Plastic Bags: a not-so-disposable problem, and the aggregate of small solutions

From reuseit.com, here are some  Fast Facts on Plastic Bags:

Market Tote from GraniteGear.com

  • 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year, worldwide.
  • About 1 million plastic bags are used every minute.
  • A single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade.
  • More than 3.5 million tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps were discarded in 2008.
  • Only 1 in 200 plastic bags in the UK are recycled (BBC).
  • The U.S. goes through 100 billion single-use plastic bags. This costs retailers about $4 billion a year.
  • Plastic bags are the second-most common type of ocean refuse, after cigarette butts (2008)
  • Plastic bags remain toxic even after they break down.
  • Every square mile of ocean has about 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it.

We’re talking about, we suspect, two main uses: bags used in the transportation of goods – and bags used to transport “waste,” including the garbage bags themselves, discarded shopping bags – and sometimes shopping bags re-used as garbage bags.

Tara Lohan, in The Great Plastic Bag Plague,  (On Alternet, 2007), cites industry sources for the proposition that American retailers spend $4 billion/year on plastic bags – adding, of course, to the cost of goods – without reflecting their full environmental cost. Lohan cites other sources for the proposition that 12 million barrels of oil are used , annually, to produce plastic bags used in the United States. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that average daily use of petroleum products in the United States – the world’s largest consumer – is 18,771,000 barrels/day. Assuming we’re not in a leap year – 1/365th is .0027 (rounded) of our energy consumption. Put another way, slightly over one-quarter of one percent (0.27%). And 12 million barrels would be about two-thirds of that.  Thought of another way – 18 million barrels per day – 365 days per year – 6.5 billion (6,570,000,000).  So plastic bags amount to 0.18% of our petroleum consumption.  1 component of  6,570 equal components. So what difference does it make if you accept a plastic bag, or bring your own reusable bag?

In WW II ((One of the ways in which the  Allies gradually wore down the Axis was by depriving it of – no surprise, we hope – petroleum.  Richard Overy, in Why The Allies Won, contends that Allies’ gradual degradation of Axis energy supplies made a great contribution to the eventual Allied Victory.))     , three million soldiers retook the continent (the invasion of Western Europe, sometimes referred to as Operation Overlord)  during and after D-Day. Each soldier’s contribution amounted to 0.12%  One in three million – without counting the various Resistance groups, support troops and civilians in the United Kingdom and the United States.  Total U.S. troop count: 16.5 million. The Philippines suffered over 50,000 military deaths alone. (For total WW II casualties, see Wikipedia entry of that name).

So  – the aggregate of many small, coordinated contributions is dramatic. Get a reusable shopping bag, and use it. In future posts, we hope to point out some good deals on reusable bags, and revisit the principle of aggregating small acts. For an always-brilliant take on individual action about energy, particularly heating, check out Ellen Honigstock’s  ToePrint Project.

And:

Our earlier post, International Herald Tribune: Ireland rids itself of a plastic nuisance – Ireland’s early success with a small tax on disposable bags.

Australians Take Cover as Cyclone Lashes Coast

Are there connections between burning fossil fuels and cyclones in Australia? We have burned so much coal, oil, and natural gas the last 150 years that the concentration of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide has increased by about 40% – from about 270 PPM to about 390 PPM, from about 2.5 trillion tons to 3.67 trillion tons. (Click here or here).

From Meraiah Foley’s “Australians Take Cover as Cyclone Lashes Coast,” posted on The New York Times:

SYDNEY, Australia — One of the most powerful cyclones ever to strike Australia ripped dozens houses from their foundations, uprooted trees and shredded millions of dollars worth of sugar and banana crops when it slammed into Queensland’s northeastern coast in the predawn hours on Thursday. Continue reading →

'Suspicious' package closes half of Washington Dulles Airport terminal – Wikinews, the free news source

At approximately 1600 EST (2100 UTC) a suspicious package was found near the baggage claim at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, United States, leading to the closure of around half of the terminal. Police later determined that the package was harmless and reopened the affected areas of the airport. Parts of the airport had been closed for two hours before being reopened.

Officials from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said a canine unit was attracted to an unattended piece of baggage near the baggage claim. They did not disclose what the package contained, but an official said the package did not look similar to other suspicious packages sent to Maryland state government buildings earlier today.

Due to the package, four baggage claims and a United Airlines ticket counter were temporarily vacated. Flights continued to operate at the airport during the investigation

via ‘Suspicious’ package closes half of Washington Dulles Airport terminal – Wikinews, the free news source.

Safety issues with New York's most highly trained unit

NYPD Emergency Services Unit ESU patch

Safety issues with New York’s most highly trained unit, the Emergency Services Unit, which has the NYPD’s heavy-weapons, hostage-rescue, and counter-sniper functions, among others. Of course,  it’s also the most heavily armed, perhaps the only officers with regular access to long guns and automatic weapons.  Thus,  Gawker’s report,  Elite NYPD Unit Having Gun Safety Issues,  is particularly disturbing.

From Jeff Neumann’s piece in Gawker:

Just last week, an ESU officer shot and killed a Bronx man, Alberto Colon while they were searching for his son, an alleged drug dealer. The officer who shot him was trying to turn the flashlight on his weapon on. But that’s not the only big time screw up. According to a report in the the Daily News:

A member of the ESU sniper team safeguarding the tree-lighting center at the tourist magnet accidentally let loose a rifle round on Nov. 30. It happened about 90 minutes after the ceremony, as the sniper teams were pulling out. The round hit a building and was found a block and a half away.

Four days earlier, an ESU detective getting out of his vehicle to respond to a report of a barricaded gunman accidentally fired a shotgun in Harlem. The blast went through an apartment window on W. 136th St.

As in the Rockefeller Center incident, no one was injured.

This is – let’s be clear – not about  “bad cops.”  It’s about cops working too much overtime, and an appallingly low ratio of training time to field time. The police officers need more basic firearms handling and usage.  Less practice results in worse outcomes. It’s that simple. We appreciate Gawker’s coverage – excellent overall – but the remark about a cop being overweight is unfair. Consider the training that a U.S. infantry soldier receives – months or years – before being considered, say, for the Rangers – much less the Special Forces, SEALs or that more elite unit whose name we’re not to say aloud.

Continue reading →

Draft: 50 Open Source Applications for Sci-Tech Education — Datamation.com

Put in PopLog/ also DSB – for scientificeidence

50 Open Source Applications for Sci-Tech Education

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January 25, 2011

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Cynthia Harvey

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Open Source: Chemistry

14. Kalzium

Kalzium describes itself as “your digital replacement for the periodic table on paper.” It displays information from the periodic table in a variety of ways, and it offers a molecular weight calculator, 3D molecule editor, an equation solver for stoichiometric problems and more. (Note that in order to use Kalzium on Windows, you’ll need KDE for Windows.) Operating System: Windows, Linux.

15. Jmol

Java-based Jmol gives you a 3D view of molecules with features for chemicals, crystals, materials and biomolecules. In addition to the downloadable version, it’s also available as a Web app or in a development tool kit. Operating System: OS Independent.

via 50 Open Source Applications for Sci-Tech Education — Datamation.com.

Lockergnome – AnyTV

But would it work, say for Egypt currently?

Online Television – anyTV v2.59

Watch local TV, world TV, live TV, satellite TV from countries all over the world in different languages on your PC with anyTV — not just at home, but at the office, work, or wireless. Watch 2630+ online TV, 6910+ video clips. Listen to 4750+ online radio.

Using anyTV means you can watch numerous of international […]

via Freeware | Windows Fanatics.

Cats, Mice, and Sustainable Energy

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“Join me in setting a new goal:  By 2035, 80 percent of America’s electricity will come from clean energy sources.”  – President Barack Obama, State of the Union, January 25, 2011.

When a mouse makes noise, only other mice and local cats take notice. When a lion roars, however, everyone notices; other lions, elephants, zebras, gazelles, smaller cats, mice ….

New Jersey is one of 27 states, which, like the District of Columbia, have a Renewable Portfolio Standard, or RPS, mandating that by a certain date, a specific target of a renewable energy capacity will be deployed. An additional five states have non-binding goals. (This are listed by the U. S. Dept. of Energy at Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.)

In New Jersey the RPS is 22.5%, about 1.6 gigawatts (GW), by 2021. New Jersey today, in January, 2011, has about 300 megawatts of renewable energy capacity.  I am confident that New Jersey will meet, and possibly exceed its RPS goal. We started with 9.0 kilowatts (KW) of photovoltaic solar in 2001. We were up to 211 megawatts (MW), by the end of September, 2010, and we added an additional 24 MW in December, 2010. Even when you factor in 30 MW of biomass, 8 mw of wind power, and 1.5 mw of fuel cells, this is less than 20% of the goal of 1.6 gw. (This is shown at the NJ Clean Energy Program Renewable Energy Technologies page.) However paradigm shifts are systems phenomena. They occur at exponential rates.  We went from 9.0 kw in 2001 to 211 mw in mid-2010, to 360 mw  by the end of 2010.  In December, 2010, we added an additional 10% – moving from 236 mw to 260 mw.  We are hitting the handle of the hockey stick.

California’s RPS is 33% by 2030. In Texas, the RPS calls for 5,880 MW by 2015. California , New Jersey and Texas are the roaring mice in domestic US clean energy policy. And a cat – the lion in the Oval Office – the President of the United States – has listened to the mice in California, New Jersey, and Texas. Last night he roared.

President Obama, Courtesy of the White House.

Courtesy of the White House.

In his “State of the Union” address, January 25, 2011, President Obama set a lofty goal: “80% clean electric generation by 2035.” While I think we can do better – 100% clean renewable sustainable energy by 2025 – Obama’s goal is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. It’s SMART. It’s also wise.

As a President should, Obama is thinking, and thinking long term.  We at Popular Logistics wish him success because success for a President means a better future for the nation.

–

Two observations.

  1. There is no such thing as “Clean Coal.” Even if we capture and sequester all the carbon dioxide produced from burning coal, which is expensive, there are still impurities, such as arsenic, lead, mercury, uranium, zinc in coal. And mining and processing coal is a very dirty business.
  2. Nuclear is heavily regulated. We exercise tighter control over the wastes. In practice, nuclear power is arguably cleaner than coal. But in reality, things happen.

One question is “Can we achieve Obama’s Clean Electricity Goal?” But a better question is “How can we achieve this goal? ” My back of the envelope response is:

  • 100 gigawatts offshore wind,
  • 100 gigawatts land based wind,
  • 50 gigagwatts solar,
  • 75 gigawatts stored micro-hydro or biofuel, for when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.

And as Amory Lovins, of the Rocky Mountain Institute, says, “The cheapest unit of energy is the ‘Negawatt’ – the energy you don’t have to buy.”  How much can we reduce our energy requirements? How much can we gain by conservation?

US District Judge Roll Died a Hero in Arizona Shooting

The videotape and law enforcement officers of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Judge John Roll saved Ron Barber’s life after both were shot in Tuscon, January 8, 2011. Judge Roll had been appointed by George H. W. Bush in 1991. Barber is an aide to Representative Giffords.

Chief Judge John Roll - image courtesy Wikipedia

Video Shows Chief US District Judge Roll Protecting Giffords Aide as Suspect Fired 32 Bullets, by Martha Neil of The ABA Journal (online edition).

Cameras rolled as suspect Jared Loughner allegedly fired all 31 bullets in the magazine of his Glock, plus another round that was already in the chamber, at a supermarket in Tucson, Ariz., on Jan. 8. The videotape indicates that Chief Arizona U.S. District Judge John Roll died a hero during the shootings, according to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. At the outset of the melee, unidentified sources who have seen the video told the Washington Post, Loughner walked straight up to congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and shot her above the left eye from about two or three feet away. Within moments, Loughner also allegedly shot Roll, who had tried to take cover under a table. As Roll did so, he sought to protect the congresswoman’s aide, Ron Barber, pushing Barber to the ground and getting on top of him …  Continue reading →

Solar Energy Saves Money, Could Provide Free Electricity and CASH to Municipalities & Schools in New Jersey

1.5 MW Solar Array, Rutgers University, Livingston Campus

1.5 MW Solar Array, Rutgers University, Livingston Campus

New Jersey taxpayers could net $36.9 million per year, $369 million over 10 years, with the installation of 152.5 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity systems on public schools, community colleges, and each of the public universities in the state.

The systems would pay for themselves within the first 8 years. At 2010 values of electricity and Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), these systems would generate electricity worth approximately $300 Million and SRECs worth $1.2 Billion over the first 10 years, approximately $369 Million in excess of the cost of the systems, and provide virtually free electricity over the remainder of their 35 to 40 year lifespan.

Widespread deployment of solar energy increases the resilience of the electric grid, strengthens national security and can enhance local emergency response capabilities.

These are the conclusions of a feasibility study by Lawrence J. Furman, principal of Furman Consulting Group, LLC during the course of his studies for an MBA in Managing for Sustainability at Marlboro College Graduate School.

Continue reading →

Tim Kane/The Atlantic – must-read on the depletion of U.S. Officer Corps

Tim Kane,  “a senior fellow in research and policy at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and a former Air Force intelligence officer,” writes Why Our Best Officers Are Leaving in the current issue of The Atlantic, also available online. This should be a concern, we think, regardless of what one thinks of particular military policies – the officer corps is, among other things, a bulwark against a military coup d’etat. Here’s an excerpt:

John Nagl still hesitates when he talks about his decision to leave the Army. A former Rhodes Scholar and tank-battalion operations officer in Iraq, Nagl helped General David Petraeus write the Army’s new counterinsurgency field manual, which is credited with bringing Iraq’s insurgency under control. But despite the considerable influence Nagl had in the Army, and despite his reputation as a skilled leader, he retired in 2008 having not yet reached the rank of full colonel. Today, Nagl still has the same short haircut he had 24 years ago when we met as cadets—me an Air Force Academy doolie (or freshman), him a visiting West Pointer—but now he presides over a Washington think tank. The funny thing is, even as a civilian, he can’t stop talking about the Army—“our Army”—as if he never left. He won’t say it outright, but it’s clear to me, and to many of his former colleagues, that the Army fumbled badly in letting him go. His sudden resignation has been haunting me, and it punctuates an exodus that has been publicly ignored for too long.

Wikinews reporter Paul Wace reports on effect of snowfall in Buckinghamshire (UK)

Wikinews reporter Paul Wace reports on effect of snowfall in Buckinghamshire (UK) (video link). WikiNews – part of the Wikimedia empire – has expanded into direct reporting. From Paul Wace’s coverage of the snows in England:

This month is set to be one of the coldest ever recorded in the United Kingdom, as snow leads to millions of people’s travel plans disrupted.

One person at London Heathrow Airport said the grounding of aircraft, and disruption to rail services, had created “the Christmas from hell.” On one of the busiest weekends for travellers of the year, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports closed their runways and roads countrywide became impassable.

One person has already died this weekend after the ambulance he was being treated in crashed in Eastbourne, East Sussex. Meterologists warn that the conditions are unlikely to recede soon, adding that this month is set to be one of the coldest on record. Britain is not alone in Europe; airports in Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands are similarly affected.

Wikinews today reports from the village of Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, where villagers were buying essentials from the local supermarket, and roads were covered in six inches of snow. Wikinews journalist Paul Wace reported that councillors pledged to grit major routes, but the main road through the village was covered in a slushy mix of snow and grit, making travel extremely difficult.

xxx

Oil pipeline explosion kills 27 in central Mexico – Wikinews, the free news source

The explosion of an oil pipeline in San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida in central Mexico has killed at least 27 individuals and injured 56 others. Twelve of the dead are children. Over 100 homes were damaged and at least 30 of them were destroyed. The explosion had an estimated blast radius of three miles.

Describing exploding gas tanks that flew through the air, Carlos Hipolito, who fled the scene with approximately 60 relatives, described the incident to Milenio Television as a “catastrophe”. Living ten blocks from where the explosion occurred, 58-year-old Jose Luis Chavez explained that he had heard a minimum of two loud explosions and witnessed flames rising over 10 meters (30 feet) into the air.

It is thought that at the Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) pumping station where the incident occurred, a gang of criminals were attempting to illegally tap crude oil from the pipeline when they punctured it. Valentin Meneses, Puebla state interior secretary, stated: “They lost control because of the high pressure with which the fuel exits the pipeline.”

Pemex has explained that the theft of oil from the pipelines causes them to lose hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Juan José Suárez Coppel, the head of the company, stated that the pipeline section near to the location of the blast was tapped illegally on 60 occasions. He also reported that across Mexico, 550 cases of illegal tapping had occurred.

Expressing his condolences to the families of those that had died because of this incident, Mexican president Felipe Calderon stated that the federal government is to launch an investigation to try to establish the identities of the offenders and apprehend them.

via Oil pipeline explosion kills 27 in central Mexico – Wikinews, the free news source.