Letters from our readers

Plastic reduction measures

To the Editor:

I was encouraged for a brief moment when I saw the February 18 headline, “Plastic Reduction Measures Urged”. But I was somewhat underwhelmed after reading that the State of California Ocean Protection Council is targeting the reduction of plastic foodware, cigarette filters, and plastic commer-cial fishing gear. Of course these polluting sources need to be reduced, but why do we never hear about eliminating plastic single use drinking water bottles, or about enforcing the plastic bag ban that the county passed some years ago? Some very powerful ad campaigns have succeeded in convincing so many Americans that drinking tap water is dangerous. If tap water worries you, there are lots of great filters that can be located right under the kitchen sink.

Please go to the Ukiah Transfer Station (the dump). What you will see woven in and out of the pile of refuse is hundreds and hundreds of black trash bags. For several decades, America disposed of its trash without the use of 35 gallon and 55 gallon trash bags. They are not necessary. We are choking the oceans and killing the sea life that mistakes miniscule particles of plastic for the food they seek to eat. Caltranş is required to cover any huge pile of soil that they move with acres and acres of black plastic to keep soils from entering the waterways and creating siltation problems. Aren’t we forgetting that while we are saving the rivers and streams from silt, we are filling the ocean with plastic? Maybe we’re smart enough to figure out a better way.

Every year — 9 billion tons of plastic are added to the oceans. Every year. 9 BILLION tons. What are we thinking? — Wendy S. Jackson, Ukiah