Saturday, December 19, 2009

A Day Without a Bag

It's Mom's fault that I didn't post this on Thursday. Thursday is the busiest day of Mom's week and she never has time for me. She rarely turns the computer on each Thursday and I've asked her time and time again to just turn it on for me before she leaves. Can you believe that she doesn't trust me with the computer? Unsupervised computer use is not allowed in our house. She thinks I'm going to order lots of treats, cancel all her travel plans, and tweet all day long. Whatever!

A Day Without a Bag is coordinated by Heal the Bay, a grassroots organization dedicated to cleaning up the Santa Monica Bay. Held on the third Thursday of December, the event encourages holiday shoppers and retailers to stop using plastic shopping bags for the day and use reusable bags instead. Billed as their gift to the environment, I think it's an event that should be held every month.

Since I couldn't post this on Thursday, I am declaring today, December 19th, the new Day Without a Bag. Today is a big shopping day since it is the last Saturday before Christmas. The stores will be packed. There won't be a single parking spot at the mall. The checkout lines will be long. Tempers will be flaring. While all of this is happening, you will be shopping with your reusable bags.

I'm not going to talk plastic bag statistics because you already know them. I love this interactive website from Heal the Bay. It focuses on trashing the ocean, which is happening right now as I type this. A real problem, this is unseen by those of us who don't live near the ocean, but affects all of us no matter where we live. There are plenty of facts and figures on the site as well as issues you may not be aware of. Check it out and you may learn a few new things. Even if you think you already know all there is to know about trash in our oceans, you might be surprised at what you don't know.

You know how bad plastic bags are for the environment and you know that they are totally unnecessary. You also know that you don't have to use them because there are alternatives. Plastic never goes away. There is no such thing as cradle to grave with plastic bags unless you consider a landfill a grave. Let your holiday gift to Mother Earth be one she really wants and needs. Please do not use any plastic bags as you shop today. Let this become a habit and you will be surprised at the impact you make.

8 comments:

Archie and Melissa said...

hi stubby!
no worries about not being able to get on the computer on thursday. emmitt says use the power of your pug mind. it can switch electrical things on and off very easily. he has been trying to work on moving food off of the counter and onto the floor where it should be, but it has not worked yet. he will send you instructions on that when he perfects his technique.
xoxoxo
m & e

Paula said...

Gave us something to think about. We got to start treating Mother Earth better than what we do.

The WriggleButts said...

Great idea! Mom almost always uses a fabric shopping bag and only takes a plastic one when she's all out of bags for the trash.

B

Sequoia & Petunia & Emma said...

Stubby,

We knows you wouldn't tweet "all day" if she left you with the computers!

Stubby said...

Hi Melissa & Emmitt! Emmitt is so smart. I didn't know I had any powers but now that I know, I'm going to start using them. When Mom is gone I will will the computer on. And as soon as Emmitt figures out how to move food off the counter, I will never go hungry again!

Stubby xoxo

Stubby said...

Hi Paula! I'm always thinking and all that thinking makes me think that you guys want to do some thinking. How silly am I? You know what I mean!

Stubby xoxo

Stubby said...

Hi Bajas! Your mom is so smart. I'm glad she uses fabric shopping bags and hopefully people will follow her lead and do the same.

Stubby xoxo

Stubby said...

Hi Sequoia & Tuni! Mom will not let me have a Twitter account because she thinks I will tweet all day. You are right - I wouldn't tweet all day, just when I have something important to say.

Stubby xoxo