Monday, May 4, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Peace Love This Week
| Friday | May 1 | The Old Bailey Tavern in Joondalup - A Great Rock And Roll Venue |
| Saturday | May 2 | The ESS BAR on Derby Day - THIS WILL BE BIG!!! |
| Sunday | May 3 | Fremantle Esplanade Outdoor Event |
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Peace Love Heads To HARVEY
| Friday | April 24 | Old Bailey Tavern in JOONDALUP |
| Saturday | April 25 | THE HARVEY SHOWGROUNDS - The band will playing from 7pm. |
Peace Love On The Road
| Friday | April 24 | Old Bailey Tavern in JOONDALUP |
| Saturday | April 25 | THE HARVEY SHOWGROUNDS - The band playing from 7pm. |
| >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> |
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Big Weekend on 6pr
What a year that was! Thanks to Peter for his effort over the last 6 months and to all the people who came to play on the radio - great fun and I think I learnt a little. The highlight for me was the ability to present to Perth the unfolding story of the Victorian Bushfires. When we ran with the initial information, we had no idea as to the size of the tragedy. The resources of 6pr were tested on that day and came through with flying colours. Radio has the ability to entertain and inform and to deliver when needed - on this day it had it all. My thoughts go out to the families who lost so much and now have to continue.
.
Again my thanks to you for your support and let's try again next year - I don't think I upset too many people in the top office..............did I?
.
Again my thanks to you for your support and let's try again next year - I don't think I upset too many people in the top office..............did I?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Brilliant @ Leeuwin
Chris Isaak draws big crowd to Leeuwin Estate
March 07, 2009 06:00pm
CHRIS Isaak, reputedly the hardest working man in showbiz, drew thousands of people to Margaret River for this weekend’s annual Leeuwin concert.
As he prepared for last night’s concert, Isaak was his usual self-deprecating, jocular self. Even when doing a soundcheck, Isaak couldn’t help clowning around.
But behind the wit, you could tell that a perfectionist lurks.
It was the first time the bluesy rock ‘n’ roll crooner had been at the Leeuwin Estate winery, which is celebrating a quarter of a century of concerts against what must be one of world’s most picturesque backdrops — the tall karri trees of Margaret River.
Isaak, 52, who has visited WA twice in recent years, was a popular choice for the concert — his singing, humour and charm have audiences eating out of his hand.
He brought with him his faithful band of 25 years, Silvertone.
Large numbers of fans camped out overnight on Friday to take prime positions in the grassy amphitheatre.
While many concertgoers got the full VIP treatment from the estate’s elegant black-tie marquee, others were content to slum it on blankets, armed with mosquito repellent and a bottle or two of the vineyard’s finest.
It seems word has got out about the Margaret River event, with people flying in from Japan, Singapore and the eastern states for the spectacle.
During the two-day concert about 7500 bottles of wine will be polished off, though Isaak won’t imbibe.
“I’m not a drinker,” he told The Sunday Times. “I’m the rock ‘n’ roll musician who never smoked pot and never gets drunk — it gives me a lot of energy to do other bad things.”
Past performers at Leeuwin have included Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Diana Ross, Shirley Bassey and Simply Red.
CHARMER: Chris Isaak wows the Leeuwin crowd. Picture: Richard Hatherly
Leeuwin Estate Winery
The leeuwin Concert - Chris Isaak
Saturday March 7 & Sunday March 8
Last weekend we were delighted to celebrate our 25th Leeuwin Concert Series when Chris Isaak performed his two sell-out shows.
Reviews
"It was the first time the bluesy rock 'n' roll crooner had been at the Leeuwin Estate winery, which is celebrating a quarter of a century of concerts against what must be one of the world's most picturesque backdrops - the tall karri trees of Margaret River. Isaak...was a popular choice for the concert - his singing, humour and charm have audiences eating out of his hand."
The Sunday Times, March 8, 2009
"Classic rock'n'roll, high powered hillbilly and power ballads brought the house down when Chris Isaak and his band blasted onto the stage at Leeuwin Estate's gum tree amphitheatre on Saturday evening. It was a high - amplitude performance that started without fanfare - Isaak simply walked onto the stage and launched into the first number - and ended with thunderous applause"
ROB BROADFIELD - THE WEST AUSTRALIAN MARCH 9, 2009
In 2009 Leeuwin Estate celebrates its 35th year since establishment. Thanks for being part of our journey!
Saturday March 7 & Sunday March 8
Last weekend we were delighted to celebrate our 25th Leeuwin Concert Series when Chris Isaak performed his two sell-out shows.
Reviews
"It was the first time the bluesy rock 'n' roll crooner had been at the Leeuwin Estate winery, which is celebrating a quarter of a century of concerts against what must be one of the world's most picturesque backdrops - the tall karri trees of Margaret River. Isaak...was a popular choice for the concert - his singing, humour and charm have audiences eating out of his hand."
The Sunday Times, March 8, 2009
"Classic rock'n'roll, high powered hillbilly and power ballads brought the house down when Chris Isaak and his band blasted onto the stage at Leeuwin Estate's gum tree amphitheatre on Saturday evening. It was a high - amplitude performance that started without fanfare - Isaak simply walked onto the stage and launched into the first number - and ended with thunderous applause"
ROB BROADFIELD - THE WEST AUSTRALIAN MARCH 9, 2009
In 2009 Leeuwin Estate celebrates its 35th year since establishment. Thanks for being part of our journey!
perthnow
Hayley Thompson
March 07, 2009 06:00pm
CHRIS Isaak, reputedly the hardest working man in showbiz, drew thousands of people to Margaret River for this weekend's annual Leeuwin concert.
As he prepared for last night's concert, Isaak was his usual self-deprecating, jocular self. Even when doing a soundcheck, Isaak couldn't help clowning around.
But behind the wit, you could tell that a perfectionist lurks.
It was the first time the bluesy rock 'n' roll crooner had been at the Leeuwin Estate winery, which is celebrating a quarter of a century of concerts against what must be one of world's most picturesque backdrops -- the tall karri trees of Margaret River.
Isaak, 52, who has visited WA twice in recent years, was a popular choice for the concert -- his singing, humour and charm have audiences eating out of his hand.
He brought with him his faithful band of 25 years, Silvertone.
Large numbers of fans camped out overnight on Friday to take prime positions in the grassy amphitheatre.
While many concertgoers got the full VIP treatment from the estate's elegant black-tie marquee, others were content to slum it on blankets, armed with mosquito repellent and a bottle or two of the vineyard's finest.
It seems word has got out about the Margaret River event, with people flying in from Japan, Singapore and the eastern states for the spectacle.
During the two-day concert about 7500 bottles of wine will be polished off, though Isaak won't imbibe.
``I'm not a drinker,'' he told The Sunday Times. ``I'm the rock 'n' roll musician who never smoked pot and never gets drunk -- it gives me a lot of energy to do other bad things.''
Past performers at Leeuwin have included Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Diana Ross, Shirley Bassey and Simply Red.
March 07, 2009 06:00pm
CHRIS Isaak, reputedly the hardest working man in showbiz, drew thousands of people to Margaret River for this weekend's annual Leeuwin concert.
As he prepared for last night's concert, Isaak was his usual self-deprecating, jocular self. Even when doing a soundcheck, Isaak couldn't help clowning around.
But behind the wit, you could tell that a perfectionist lurks.
It was the first time the bluesy rock 'n' roll crooner had been at the Leeuwin Estate winery, which is celebrating a quarter of a century of concerts against what must be one of world's most picturesque backdrops -- the tall karri trees of Margaret River.
Isaak, 52, who has visited WA twice in recent years, was a popular choice for the concert -- his singing, humour and charm have audiences eating out of his hand.
He brought with him his faithful band of 25 years, Silvertone.
Large numbers of fans camped out overnight on Friday to take prime positions in the grassy amphitheatre.
While many concertgoers got the full VIP treatment from the estate's elegant black-tie marquee, others were content to slum it on blankets, armed with mosquito repellent and a bottle or two of the vineyard's finest.
It seems word has got out about the Margaret River event, with people flying in from Japan, Singapore and the eastern states for the spectacle.
During the two-day concert about 7500 bottles of wine will be polished off, though Isaak won't imbibe.
``I'm not a drinker,'' he told The Sunday Times. ``I'm the rock 'n' roll musician who never smoked pot and never gets drunk -- it gives me a lot of energy to do other bad things.''
Past performers at Leeuwin have included Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Diana Ross, Shirley Bassey and Simply Red.
The West
Isaak rocks Leeuwin
8th March 2009, 10:45 WST
Chris Isaac performs at Leeuwin Concert in Margaret River. Picture: Astrid Volzke
Classic rock and roll, high powered hillbilly and power ballads brought the house down when Chris Isaak and his band blasted on to the stage at Leeuwin Estate’s gum tree amphitheatre last night.
It was a high-amplitude performance that started without fanfare – Isaak simply walked on stage and launched into the first number – and ended with thunderous applause.
GALLERY: Leeuwin Concert
For nearly two hours, the 52-year-old Californian cavorted, crooned and wailed his way through a diverse play list, alternating note-perfect rock, his signature rockabilly sound and plaintiff acoustic weepies.
Baby boomers “moshed” at the front. The young and the glamorous swayed to the rhythms in couture ball gowns and the punters were in raptures. And everyone marvelled at perhaps the world’s only mirror-ball lounge suit, which Isaaks wore for the second set.
Not since the 2006 low point – Amici Forever’s risible cruise-ship cheesiness – has the Leeuwin concert audience been delivered such a full force evening of marvellous music, easy humour and extraordinary showmanship.
Read the full review in tomorrow’s edition of The West Australian.
ROBERT BROADFIELD
8th March 2009, 10:45 WST
Chris Isaac performs at Leeuwin Concert in Margaret River. Picture: Astrid Volzke
Classic rock and roll, high powered hillbilly and power ballads brought the house down when Chris Isaak and his band blasted on to the stage at Leeuwin Estate’s gum tree amphitheatre last night.
It was a high-amplitude performance that started without fanfare – Isaak simply walked on stage and launched into the first number – and ended with thunderous applause.
GALLERY: Leeuwin Concert
For nearly two hours, the 52-year-old Californian cavorted, crooned and wailed his way through a diverse play list, alternating note-perfect rock, his signature rockabilly sound and plaintiff acoustic weepies.
Baby boomers “moshed” at the front. The young and the glamorous swayed to the rhythms in couture ball gowns and the punters were in raptures. And everyone marvelled at perhaps the world’s only mirror-ball lounge suit, which Isaaks wore for the second set.
Not since the 2006 low point – Amici Forever’s risible cruise-ship cheesiness – has the Leeuwin concert audience been delivered such a full force evening of marvellous music, easy humour and extraordinary showmanship.
Read the full review in tomorrow’s edition of The West Australian.
ROBERT BROADFIELD
Friday, February 27, 2009
2009 Leeuwin Estate Concert Release
The Leeuwin Concert 2009
Chris Isaak
Saturday March 7 & Sunday March 8
ALL LAWN TICKETS TO BOTH CONCERTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT!
Leeuwin Estate Winery in Margaret River is delighted to present Chris Isaak to perform the 25th annual Leeuwin Concert Series.
Showcasing his stellar songwriting, smooth, dusky baritone and effortless brand of stylish retro-cool, Chris Isaak displays many different musical personas: the rockabilly rebel ("Dancin'," "Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing," "Speak Of The Devil"), the brokenhearted crooner ("Wicked Game," "Somebody's Crying"), and the breezy acoustic storyteller ("San Francisco Days," "Two Hearts") through to the elegant "King Without A Castle" and the break-up exhortation "Let's Have A Party."
In the course of Chris Isaak's career, he has released nine extraordinary albums, twelve singles, been nominated for two Grammy awards, acted in several motion pictures and starred in his own critically acclaimed TV series. His legendary charismatic live concert performances with his longtime band Silvertone have entertained audiences and earned him a legion of fans over the past two decades.
The 2009 Leeuwin Concert promises a magical night of alfresco music accompanied by fine wine and food under the stars at Leeuwin Estate. The Concert will be followed by the traditional post concert Leeuwin Party, with dancing until midnight.
Chris Isaak
Saturday March 7 & Sunday March 8
ALL LAWN TICKETS TO BOTH CONCERTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT!
Leeuwin Estate Winery in Margaret River is delighted to present Chris Isaak to perform the 25th annual Leeuwin Concert Series.
Showcasing his stellar songwriting, smooth, dusky baritone and effortless brand of stylish retro-cool, Chris Isaak displays many different musical personas: the rockabilly rebel ("Dancin'," "Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing," "Speak Of The Devil"), the brokenhearted crooner ("Wicked Game," "Somebody's Crying"), and the breezy acoustic storyteller ("San Francisco Days," "Two Hearts") through to the elegant "King Without A Castle" and the break-up exhortation "Let's Have A Party."
In the course of Chris Isaak's career, he has released nine extraordinary albums, twelve singles, been nominated for two Grammy awards, acted in several motion pictures and starred in his own critically acclaimed TV series. His legendary charismatic live concert performances with his longtime band Silvertone have entertained audiences and earned him a legion of fans over the past two decades.
The 2009 Leeuwin Concert promises a magical night of alfresco music accompanied by fine wine and food under the stars at Leeuwin Estate. The Concert will be followed by the traditional post concert Leeuwin Party, with dancing until midnight.
6pr - Clean Up Australia Day
Saturday this week was really enjoyable - speaking to Ian Kiernan on Clean Up Aust was a trhrill for me - I ahve always admired him and his team's work and wish him the best. March 1 is Clean Up Aust Day so do your bit..................
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Great fun
How much fun was that - a wekend full of music and radio. Peace Love at the Old Bailey on Friday night and then at the Ess Bar on Saturday with the big bonus of radio 6pr na dthe chance to get Theo and Dr Ken Chern together to eat pizza and talk about life...
Loved it and hope to set the bench mark that high agauin next week.
Have a great week and might catch you at one of our venues later in the week.
AND DON'T FORGET LEEUWIN CONCERT WITH CHRIS ISAAK!!!
Loved it and hope to set the bench mark that high agauin next week.
Have a great week and might catch you at one of our venues later in the week.
AND DON'T FORGET LEEUWIN CONCERT WITH CHRIS ISAAK!!!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Ban Plastic Bags
Common Dreams NewsCenter
Gore Vidal's Article of Impeachment
Home | Newswire | About Us | Donate | Sign-Up | Archives
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Headlines
Printer Friendly Version E-Mail This Article
Published on Wednesday, July 21, 2004 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Plastic Left Holding the Bag as Environmental Plague
Nations around world look at a ban
by Joan Lowy
Imagine a world without plastic shopping bags. It could be the future.
There is a growing international movement to ban or discourage the use of plastic bags because of their environmental effects. Countries from Ireland to Australia are cracking down on the bags and action is beginning to stir in the United States.
The ubiquitous plastic shopping bag, so handy for everything from toting groceries to disposing of doggie doo, may be a victim of its own success. Although plastic bags didn't come into widespread use until the early 1980s, environmental groups estimate that 500 billion to 1 trillion of the bags are now used worldwide every year.
Critics of the bags say they use up natural resources, consume energy to manufacture, create litter, choke marine life and add to landfill waste.
Bags add tons to state landfills; recycling comes up short
Every year in Washington state, people throw away about 270,000 tons of plastic bags and wrappings.
That's nearly 5 percent of all garbage going to landfills and incinerators in the state, according to Gretchen Newman, recycling coordinator for the state Department of Ecology.
And plastic bags are a major part of Washington's litter problem, cluttering streets, sticking to trees and polluting water, she said, adding, "It's dangerous for wildlife."
Despite the lightness of their weight, plastic bags and wrappings made up 3 percent of the volume of all litter on state roads and in state and county parks in 2000, the last year tracked by the state, according to an Ecology report. That's 283 tons of bag litter statewide.
Seattle and Bellevue are among the larger cities that collect plastic bags for recycling. In 2001 and 2002, Seattle residents recycled 287 tons of plastic packaging, said Brett Stav of Seattle Public Utilities.
But not everyone bothers to recycle, and in 2002 nearly 5,000 tons of plastic bags went to Seattle's landfill, he said.
King, Pierce and Snohomish counties do not offer plastic bag recycling to their unincorporated-area residents. Although Brooke Bascom of King County's solid waste agency blamed the market, saying there's not enough demand for recycled bags, Seattle's Stav said, "China is a huge developing market. ... There's not a problem with demand." The used bags are made into decking and building materials, he said.
The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer are major contributors to the area's volume of bags. The Seattle Times Co., which handles delivery of both newspapers under a business partnership, estimates it uses 300,000 plastic bags a week -- covering roughly 10 percent of what's distributed, said Times spokeswoman Kerry Coughlin.
The bags are mainly for keeping newspapers dry. Sometimes they carry advertising, she said.
"They can be recycled, and we encourage it," Coughlin said.
"Every time we use a new plastic bag they go and get more petroleum from the Middle East and bring it over in tankers," said Stephanie Barger, executive director of Earth Resource Foundation in Costa Mesa, Calif. "We are extracting and destroying the Earth to use a plastic bag for 10 minutes."
The foundation is calling for a 25 cent tax on plastic bags in California.
A bill that would have imposed a 3 cent tax on plastic shopping bags and cups was sidelined in the California Legislature last year after heavy opposition from the retail and plastics industries.
The plastics industry took a "proactive stance" by working with retailers to encourage greater recycling, rather than "putting on taxes to address the problem," said Donna Dempsey, executive director of the Film and Bag Federation, a trade association for the plastic bag industry.
The tax proposals are loosely modeled on Ireland's "PlasTax," a levy of about 20 cents that retail customers have had to pay for each plastic bag since March 2002. The use of plastic bags in Ireland dropped more than 90 percent following imposition of the tax, and the government has raised millions of dollars for recycling programs.
Similar legislation was introduced in Scotland last month and is being discussed for the rest of the United Kingdom.
Consumers seem agreeable to giving up the bags, said Claire Wilton, senior waste campaigner at Greenpeace-UK.
"There certainly hasn't been an angry uprising of shoppers (in Ireland) saying we want our bags for free," Wilton said. "I think a lot of people recognize they are wasteful. That's why they try to save them to use again, although they often forget to bring them with them when they shop."
In Australia, about 90 percent of retailers have signed up with the government's voluntary program to reduce plastic bag use. A law that went into effect last year in Taiwan requires restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores to charge customers for plastic bags and utensils. It has resulted in a 69 percent drop in use of plastic products, according to news reports.
One of the key concerns is litter. In China, plastic bags blowing around the streets are called "white pollution." In South Africa, the bags are so prominent in the countryside that they have won the derisive title of "national flower."
The plastics industry says the solution to bag litter is to change people, not the product.
"Every piece of litter has a human face behind it. If they are a harm to the environment in terms of visual blight, then people need to stop littering," said Rob Krebs, a spokesman for the American Plastics Council.
One of the most dramatic impacts is on marine life. About 100,000 whales, seals, turtles and other marine animals are killed by plastic bags each year worldwide, according to Planet Ark, an international environmental group.
Last September, more than 354,000 bags -- most of them plastic -- were collected during an international cleanup of costal areas in the United States and 100 other countries, according to the Ocean Conservancy.
The bags were the fifth most common item of debris found on beaches.
CRACKING DOWN
Some countries are cracking down on the use of plastic bags. Here's a look at the issue:
# About 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year, according to Vincent Cobb, founder of reuseablebags.com.
# Countries that have banned or taken action to discourage the use of plastic bags include Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, Italy, South Africa and Taiwan. Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, also has banned the bags.
# Australians were using nearly 7 billion bags a year, and nearly 1.2 billion bags a year were being passed out free in Ireland before government restrictions, according to government estimates.
# Plastic industry trade associations were unable to provide estimates of plastic bag use in the United States. However, based on studies of plastic bag use in other nations, the environmental group Californians Against Waste estimates Americans use 84 billion plastic bags annually.
# The first plastic sandwich bags were introduced in 1957. Department stores started using plastic bags in the late 1970s and supermarket chains introduced the bags in the early 1980s.
# Overall, the U.S. plastics and related industries employed about 2.2 million U.S. workers and contributed nearly $400 million to the economy in 2002, according to The Society of the Plastics Industry.
© 2004 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
###
Printer Friendly Version E-Mail This Article
FAIR USE NOTICE
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Common Dreams NewsCenter
A non-profit news service providing breaking news & views for the progressive community.
Home | Newswire | Contacting Us | About Us | Donate | Sign-Up | Archives
© Copyrighted 1997-2008
www.commondreams.org
Gore Vidal's Article of Impeachment
Home | Newswire | About Us | Donate | Sign-Up | Archives
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Headlines
Printer Friendly Version E-Mail This Article
Published on Wednesday, July 21, 2004 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Plastic Left Holding the Bag as Environmental Plague
Nations around world look at a ban
by Joan Lowy
Imagine a world without plastic shopping bags. It could be the future.
There is a growing international movement to ban or discourage the use of plastic bags because of their environmental effects. Countries from Ireland to Australia are cracking down on the bags and action is beginning to stir in the United States.
The ubiquitous plastic shopping bag, so handy for everything from toting groceries to disposing of doggie doo, may be a victim of its own success. Although plastic bags didn't come into widespread use until the early 1980s, environmental groups estimate that 500 billion to 1 trillion of the bags are now used worldwide every year.
Critics of the bags say they use up natural resources, consume energy to manufacture, create litter, choke marine life and add to landfill waste.
Bags add tons to state landfills; recycling comes up short
Every year in Washington state, people throw away about 270,000 tons of plastic bags and wrappings.
That's nearly 5 percent of all garbage going to landfills and incinerators in the state, according to Gretchen Newman, recycling coordinator for the state Department of Ecology.
And plastic bags are a major part of Washington's litter problem, cluttering streets, sticking to trees and polluting water, she said, adding, "It's dangerous for wildlife."
Despite the lightness of their weight, plastic bags and wrappings made up 3 percent of the volume of all litter on state roads and in state and county parks in 2000, the last year tracked by the state, according to an Ecology report. That's 283 tons of bag litter statewide.
Seattle and Bellevue are among the larger cities that collect plastic bags for recycling. In 2001 and 2002, Seattle residents recycled 287 tons of plastic packaging, said Brett Stav of Seattle Public Utilities.
But not everyone bothers to recycle, and in 2002 nearly 5,000 tons of plastic bags went to Seattle's landfill, he said.
King, Pierce and Snohomish counties do not offer plastic bag recycling to their unincorporated-area residents. Although Brooke Bascom of King County's solid waste agency blamed the market, saying there's not enough demand for recycled bags, Seattle's Stav said, "China is a huge developing market. ... There's not a problem with demand." The used bags are made into decking and building materials, he said.
The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer are major contributors to the area's volume of bags. The Seattle Times Co., which handles delivery of both newspapers under a business partnership, estimates it uses 300,000 plastic bags a week -- covering roughly 10 percent of what's distributed, said Times spokeswoman Kerry Coughlin.
The bags are mainly for keeping newspapers dry. Sometimes they carry advertising, she said.
"They can be recycled, and we encourage it," Coughlin said.
"Every time we use a new plastic bag they go and get more petroleum from the Middle East and bring it over in tankers," said Stephanie Barger, executive director of Earth Resource Foundation in Costa Mesa, Calif. "We are extracting and destroying the Earth to use a plastic bag for 10 minutes."
The foundation is calling for a 25 cent tax on plastic bags in California.
A bill that would have imposed a 3 cent tax on plastic shopping bags and cups was sidelined in the California Legislature last year after heavy opposition from the retail and plastics industries.
The plastics industry took a "proactive stance" by working with retailers to encourage greater recycling, rather than "putting on taxes to address the problem," said Donna Dempsey, executive director of the Film and Bag Federation, a trade association for the plastic bag industry.
The tax proposals are loosely modeled on Ireland's "PlasTax," a levy of about 20 cents that retail customers have had to pay for each plastic bag since March 2002. The use of plastic bags in Ireland dropped more than 90 percent following imposition of the tax, and the government has raised millions of dollars for recycling programs.
Similar legislation was introduced in Scotland last month and is being discussed for the rest of the United Kingdom.
Consumers seem agreeable to giving up the bags, said Claire Wilton, senior waste campaigner at Greenpeace-UK.
"There certainly hasn't been an angry uprising of shoppers (in Ireland) saying we want our bags for free," Wilton said. "I think a lot of people recognize they are wasteful. That's why they try to save them to use again, although they often forget to bring them with them when they shop."
In Australia, about 90 percent of retailers have signed up with the government's voluntary program to reduce plastic bag use. A law that went into effect last year in Taiwan requires restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores to charge customers for plastic bags and utensils. It has resulted in a 69 percent drop in use of plastic products, according to news reports.
One of the key concerns is litter. In China, plastic bags blowing around the streets are called "white pollution." In South Africa, the bags are so prominent in the countryside that they have won the derisive title of "national flower."
The plastics industry says the solution to bag litter is to change people, not the product.
"Every piece of litter has a human face behind it. If they are a harm to the environment in terms of visual blight, then people need to stop littering," said Rob Krebs, a spokesman for the American Plastics Council.
One of the most dramatic impacts is on marine life. About 100,000 whales, seals, turtles and other marine animals are killed by plastic bags each year worldwide, according to Planet Ark, an international environmental group.
Last September, more than 354,000 bags -- most of them plastic -- were collected during an international cleanup of costal areas in the United States and 100 other countries, according to the Ocean Conservancy.
The bags were the fifth most common item of debris found on beaches.
CRACKING DOWN
Some countries are cracking down on the use of plastic bags. Here's a look at the issue:
# About 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year, according to Vincent Cobb, founder of reuseablebags.com.
# Countries that have banned or taken action to discourage the use of plastic bags include Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, Italy, South Africa and Taiwan. Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, also has banned the bags.
# Australians were using nearly 7 billion bags a year, and nearly 1.2 billion bags a year were being passed out free in Ireland before government restrictions, according to government estimates.
# Plastic industry trade associations were unable to provide estimates of plastic bag use in the United States. However, based on studies of plastic bag use in other nations, the environmental group Californians Against Waste estimates Americans use 84 billion plastic bags annually.
# The first plastic sandwich bags were introduced in 1957. Department stores started using plastic bags in the late 1970s and supermarket chains introduced the bags in the early 1980s.
# Overall, the U.S. plastics and related industries employed about 2.2 million U.S. workers and contributed nearly $400 million to the economy in 2002, according to The Society of the Plastics Industry.
© 2004 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
###
Printer Friendly Version E-Mail This Article
FAIR USE NOTICE
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Common Dreams NewsCenter
A non-profit news service providing breaking news & views for the progressive community.
Home | Newswire | Contacting Us | About Us | Donate | Sign-Up | Archives
© Copyrighted 1997-2008
www.commondreams.org
Saturday, December 27, 2008
New Year`s Eve 2008 at The Vines
The band is getting busy at The Vines to celebrate the end of 2008.
Contact the venue for more deatils and come and party with us.
We'd love to see you there and hope to see you in 2009.
Stay well and safe over the festive season.
Contact the venue for more deatils and come and party with us.
We'd love to see you there and hope to see you in 2009.
Stay well and safe over the festive season.
Tod Johnston on 6pr Perth
Great to be back on the radio over the summer season and getting the chance
to talk to the listeners of 6pr - I admit that the BigWeekend is very differnt
to the normal programing but it is the weekend and I do love a relaxing
moment - that comfortably knumb feeling on a hot summer afternoon.
.
Thanks to Peter my producer for his efforts and time.
He is now on holidays to two weeks and working with me, he needs it.
Good luck to James, the next one to line up.
.
If you would like to come and play on the weekend, give us a call
on 92211882 or SMS on 19999677.
You can email the show on..............
bigweekend@6pr.com.au
tod@6pr.com.au
to talk to the listeners of 6pr - I admit that the BigWeekend is very differnt
to the normal programing but it is the weekend and I do love a relaxing
moment - that comfortably knumb feeling on a hot summer afternoon.
.
Thanks to Peter my producer for his efforts and time.
He is now on holidays to two weeks and working with me, he needs it.
Good luck to James, the next one to line up.
.
If you would like to come and play on the weekend, give us a call
on 92211882 or SMS on 19999677.
You can email the show on..............
bigweekend@6pr.com.au
tod@6pr.com.au
Thursday, December 18, 2008
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