This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
Would you like paper or.........paper?
The city of San Francisco has banned them.Several other cities around the country, including Madison are also considering a ban.
Last week, Whole Foods announced it will stop offering them in all its stores nationwide by April 22, Earth Day, after a trial run at two of its Austin, Texas stores.
I’m talking about plastic bags, viewed as weapons of mass destruction by environmentalists.
Some Democrats in the Legislature are going to introduce a bill to ban retail stores in Wisconsin from providing non-biodegradable plastic bags to customers. Watch for more on this in the next week.
Of course, an all-out ban is an extreme move.
Fox News reports many grocers have found that about 90% of their customers still request plastic when they check out. Why is plastic so popular? The bags are light, yet durable. Store owners love them because at 2 cents a bag, plastic is cheaper than paper at 5 cents per bag. That doesn’t matter to the enviros, who cry that too many plastic bags are getting caught on tree limbs.
Grocers have responded, starting recycling programs and offering reusable bags for purchase.
The debate rages on.
The plastics people say to make paper bags, you have to cut down trees. It takes seven fuel-burning trucks to transport paper bags to stores compared to just one for the same number of those evil plastic bags. So, plastic is better for the environment.
Not so fast, say the green folks. They claim paper bags can be produced from recycled material.
Some of the industry's largest plastic bag producers say they are taking steps to address consumer concerns about their products.
For many people, the word, “plastic” automatically means, “litter.”
If the nation has a litterbug problem, let’s not go overboard. Banning popular plastic bags is the wrong route to go.
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