I’ve been seeing a number of web sites that seem to make it clear that plastic bags are actually greener than paper bags. But I’m wondering if there is an advantage to plastic that no one has mentioned, carbon sequestration.
Critics say that one of the disadvantages of plastic bags is that they will last “1000 years”. Plastic bags that biodegrade faster however end up releasing carbon dioxide back into the environment contributing to global warming. It seems to me that if they buried plastic bags in places where they won’t degrade they could take carbon permanently out of the environment. 2 birds – 1 stone.
What am I missing?
“If you can argue that stable plastic bags are good you could also perhaps argue that the bodies of dead children decompose and release greenhouse gases so therefore children are bad.”
I would definitely make that argument. It’s how we got into this mess in the first place. Not that I’m a sociopath but we are long past healthy population maintenance levels. Nobody should be having more than one child per adult. Eventually we would decline to healthy number of human beings and life would stop loosing its meaning. Over population is a sick population.
#40–Skeptic==I have the same questions. For instance: if you plug a voltage converter into the wall is it using electricity all the time or only when it is converting electricity? seems to me the answers I have found in the past are all over the place and maybe it does depend on the “design” of the unit?
I also am not clear on a units ability to draw only the electricity it needs from a more powerful source vs get overloaded and blow up. Is that purely DC vs AC or will DC blow up as well?
Electricity is still a mystery.
Regarding your rates going up==thats EXACTLY how it should work. Your net expense should be the same: less used at a higher rate = same expense==unless you didn’t modify your behavior. Thats exactly what you should want to have happen otherwise you reduce your overall cost/use but energy hogs will not.
If its true that USA is 30% efficient while Japan is approaching 90%, I’m afraid our government should get all nanny state on our irresponsible asses.
Who doesn’t think it is true?
Speaking of power grid, anyone worried about the changing of frequencies?
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/06/25/it-hertz-when-you-do-that-power-grid-to-stop-regulating-60-hz-frequency/
Bury a plastic bag in soil for 10 years. I have. It wasn’t good as new. Or put rocks in one and leave it in a desert for a decade.
Re: Bobbo #42, “Regarding your rates going up==thats EXACTLY how it should work. Your net expense should be the same: less used at a higher rate = same expense==unless you didn’t modify your behavior. Thats exactly what you should want to have happen otherwise you reduce your overall cost/use but energy hogs will not.”
That would be true if it were a level playing field. Unfortunately, it’s mostly the poor and middle class who took the advice of reducing power use at every tiny opportunity to save money, because the economy sucks, the cost of living has skyrocketed due to the cost of crude. The promise of saving $ was short lived… a lie.
The rich just go merrily along sucking up energy without a second thought. A couple of 50″ TV’s, satelite disnh, 2 stoves, air conditioning running night and day even when the temp outside is cool enough to open the windows, 4 cars in the driveway, a pool with the pump and filter running all summer, an outsuide hot tub, every kind of electronics you can think of ALL on standby if they have it.
So the poor suckers who work shitty jobs for little pay sacrificed what little luxury the had and paid dearly for their effort. That is the bottom line.
The same thing is happening with the price of gasoline. In the past year it has increased 10% above the normal crude/gasoline price ratio. There a lot of complaints… and a lot of excuses, none of which hold water. Stock piles are high, even the recent release of crude into the market did nothing to the price of crude. Why? I’ll bet you that the movement from gas guzzlers (mostly by the poor and middle class) to “fuel-efficient” glamorized tinfoil golf carts is cutting into sales by 10%.
Gotta keep the shareholders happy.
>> Benjamin said, on June 27th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
>> I call BS on the fact that cloth bags carry salmonella. Food comes in packaging: light cardboard, or plastic bags.
You can call “BS” but it did seem like a real study at two different universities.
What was not clear was how much e.coli and coliform bacteria is on there. I’m guessing not much.
Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!
Five to One ration when wnloading groceries with paper bags, rather than plastic.
Hence, five times the co2 emmissions.
In addition, when folks like Mr. Fusion shop, theres lots of extra methane they quietly secrete into the enviorment.