rememeber that they came out with the plastic bags to protect the trees way back then?
-Jon
both my hands are raised agreeing with you
Submitted by ohio granny on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 5:25pm.
I thought I must have mis-remembered the reason for going to plastic bags from paper. I am glad to know that my brain is still working even though it is pretty old.
BTW I am not going to start using those hated "green" bags that are full of bacteria, I don't want to take a chance on becoming sick from them. Then I would use too much health care and that would be too expensive. LOL
Paper vs. plastic?!
Submitted by GG_NB on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 1:22pm.
I think we should be more concerned about freedom vs. dictatorship.
The "fate of the planet" depends much more on the November election than on something like plastic bags, Brian.
Geez.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
~Ronald Reagan
Right on target, GG!
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 1:28pm.
... Well said!
- Grump :o)
Grumpy~
Submitted by GG_NB on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 2:02pm.
I just don't get it, Grump. Most of us aren't running around -- willy nilly -- wasting the earth's resources. But what happened to common sense and perspective?
I know, there's no real answer to that. LOL.
P.S. Just as a "by the way"...For us Christians, I don't recall there being anything in Revelations about mountains of plastic bags overwhelming us before we're called home.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
~Ronald Reagan
GG:
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 2:15pm.
You’re right again. But I do find it amusing that Los Angeles, a city filled with ‘plastic people,’ is wasting legislative time and peoples money with this nonsense.
- Grump :o)
Grumpy~
Submitted by GG_NB on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 3:22pm.
LOL.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
~Ronald Reagan
Fair is fair*
Submitted by cajun2 on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 10:08pm.
If we are going to control every aspect of people's lives, let's really go after California. Let's outlaw botox. There is a reason it's called....tox.
After all, it's only natural
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 1:34pm.
Will they next ban gays to protect the 'natural' (heterosexual) world?
So much for green energy.
Submitted by CobraMan on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 2:34pm.
Hay, wait a minute! I thought those used bags were supposed to supply us with "green energy" by being burned in municipal incinerators which generates power? Those cities all installed "green energy" incinerators to keep those bags "out of the environment," correct? Now they're going to "phase them out?" What's up with that?
What I find highly ironic is that L.A. itself, in 2010, "green lighted" several "demonstration projects" to turn non-recyclable waste, like plastic bags, in "green energy."
"April 21, 2010 County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Supervisors Approve New Conversion Technology Project
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has given the green light to a series of demonstration projects designed to convert non-recyclable waste into clean energy.
The Southern California Conversion Technology Demonstration Project will use state-of-the-art methods, including anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, and gasification, to break down virtually all solid, non-recyclable waste into renewable material, such as biodiesel and ethanol fuel."
Source
I wonder how many millions of dollars were spent building those "projects" only to see the biggest component of that "waste," plastic shopping bags, being "phased out" over the next few years? If I were a citizen of L.A, I'd be PISSED OFF! Especially since the city wants to charge people for the use of "green" paper bags, which, supposedly, lead to massive deforestation, which is why THEY were "phased" out" ten year ago!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Williams
Submitted by mmilesll on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 2:23pm.
Why is this idiot news reader still there. At least it's nice to know that he is wrong 99% of the time.
Maybe this is all about taxes.
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 2:33pm.
... In CA most food products are "non-taxable," but paper bags (at 10 cents each) and plastic garbage bags are taxable...
So, if I were a sleazy politician I would force people to add 'taxable items' onto their grocery bills. Of course I would have to get rid of the 'free' plastic bags people now use.
- Grump :o)
George Carlin on plastic bags
Submitted by Tjexcite on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 2:55pm.
All one needs is this: Why are we here..Plastic!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBRquiS1pis
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-yCc5FDn7g
Plastic bag ban won't reduce waste.
Submitted by motherbelt on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 3:54pm.
And will result in more harm than good.
But who cares???
They mean well.
They have good intentions!!
Maybe we should ban Liberals and keep them "Out of the...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 7:19pm.
Natural World".
Some of them seem pretty unnatural to me.
Speaking of the 'natural world'~
Submitted by GG_NB on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 9:59pm.
I know I'm just being nit-picky now (because Brian is on my last nerve), but saying "natural world" just sounds so stupid to me. Plastic bags are wrong for the natural world, but are the okay for the unnatural world? Where is that exactly? Is that the alien world -- the alternate universe -- the fake-a-rooney world?
Oh, forget it. I am just so sick of Brian that I'm talking gibberish.
Zipidippylollyshambang.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
~Ronald Reagan
To all you eco-liberals out there, Ah Earth to Liberals
Submitted by Less1leg on Sat, 05/26/2012 - 3:52am.
I was listening to an AM morning chemical engineer who in fact makes, yes, makes the chemical additive put into creating plastic bags that dissolves the bag into goo.
He was talking about this mentality amongst eco-leftist who mess up royally when it comes to stuff available to make what was plastic bags in the past eco-friendly now not in the future. He adds a particular chemical into the batch mix making plastic bags. It doesn't even really cost that much as an additive so it still keeps plastic bags affordable. But, yes, the bag converts back to goo after use.
No more scam jobs about paying a nickel a bag at stores for a plastic bag. In fact he was really peeved that stores charge a nickel a bag. Because you get like 500 bags for less than ONE PENNY! Stores and eco-liberals are scamming us out of thousands of dollars of accessible bags.
But the real fly in the oinment is pushing alternative bags. It's way more destructive these lousy reuseable or paper bags now being offered. In the northern regions where weather plays a factor. A little moisture and a paper bag is a disaster in the making. Mash, bang, plop, crunch. yup, a weeks food laying all over the pavement. But, never a good eco-liberal to be found when you've got to clean it up huh?