An Innovative Way to Reuse Plastic Bags?

Luann
My friend Len sent me this comic. Humorous, isn't it? On a serious note, this comic reminds me of the time my friend and mathematics guru Amanda Serenevy once calculated how many plastic bags could be used as fuel. Based on her calculations, she estimated that it would take 14 plastic bags to power a vehicle for 1 mile. Not bad, right? Another estimate projects that each year, the US allocates 12 million barrels of oil for making plastic bags. Many of my students have expressed surprise when they've recalled that plastic bags are made of oil. Sometimes it's good to be reminded of these things, even if it's from reading a comic.

UK's Not My Bag

I chuckled to myself when I read about Chis Jeavans' mission to refuse consuming any plastic for one month. I instantly thought that she's the British version of Beth's Fake Plastic Fish. Although Beth hasn't outright banned the use of plastic, her consumption is so darn minimal that it seems nearly non-existent. Plus, Beth has been doing her best to give up plastic for over a year. I think Chris has some catching up to do, but it will be interesting to track her progress on the BBC.

Watch Chris discuss the mound of plastic she is trying to forgo this month: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7535500.stm.