The Green-Left has a new victim in its sights. This time it's plastic and everyone who uses it. You may have already noticed an uptick in news stories about the evils of plastic, often followed by stories about well-meaning but naive government officials planning a ban. We posted an article at CFACT.org by Jason Hopkins about a study which reveals that bans on plastic tend to tend to do more harm to the environment than the so-called evils they intend to stop.

The costs and energy needed to replace convenient plastic products outweigh any benefits. "For example, paper substitutes to polystyrene products typically produce more waste, causing greater water and air pollution." Another important fact to know is that a huge proportion of the plastic that finds its way into the ocean originates in developing countries, much of it from just a few rivers in Asia.

Litter and reckless dumping were once major problems in America and the West. We took action last century and cleaned up our act. Now it's time for emerging economies to clean up theirs.

Meanwhile, depriving people in advanced nations of plastic spoons, straws, bottles, bags, etc. will do nothing meaningful to stem the tide of the developing world's plastic waste. Government's role is to ensure plastic is handled in environmentally friendly ways. After that let the market do its work. The Green movement operates in cult-like ways.

Offering up the plastic products that make life affordable for billions as a ritual sacrificial offering might make a spoiled few feel virtuous, but it turns out the folks banning plastic are more dunces than heroes. For nature and people too,

Craig Rucker, President Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)