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Plastic BagsFundamentals of Technology, Section 5Professor Osborne/ Professor Ribes19 March 2011Christina Bullock , Katy Saulpaugh, Jiayi Wang Kallie Ejigu?????????? So far throughout the semester, we have worked to reveal the myths and misconceptions about technology. One of the most poignant misconceptions we seek to dispel in our research project is that of technology as “grand” in our society. From the bag you put your soaking umbrella into to the bag your frozen pasta is stored in, we are in constant interaction with plastic bags. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, approximately one million plastic bags are used every minute. Their proliferation into our everyday lives has become so ubiquitous that we often forget that they are a part of the minutiae of our existence. Plastic bags seem to be as useful as they are controversial in today’s society. Some believe that plastic bags are the demise of our environment altogether. It is estimated that 10 percent of plastic bags end up in our oceans; 70 percent of which stay on the ocean floor. Considering it can take some bags anywhere from 20 to 1,000 years to degrade, the amount of time our natural resources will continue to be polluted is countless. How can a technology so mundane cause so much debate in the environmental, social and natural sciences? It is furthermore estimated that anywhere from 0.5 percent to 3 percent of bags are recycled. The implications are real as the plastics are said to contaminate the water we drink. In nature, fish and other wildlife may ingest plastic bags and the effects are often fatal. The recourse of the plastic bag has been twofold: a cultural backlash and education in its harm, and most effective: bans and taxation. In the District of Columbia, within the first month of the implementation of taxing plastic bags the consumption dropped drastically from 22.3 million to 3 million.Plastic bags have a direct impact on the District of Columbia. For example, the Americans for Tax Reform non-profit issued a study that found the five-cent bag tax has cost Washington, D.C. over 100 jobs. According to the Tree Hugger Website, the Washington, D.C. five-cent tax may be the “most effective ever.” The source noted that, “While significantly reducing plastic waste, the tax simultaneously generated $150,000 in revenue, which will be used to clean up the Anacostia River,”.As the 2010 plastic tax in D.C. has provided such a tangible recourse to the mounting issue of excessive plastic waste; the exploration of it as a technology will provide insight into plastic bags’ omnipresence around the globe. One trillion plastic bags are used around the world. ?Statistics that may at first seem startling cause us to look more closely at plastic bags as a technology that is one that has maintained its power through recent decades.The research project will explore the ways in which plastic bags as a technology have affected American society throughout history, the environmental controversy that is the plastic bag particularly in the 21st century, and the case study of the tax on plastic bags in Washington, D.C. The aim of our exploration is to understand the plastic bag as it relates to public opinion and a function in society; yet, we will still keep the inner workings of plastics firmly in mind as we progress, citing scientific principles throughout, especially in terms of the technical poster. We intend to open this “black box,” as well as to talk about the politics of plastics.With this controversy in mind, we would like to interview some of the key players in this debate such as City Councilman Tommy Wells, D.C. The head of the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to ocean preservation, Julie Lawson, and/or Anacostia river-keeper, Dottie Yunger, who all lead the charge for the tax. To give a balanced view, we will illustrate both sides of the debate, including seeking out further interview or research material from environmental NGOs, plastics trade associations, and local businesses. In terms of measuring overarching trends in the business and consumer spheres about reactions to the tax and knowledge about the impact of plastics on the environment, we believe a survey will serve our purposes well. Through our research and discovery of the function of plastics in our society, we seek to better understand the technology and its uses whether practical or political. Works Cited: "Facts About the Plastic Bag Pandemic - ."Reusable Lunch Bags, Shopping Bags, Bottles, and More - . N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. < learn-more/top-facts/plastic-bag-facts>.)"Municipal Solid Waste | Wastes | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <"Plastic Bag Controversy | Holistic Future." Holistic, News, Mind, Body, Spirit, Holistic Medicine, Healing, Spirituality, Environment. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. < listicfuture .com/2008/08/10/plastic-bag-controversy/>."Plastic Bags Used in DC Drop From 22 Million to 3 Million a Month." TreeHugger. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. < Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University. The Impact of Bill 18-150 on the Economy of Washington, D.C.. Boston: THE BEACON HILL INSTITUTE AT SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY, 2011. [Case Study]Bibliography:1.Williams, Caroline. “Battle of the bag”. New Scientist, 9/11/2004, Vol. 183 Issue 2464, p30-33, 4p, 4 Color Photographs, 1 Diagramavailable from: Academic Search Premier<, Fred. “Biodegradable plastic bags carry more eological harm than good.” guardian.co.uk. ?18 Jun. 2009. 20 Mar. 2011.<, Julia. “The Hazards of Plastic Bags.” ?. 20 Mar. 2011<, Teresa. “Plastic Bags on Our Backs.” FCUSA Commentary. 14 Mar. 2008. 20 Mar. 2011<, Juliet. “Will My Plastic Bag Still Be There in 2507?” Slate. 27 Jun. 2007. 20 Mar. 2011<, Lauren. “How D.C. Beat the Plastic Bag Lobby.” onearth. 11 Nov. 2010. 20 Mar. 2011 <, S. “Paper or Plastic.” E: the Environmental Magazine. v. 18 no. 6 (November/December 2007) p. 22-4<. Fry Jonna. “Evidence: Life Cycle Assessment of Carrier Bags.” Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AH. Feb 2011. 20 Mar. 2011<, Liz. “Plastic bags greener than cotton bags says ‘suppressed’ Government report.” Pachagingnews.co.uk. 22 Feb. 2011. 20 Mar. 2011<. Warmer, Bridget. “Sacking the Culture of Convenience: Regulating Plastic Shopping Bags to Bibliography Continued Prevent Further Environmental Harm.” The University of Memphis Law Review. Memphis: Spring 2010. Vol.40, lss.3; pg.645, 36 pgs < m.library.lausy s.georgetown.edu/pqdweb?index=1&did=2073033631&SrchMode=2&sid=3&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1300726437&clientId=5604>11.Anonymous. “Fed: Govt under pressure to take action on plastic bags.” AAP General News Wire. Sydney: 20 Mar. 2008. 20 Mar. 2011 <. ”The Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council; California and New York Leading the Nation In Plastic Bag Recycling Efforts.” Global Warming Focus. Atlanta: 4 Feb. 2008. pg.12 20 Mar. 2011<. KAPUR, AKASH. "Indian Scavengers Doing What Officials Can't - ."The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., 19 Jan. 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <."Facts About the Plastic Bag Pandemic - ."Reusable Lunch Bags, Shopping Bags, Bottles, and More - . N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <. "Municipal Solid Waste | Wastes | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. . Ricky Y. K. Chan, Y. H. Wong and T. K. P. Leung. “Applying Ethical Concepts to the Study of "Green" Consumer Behavior: An Analysis of Chinese Consumers' Intentions to Bring Their Own Shopping Bags.”Journal of Business EthicsVol. 79, No. 4 (Jun., 2008), pp. 469-48117. Booth,Carol. “A Motivational Turn for Environmental Ethics.”Ethics and the Environment. Vol. 14, No. 1 (Spring, 2009), pp. 53-78Potential Interview CandidatesCity Councilman Tommy Wells, who spearheaded the tax on plastic bags: Lawson or another representative of DC Surfriders, a group who lent efforts to the campaign Yunger, Anacostia riverkeeper and Methodist minister, who helped spread the message in the religious communityA store manager from Safeway, TJ's or Whole FoodsA representative from the American Chemistry Council (lobbying organization that represents oil companies and plastic manufacturers)A representative from SPI (plastics trade association): interviews, to gain a public/consumer perspective ................
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