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Murashi e, Laura �ItN1. POEM
From: Abe Binder [abe.bin0809 @gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 9:17 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Fwd: Bill No. 17 Plastic Bag Reduction Testimony
c
---- - - - - -- Forwarded message ---- - - - - --
From: Abe Binder <abe.bin0809 cr com.>
Date: Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 9:16 AM
Subject: Bill No. 17 Plastic Bag Reduction Testimony
To: count, ilte...s...timony(�iko.hawaii.us
Cc: dgoodale(:q�Dhualalai.org
Bill No. 17
Plastic Bag Reduction
Ariana Datta, age 13, 75 -5510 B Kealia St. Houlualoa, 96725, HI, luekyduckari ggmail.com
Abe Binder, age 14, 81 -901 Nape St. Kealakekua, 96750, HI, abe-.bin08O9 cr gma.Lcom
Plastic shopping bags are a nuisance to this community. They kill a significant amount of animals per
year, they are an extreme environmental hazard, and they make up a large portion of all plastic bags
used on the island. Decreasing the amount of plastic bags used on the island of Hawaii will help protect
our marine life, our ocean, the environment, and the future.
Approximately 1 billion marine animals are killed each year by plastic bag ingestion. These animals
are not dying instantly. Marine creatures eat the plastic shopping bags mistaking them for food. The
plastic become stuck in their digestive tracks eventually starving them to death. The plastic remains even
after the animal dies and decomposes. If we were to decrease the amount of plastic shopping bags used,
it will decrease the amount of animals effected by the plastic pollution.
Plastic shopping bags are a huge environmental hazard, even without the marine impact. They can
be blown out of landfills into wilderness or the ocean. Even after plastic shopping bags find a resting
spot they do not lay there harmlessly. Plastic shopping bags never biodegrade. They just break down
into toxic chemicals. If those chemicals get caught in a root system, they can plug up the roots and �[
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starve the tree of water. In the ocean in there are huge patches of plastic bags; mass amounts of this
toxin are emitted from the bags. These toxins can be carried by the currents into wildlife. These toxins
will kill any type of wildlife, at least until dispersed into the ocean.
26% of plastic bags are shopping bags in in the United States Of America. Plastic shopping
bags are prone to wind more than any other type of plastic. This makes them even more deadly.
Approximately 150 million gallons of oil are used to make plastic shopping bags each year.
Plastic shopping bags are hurting our environment, be we can stop it. There are other alternatives to
plastic shopping bags as well. Bio -bags are biodegradable and less harmful for the environment. Paper
shopping bags break down easily and are also better for the environment. If this bill goes through and
we reduce the amount of plastic shopping bags used, it will help Hawaii immensely.
From Jesus
1/31/2011