I’ve watched in disbelief countless times as clerks bag an item that could easily fit in a pocket such as a tube of toothpaste or a pack of gum only to see the bag thrown in the trash by the shopper on the way out the door! I imagine that people opposed to the bag ban are most likely global warming deniers as well. Just think on this: New York City just budgeted $19 billion toward defense against repercussions of global warming. The city is obviously adhering to the Boy Scouts motto of “Be prepared.” Would New York allocate these funds if it did not perceive these environmental changes as a serious threat? Many believe the bag ban is purely symbolic, but if it helps to raise awareness about waste and perhaps changes people’s habits a bit, and gets people thinking about major issues such as global warming, then it is no more symbolic than the wise words our parents taught us as children.

Peter Eaton

Durango