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<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en-US"><meta name="bingbot" content="nocache"/><head><meta charSet="utf-8"/><meta name="description" content="Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology, culture, science, the climate crisis, money, health and everything else that matters. Our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of income or status, can access accurate information that empowers them."/><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/><meta name="twitter:site" content="@voxdotcom"/><meta property="fb:app_id" content="549923288395304"/><meta property="og:description" content="Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology, culture, science, the climate crisis, money, health and everything else that matters. Our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of income or status, can access accurate information that empowers them."/><meta property="og:site_name" content="Vox"/><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"/><meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="Vox"/><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Vox" href="/rss/index.xml"/><title>Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense | Vox</title><meta name="robots" content="index,follow,max-image-preview:large"/><meta property="og:title" content="Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense"/><meta property="og:url" content="https://www.vox.com/2014/10/4/6901299/plastic-bags-environment"/><meta property="og:type" content="article"/><meta property="article:published_time" content="2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00"/><meta property="article:modified_time" content="2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00"/><meta property="og:image" content="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C6.3295469433109%2C100%2C87.340906113378&w=1200"/><meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg"/><meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"/><meta property="og:image:height" content="628"/><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.vox.com/2014/10/4/6901299/plastic-bags-environment"/><meta name="author" content="Joseph Stromberg"/><meta name="twitter:url" content="https://www.vox.com/2014/10/4/6901299/plastic-bags-environment"/><meta name="twitter:title" content="Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense"/><meta name="twitter:description" content=""/><meta name="twitter:image" content="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C6.3295469433109%2C100%2C87.340906113378&w=1200"/><meta name="parsely-type" content="post"/><meta name="parsely-title" content="Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense"/><meta name="parsely-link" content="https://www.vox.com/2014/10/4/6901299/plastic-bags-environment"/><meta name="parsely-image-url" content="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,6.3295469433109,100,87.340906113378"/><meta name="parsely-pub-date" content="2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00"/><meta name="parsely-section" content="vox-archives"/><meta name="parsely-tags" content="vox,pagetype:story,vox-archives"/><meta name="parsely-author" content="Joseph Stromberg"/><meta name="cse-category" content="archives"/><meta name="cse-authors" content="Joseph Stromberg"/><script type="application/ld+json">[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense","description":"","datePublished":"2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00","dateModified":"2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00","url":"https://www.vox.com/2014/10/4/6901299/plastic-bags-environment","mainEntityOfPage":"https://www.vox.com/2014/10/4/6901299/plastic-bags-environment","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Vox","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/default-og-image.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0.13712291199202,100,99.725754176016","width":"1200","height":"628"}},"articleSection":"archives","keywords":["archives"],"author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joseph Stromberg","url":"https://www.vox.com/authors/joseph-stromberg"}],"isAccessibleForFree":false,"image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,6.3295469433109,100,87.340906113378","height":"1884","width":"3600"},{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667,0,89.916666666667,100","height":"2158","width":"3237"},{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=20.027777777778,0,59.944444444444,100","height":"2158","width":"2158"}],"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","xpath":["/html/head/title","/html/head/meta[@name='description']/@content"]},"articleBody":"This week, California became the first state to ban single-use plastic bags. Going forward, customers at grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience marts will have two options for bagging their purchases: they can pay ten cents for a paper bag, or they can bring a reusable bag from home.\nSupporters argued that the ban would help cut down on plastic litter — particularly in the oceans, where the bags can pose a threat to sea turtles and other marine life.\nBut this is also part of a bigger trend. Dozens of cities — including Chicago, Dallas, and DC — either tax plastic bags or ban them outright. And among shoppers, bringing a reusable bag from home has become the most visible symbol of environmental-friendliness. If recycling was the quintessential environmental activity of the the 1970s and 80s, toting a reusable bag may be today’s.\nThere’s nothing wrong with any of this. It’s a mildly positive step for the planet — especially if the goal is to cut down on plastic waste. But the disproportionate emphasis on plastic bags among people who care about the environment is also a bit misplaced. If you want to use your shopping choices to benefit wildlife and the environment as a whole, the type of bag you use is far less important than what you put inside it.\nPlastic bags are a tiny fraction of the trash we make\nThe main problem with plastic bags — and the one that gets all the attention — is waste.\nThis is a huge amount. But it’s actually a pretty small percentage of the total amount of plastic we throw away: 31.8 million tons annually. And this total is still smaller than the amount of food waste we throw away — 36.4 million tons per year.\nIn other words, we throw away ten times as much food as plastic bags. If we care about reducing garbage, fixating on the huge amount of food waste might make more sense.\nNow, burying landfills all over our planet is certainly not an ideal use of it. But doing so just causes localized, limited environmental disruption. In 500 or 1000 years — when those bags are still around — it’s exceedingly unlikely that the biggest problem facing our planet’s ecosystems will be buried islands of plastic, decomposing at a snail’s pace. We know exactly what the problem will be, and we’re doing pretty much nothing to stop it.\nTrash isn’t the real problem. Climate change is\nThe facts on this are pretty clear. If we don’t significantly cut back on greenhouse gas emissions very soon, the world will get hotter, sea levels will rise, and the oceans will turn more acidic, among other problems. If we let truly drastic levels of warming occur — and at this point, there’s no sign we’re doing anything to stop it — scientists warn that profound disruptions to both modern human society and the natural world are very likely.\nWhat does all this have to do with plastic bags? When it comes to greenhouse gases, they’re once again dramatically less important than the products we buy and put inside them.\nIn 2002, when considering a tax on plastic bags, the Australian government conducted one of the most detailed studies of their lifetime environmental costs. They calculated that an average bag has .48 megajoules (MJ) of energy embodied in it — that is, .48 MJ of energy went into producing the plastic polymer, manufacturing the bag, and transporting the various inputs to make it all possible. More energy means more greenhouse gas emissions.\nThese numbers can vary based on agricultural techniques, shipping methods, and other factors, but when you compare plastic bags with food, it’s not even close. Yet for whatever reason, we associate plastic bags — but not food production — with environmental degradation. If we care about climate change, cutting down on food waste would be many, many times more beneficial than worrying about plastic bags.\nOn top of all this, if plastic bag bans like California’s end up causing people to use more paper bags — instead of bringing their reusable ones to the store — it’ll certainly end up being worse for the environment. Research shows that making a paper bag consumes about four times more energy than a plastic bag, and produces about four times more waste if it’s not recycled.\nWhen it comes to both climate change and trash production, eliminating plastic bags is a symbolic move, not a substantial one. Encouraging people to cut down on food waste, on the other hand, would actually mean something.\nSo what should we be focusing on?\nDespite all this, you might say that a small, symbolic step is better than no step at all. A heated-up planet with fewer plastic bags on it, in theory, is still better than one with more of them.\nNow we could, theoretically, try to solve both. Is focusing on plastic bags the way to do it?\nThe answer depends on whether you view the fight against plastic bags as something that will catalyze more people to care about the environment and take action — or an empty gesture that will allow people to pat themselves on the back, imagine they’ve done something to save the planet, and move on.\nIn some places, it might seem like the former is a possibility. California, in fact, has its own successful cap-and-trade program that limits carbon emissions, and many cities — including Chicago — are taking big steps to cut emissions within their borders.\nBut at a national level, we still aren’t close to enacting a comprehensive plan that could make a significant dent in climate change. And as a cynic, I think most people feel they’re doing their part for the environment simply by bringing a reusable bag to the store.\nBanning plastic bags is a nice, small, mostly symbolic step towards helping the environment. Now is absolutely not the time for nice, small, symbolic steps."},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"archives","item":"https://www.vox.com/vox-archives"}]}]</script><link rel="preload" as="image" imageSrcSet="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=376 376w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=384 384w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=415 415w, 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The daily torrent of push alerts, breaking news, and viral outrages has been relentless — and exhausting. It’s hard to tell what is real and what’s just bluster. <strong>That’s why our attention is focused on helping you make sense of it all.</strong> We want to explain what truly matters and how to think about it</p></div><div class="_1juo5fm7"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1juo5fma">We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. <strong>Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?</strong></p><a class="duet--cta--button bl2rg41 bl2rg40 _1juo5fmb" href="https://www.vox.com/support-now?itm_campaign=feb-2025-wiki&itm_medium=site&itm_source=wikibanner"><span>Join today</span></a></div></div></div></div><div class="duet--page-layout--post _1agbrix0 _1agbrix8 _1agbrix9 _1agbrixa"><main id="content"><div class="_1ugw7dwo _1ugw7dw1 _1ugw7dw0 _1ugw7dw22"><div class="_1ugw7dw0 _1ugw7dwp" data-concert="tablet_leaderboard"></div></div><div class="_1ugw7dwq _1ugw7dw1 _1ugw7dw0 _1ugw7dw24"><div class="_1ugw7dw0 _1ugw7dwr" data-concert="desktop_leaderboard_variable"></div></div><article><div class="duet--article--lede duet--page-layout--standard-article"><div class="duet--ledes--standard-lede _135mano0 _1agbrix3"><div class="_135mano1"><div class="dz06u40"><div class="dz06u43"><span class="_160ma52z"><ul class="_1g6d7eud"><li class=""><a href="/vox-archives" class="_1g6d7eu3 xkp0cg5">archives</a></li></ul></span></div><div class=""><h1 class="h74scy1 h74scy0 h74scy6 xkp0cga xkp0cg9">Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense</h1></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="_135mano3"><div class="_160ma521 _160ma520"><div class="_160ma528 _160ma52g"><div class="duet--article--article-byline xkp0cga _15r56j10"><p class=""><span>by</span> <span><span></span> <span class="_15r56j12 _15r56j13"><a href="/authors/joseph-stromberg">Joseph Stromberg</a></span></span></p></div><span class="duet--article--timestamp _1rf9w8o3 _1rf9w8o1 _1rf9w8o0 xkp0cg5 xkp0cga"><time dateTime="2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00">Oct 4, 2014, 3:00 PM UTC</time></span></div><div class="_160ma52i _160ma52h _160ma52o _160ma52p"><div class="_160ma52r _160ma52q"><span class="_160ma52z"><ul class="duet--article--share-buttons _9txrgw0"><li><button aria-label="Share on Facebook" class="_9txrgw1"><svg class="_9txrgwc" width="40" height="40" viewBox="0 0 40 40" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><title>Facebook</title><path d="M27.0174 21.7497L27.8495 16.3604H22.6403V12.8637C22.6403 11.3906 23.3668 9.95151 25.7019 9.95151H28.0714V5.36435C28.0714 5.36435 25.9212 5 23.866 5C19.5761 5 16.7707 7.57929 16.7707 12.2529V16.3604H12V21.7497H16.7707V34.7746C17.727 34.924 18.707 35 19.7055 35C20.704 35 21.6841 34.9214 22.6403 34.7746V21.7497H27.0174Z" fill=""></path></svg></button></li><li><div class="_9txrgwn"><button aria-label="Copy link" class="_9txrgw1"><svg class="_9txrgwc" width="40" height="40" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 40 40" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><title>Link</title><path 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height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 700px" srcSet="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=376 376w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=384 384w, 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src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=2400"/></div><div class="_1agbrixm _1agbrixw"><img alt="" data-chromatic="ignore" fetchPriority="high" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 700px" srcSet="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=376 376w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=384 384w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=415 415w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=480 480w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=540 540w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=640 640w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=750 750w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=828 828w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=1080 1080w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=1200 1200w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=1440 1440w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=5.0416666666667%2C0%2C89.916666666667%2C100&w=2400"/></div></div><div class="duet--media--caption xptnl10"><cite class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup xkp0cg2 xptnl11">(Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)</cite></div></div></div></div><div class="_135mano5"></div></div><div id="zephr-anchor" class="_1agbrixz"><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">This week, California <a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/09/30/breaking_california_becomes_first_state_to_outlaw_plastic_bags/">became the first state</a> to ban single-use plastic bags. Going forward, customers at grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience marts will have two options for bagging their purchases: they can pay ten cents for a paper bag, or they can bring a reusable bag from home.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><q class="right" aria-hidden="true">the type of bag you use is less important than what you put in it</q></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">Supporters <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/09/05/california-plastic-bag-ban/">argued</a> that the ban would help cut down on plastic litter — particularly in the oceans, where the bags can pose a threat to sea turtles and other marine life.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">But this is also part of a bigger trend. <a href="http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign/plastic_bags/national">Dozens of cities</a> — including <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-04-30/news/chi-chicago-aldermen-vote-to-ban-plastic-bags-20140430_1_plastic-bags-chicago-city-council-ald">Chicago</a>, <a href="http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/03/dallas-city-council-approves-partial-fee-based-ban-on-single-use-carryout-bags.html/">Dallas</a>, and <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/washington-dc-charge-disposable-bag-fee/story?id=9456761">DC</a> — either tax plastic bags or ban them outright. And among shoppers, bringing a reusable bag from home has become the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d545PS_AkOw">most visible symbol</a> of environmental-friendliness. If recycling was the quintessential environmental activity of the the 1970s and 80s, toting a reusable bag may be today’s.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">There’s nothing wrong with any of this. It’s a mildly positive step for the planet — especially if the goal is to cut down on plastic waste. But the disproportionate emphasis on plastic bags among people who care about the environment is also a bit misplaced. If you want to use your shopping choices to benefit wildlife and the environment as a whole, the type of bag you use is far less important than what you put inside it.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><div id="plastic-bags-are-a-tiny-fraction-of-the-trash-we-make" class="_7ka5u1 _7ka5u0 duet--article--standard-heading xkp0cg1"><h2 class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup">Plastic bags are a tiny fraction of the trash we make</h2></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><chorus-asset data-id="2323426" class="chorus-snippet browser_wide_media"> <img src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2323426/76308225.0.jpg" class="small" alt="landfill"> </chorus-asset></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p class="caption">(Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)</p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">The main problem with plastic bags — and the one that gets all the attention — is waste.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p>Most bags end up in landfills, but some don't. Because some people carelessly drop them all over the place, they're a major source of litter. In San Jose, for instance, — which surveyed plastic litter prior to implementing a ban in 2012 — bags previously made up <a style="line-height: 1.5;" href="http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_23474167/mixed-bag-are-californias-bans-plastic-bags-working" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about 8 percent</a> of litter in local creeks. They also made up about 15 percent of the trash in nearby Monterrey Bay. <span>Perhaps most troublingly, they contribute to the</span><a style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="http://www.vox.com/2014/7/12/5891817/plastic-garbage-patches" rel="noopener"> patches of garbage</a><span> that swirl in each of the world's oceans and are a</span><a style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/ocean-trash-plaguing-our-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> threat to wildlife</a><span>. </span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p>Eliminating the bags will certainly cut down on this litter. But at the same time, it won't substantially cut down on the total amount of trash we make. <span>It's estimated that the US throws out </span><a style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/Plastic%20Bags.pdf" rel="noopener">roughly 100 billion</a><span> plastic bags</span><span> annually, generating </span><a style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/2012_msw_dat_tbls.pdf" rel="noopener">about 3.3 million tons</a><span> </span><span>of trash (o</span><span>nly about 1 to 2 percent </span><a style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="http://www.reuseit.com/facts-and-myths/facts-about-the-plastic-bag-pandemic.htm" rel="noopener">are recycled</a><span>).</span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">This is a huge amount. But it’s actually a pretty small percentage of the total amount of plastic we throw away: 31.8 million tons annually. And this total is still smaller than the amount of food waste we throw away — 36.4 million tons per year.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">In other words, we throw away ten times as much food as plastic bags. If we care about reducing garbage, fixating on the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/09/23/americans-throw-out-more-food-than-plastic-paper-metal-or-glass/">huge amount of food waste </a>might make more sense.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><chorus-asset data-id="2322792" class="chorus-snippet browser_wide_media"> <img src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2322792/Screen_Shot_2014-10-03_at_3.09.42_PM.0.png" class="small" alt="garbage graph"> </chorus-asset></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p>Of course, all waste is not the same. <span>W</span><span>hile paper and food waste are thought to biodegrade </span><a target="_blank" href="http://recycling.about.com/od/Resources/fl/How-Long-Does-It-Take-Garbage-to-Decompose.htm" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" rel="noopener">within a few months</a><span>, plastic bags may take anywhere from </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/06/will_my_plastic_bag_still_be_here_in_2507.html" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" rel="noopener">500 to 1000 years</a><span> to get broken down — we don't really know, because they simply haven't been around that long.</span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p>But there are a few reasons why this distinction matters less than you might think. One minor point is that<span> in the actual landfill environment, food waste and paper biodegrade at considerably slower rates than under ideal experimental conditions. </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.msue.msu.edu/objects/content_revision/download.cfm/revision_id.498908/workspace_id.-4/01500582.html/" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" rel="noopener">Michigan State researchers</a><span>, for instance, dug into layers of landfill from the early 70s and found readable newspapers, intact grass clippings, and five preserved hot dogs.</span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><q class="right" aria-hidden="true">running out of space for garbage is not a pressing environmental problem</q></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p>But the bigger thing to note here is that <span>running out of space for garbage, despite what you might imagine, is not actually a pressing environmental problem. Although worldwide trash production is </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/when-will-we-hit-peak-garbage-7074398/" rel="noopener">projected to continue increasing</a><span> for the </span>foreseeable <span>future, we're </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2011/02/go_west_garbage_can.html" rel="noopener">nowhere near</a><span> running out of room for landfills. </span><span>They can be put virtually anywhere — including otherwise unusable land —</span><span> and once they're sealed, we can do all sorts of things with the land on top of them, like </span><a target="_blank" href="http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/05/10/garbage-to-green-10-landfills-turned-into-nature-preserves/" style="line-height: 1.5;" rel="noopener">establish nature preserves</a> or <a target="_blank" href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/19795/dirty-secrets-under-bleachers-when-landfills-become-sports-arenas" rel="noopener">build football stadiums</a> or <a target="_blank" href="http://events.awma.org/enviro_edu/fact_sheets/landfill_faqs1.html" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" rel="noopener">airports</a><span>.</span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">Now, burying landfills all over our planet is certainly not an ideal use of it. But doing so just causes localized, limited environmental disruption. In 500 or 1000 years — when those bags are still around — it’s exceedingly unlikely that the biggest problem facing our planet’s ecosystems will be buried islands of plastic, decomposing at a snail’s pace. We know exactly what the problem will be, and we’re doing pretty much nothing to stop it.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><div id="trash-isnt-the-real-problem-climate-change-is" class="_7ka5u1 _7ka5u0 duet--article--standard-heading xkp0cg1"><h2 class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup">Trash isn’t the real problem. Climate change is</h2></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><chorus-asset data-id="675162" class="chorus-snippet browser_wide_media"> <img src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/675162/4248409028_c4cbac7c20_b.0.jpg" class="small" alt="global warming pic"> </chorus-asset></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p class="caption">(Mikael Miettinen/Flickr)</p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p>In 500 to 1000 years, the primary concern for pretty much every ecosystem on earth will be <span> </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/what-is-global-warming" style="line-height: 1.5;" rel="noopener">global warming</a><span>.</span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">The facts on this are pretty clear. If we don’t significantly cut back on greenhouse gas emissions very soon, the world will get hotter, sea levels will rise, and the oceans will turn more acidic, among other problems. If we let <a href="http://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/4-degrees-global-warming">truly drastic levels of warming</a> occur — and at this point, <a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/9/22/6805513/un-climate-talks-in-seven-charts">there’s no sign we’re doing anything to stop it</a> — scientists warn that profound disruptions to both modern human society and the natural world are very likely.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><q class="right" aria-hidden="true">when it comes to climate change, eliminating plastic bags is a symbolic move</q></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">What does all this have to do with plastic bags? When it comes to greenhouse gases, they’re once again dramatically less important than the products we buy and put inside them.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">In 2002, when considering a tax on plastic bags, the Australian government conducted <a href="http://www.greenbag.com.au/UserFiles/AU_analysis.pdf">one of the most detailed studies</a> of their lifetime environmental costs. They calculated that an average bag has .48 megajoules (MJ) of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_energy">energy embodied</a> in it — that is, .48 MJ of energy went into producing the plastic polymer, manufacturing the bag, and transporting the various inputs to make it all possible. More energy means more greenhouse gas emissions.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><span>For comparison, making a one-liter plastic bottle — the kind used to hold water, juice, or soda — </span><a target="_blank" href="http://pacinst.org/publication/bottled-water-and-energy-a-fact-sheet/" rel="noopener">requires 3.4 MJ</a><span>. A can of corn requires </span><a target="_blank" href="http://organic.kysu.edu/EnergySmartFood(2009).pdf" rel="noopener">about 12.82 MJ</a><span>. A single order of french fries uses up </span><a target="_blank" href="http://organic.kysu.edu/EnergySmartFood(2009).pdf" rel="noopener">about 3.7 MJ</a><span>, and a </span><span>quarter-pound hamburger </span><a target="_blank" href="http://govconnect.alachuacounty.us/committees/ECSC/Strategies/wei/Shared%20Documents/EdFoodSection.pdf" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" rel="noopener">about 19.88 MJ</a><span>. </span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><chorus-asset data-id="2323356" class="chorus-snippet browser_wide_media"> <img src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2323356/Screen_Shot_2014-10-03_at_5.35.14_PM.0.png" class="small" alt="plastic bag energy chart"> </chorus-asset></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">These numbers can vary based on agricultural techniques, shipping methods, and other factors, but when you compare plastic bags with food, it’s not even close. Yet for whatever reason, we associate plastic bags — but not food production — with environmental degradation. If we care about climate change, cutting down on food waste would be many, many times more beneficial than worrying about plastic bags.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p>Moreover, when <span>food waste is dumped in landfills, it </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/09/24/food.leftovers/#cnnSTCText" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" rel="noopener">releases substantial amounts of methane</a><span> — a greenhouse gas — as it as it decomposes. (It doesn't if it's composted, because it undergoes aerobic decomposition, rather than </span>anaerobic.)<span> This is more than a symbolic problem: landfills as a whole account for </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/strategy_to_reduce_methane_emissions_2014-03-28_final.pdf" style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;" rel="noopener">about 18 percent</a><span> of all US methane emissions, with food waste responsible for a substantial portion.</span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">On top of all this, if plastic bag bans like California’s end up causing people to use more paper bags — instead of bringing their reusable ones to the store — it’ll certainly end up being worse for the environment. <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/culture/paper-bags-or-plastic-bags-everything-you-need-to-know/page5.html">Research shows</a> that making a paper bag consumes about four times more energy than a plastic bag, and produces about four times more waste if it’s not recycled.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">When it comes to both climate change and trash production, eliminating plastic bags is a symbolic move, not a substantial one. Encouraging people to cut down on food waste, on the other hand, would actually mean something.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><div id="so-what-should-we-be-focusing-on" class="_7ka5u1 _7ka5u0 duet--article--standard-heading xkp0cg1"><h2 class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup">So what should we be focusing on?</h2></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><chorus-asset data-id="2323430" class="chorus-snippet browser_wide_media"> <img src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2323430/129368545.0.jpg" class="small" alt="plastic bag 2"> </chorus-asset></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p class="caption">(Universal Images Group via Getty Images)</p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">Despite all this, you might say that a small, symbolic step is better than no step at all. A heated-up planet with fewer plastic bags on it, in theory, is still better than one with more of them.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p>The major benefit of the former scenario is reduction of plastic litter in marine environments, and the benefit to wildlife. <span>But a</span><span>t the same time, it'd be extremely hard to find a marine biologist willing to argue </span><span>that garbage patches are more of a threat to ocean ecosystems than </span><a style="line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank" href="http://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/what-is-ocean-acidification" rel="noopener">acidification</a><span>.</span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">Now we could, theoretically, try to solve both. Is focusing on plastic bags the way to do it?</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">The answer depends on whether you view the fight against plastic bags as something that will catalyze more people to care about the environment and take action — or an empty gesture that will allow people to pat themselves on the back, imagine they’ve done something to save the planet, and move on.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><q class="right" aria-hidden="true">i think most people feel they're doing their part for the environment simply by bringing a reusable bag to the store</q></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">In some places, it might seem like the former is a possibility. California, in fact, has its own <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/edfenergyexchange/2014/01/08/four-reasons-california-cap-and-trade-had-an-extraordinary-first-year/">successful cap-and-trade program</a> that limits carbon emissions, and many cities — including Chicago — <a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/9/24/6838567/we-should-pay-more-attention-to-what-cities-are-doing-on-climate">are taking big steps to cut emissions</a> within their borders.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">But at a national level, we still aren’t close to enacting a comprehensive plan that could make a significant dent in climate change. And as a cynic, I think most people feel they’re doing their part for the environment simply by bringing a reusable bag to the store.</p></div><div class="duet--article--block-placement _80slsf1 _80slsf0 duet--article--article-body-component"><div class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1hmrka0"><p><span>If we want to avoid catastrophic climate change, we need to </span><a style="line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank" href="http://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/how-do-we-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions" rel="noopener">reinvent our energy systems</a><span> and make other big, structural changes. </span><span>An environmentalism that focuses on personal choices and visible, superficial steps is not one that leads to it.</span></p></div></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1agbrixi lg8ac51 lg8ac50 xkp0cg1">Banning plastic bags is a nice, small, mostly symbolic step towards helping the environment. 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src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.029603315571343%2C100%2C99.940793368857&w=2400"/></div><div class="ap1uvv1"><div class=""><div class=""><div><div class="xkp0cg9 _1neefee9 _1neefee2"><a class="qcd9z1" href="/2023/4/10/23677220/texas-abortion-pills-usa-updates-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk">Abortion medication in America: News and updates</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="a0d76n2"><div class="duet--content-cards--content-card _1agz5xb3 _1agz5xb0 qcd9z0 _1agz5xbj"><div class="_1agz5xb9 _1agz5xb6 _1agz5xbc _1agz5xbh _102m78f3"><img alt="The Supreme Court will decide if the government can ban transgender health care" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbf mvmjsc0" 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class=""><div class=""><div class="_1k0rii4 _1k0rii0"><span class="_1g6d7eu0 xkp0cg7 xkp0cg5">Supreme Court</span><span class="duet--article--timestamp _1rf9w8o2 _1rf9w8o0 xkp0cg5 _1agbrixr"><time dateTime="2024-06-24T15:31:05+00:00">Jun 24, 2024</time></span></div><div><div class="xkp0cg9 _1neefee5 _1neefee2"><a class="qcd9z1" href="/24150243/supreme-court-transgender-health-care">The Supreme Court will decide if the government can ban transgender health care</a></div></div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1neefeej _1neefeee _1neefeef">Given the Court’s Republican supermajority, this case is unlikely to end well for trans people.</p><div class="_1k0riie _1k0rii0"><span class="u2goo40">By </span><span class="u2goo42 xkp0cg5"><span><span>Ian Millhiser</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="duet--content-cards--content-card _1agz5xb3 _1agz5xb0 qcd9z0"><div class="_1agz5xb9 _1agz5xb6 _1agz5xbc _1agz5xbh _102m78f3"><img alt="On the Money" 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25203697/Screen_Shot_2024_01_04_at_10.24.42_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=43.321299638989%2C0%2C56.678700361011%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25203697/Screen_Shot_2024_01_04_at_10.24.42_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=43.321299638989%2C0%2C56.678700361011%2C100&w=2400"/><img alt="On the Money" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbg mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25203697/Screen_Shot_2024_01_04_at_10.24.42_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=14.981949458484%2C0%2C85.018050541516%2C100&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25203697/Screen_Shot_2024_01_04_at_10.24.42_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=14.981949458484%2C0%2C85.018050541516%2C100&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25203697/Screen_Shot_2024_01_04_at_10.24.42_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=14.981949458484%2C0%2C85.018050541516%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25203697/Screen_Shot_2024_01_04_at_10.24.42_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=14.981949458484%2C0%2C85.018050541516%2C100&w=2400"/></div><div class="_1agz5xbi"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="_1k0rii4 _1k0rii0"><span class="_1g6d7eu0 xkp0cg7 xkp0cg5">archives</span><span class="duet--article--timestamp _1rf9w8o2 _1rf9w8o0 xkp0cg5 _1agbrixr"><time dateTime="2024-04-14T11:10:00+00:00">Apr 14, 2024</time></span></div><div><div class="xkp0cg9 _1neefee5 _1neefee2"><a class="qcd9z1" href="/24025425/on-the-money">On the Money</a></div></div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1neefeej _1neefeee _1neefeef">Learn about saving, spending, investing, and more in a monthly personal finance advice column written by Nicole Dieker.</p><div class="_1k0riie _1k0rii0"><span class="u2goo40">By </span><span class="u2goo42 xkp0cg5"><span><span>Vox Staff</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="duet--content-cards--content-card _1agz5xb3 _1agz5xb0 qcd9z0"><div class="_1agz5xb9 _1agz5xb6 _1agz5xbc _1agz5xbh _102m78f3"><img alt="Total solar eclipse passes over US" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbf mvmjsc0" 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.716666666667%2C0%2C66.566666666667%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.716666666667%2C0%2C66.566666666667%2C100&w=2400"/><img alt="Total solar eclipse passes over US" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbg mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="195px" srcSet="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=16 16w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=32 32w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=48 48w, 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=750 750w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=828 828w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=1080 1080w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=1200 1200w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=1440 1440w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8873873/467001116.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0.075000000000003%2C0%2C99.85%2C100&w=2400"/></div><div class="_1agz5xbi"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="_1k0rii4 _1k0rii0"><span class="_1g6d7eu0 xkp0cg7 xkp0cg5">archives</span><span class="duet--article--timestamp _1rf9w8o2 _1rf9w8o0 xkp0cg5 _1agbrixr"><time dateTime="2024-04-02T14:19:00+00:00">Apr 2, 2024</time></span></div><div><div class="xkp0cg9 _1neefee5 _1neefee2"><a class="qcd9z1" href="/2017/7/26/15993716/solar-eclipse-2017">Total solar eclipse passes over US</a></div></div><div class="_1k0riie _1k0rii0"><span class="u2goo40">By </span><span class="u2goo42 xkp0cg5"><span><span>Vox Staff</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="duet--content-cards--content-card _1agz5xb3 _1agz5xb0 qcd9z0"><div class="_1agz5xb9 _1agz5xb6 _1agz5xbc _1agz5xbh _102m78f3"><img alt="The 2024 Iowa caucuses" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbf mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="100px" srcSet="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=16 16w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=32 32w, 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=828 828w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=1080 1080w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=1200 1200w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=1440 1440w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.632756866734%2C0%2C66.734486266531%2C100&w=2400"/><img alt="The 2024 Iowa caucuses" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbg mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="195px" srcSet="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=16 16w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=32 32w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=48 48w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=64 64w, 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=1200 1200w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=1440 1440w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25227598/Screen_Shot_2024_01_15_at_10.21.12_AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.050813008130078%2C100%2C99.89837398374&w=2400"/></div><div class="_1agz5xbi"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="_1k0rii4 _1k0rii0"><span class="_1g6d7eu0 xkp0cg7 xkp0cg5">archives</span><span class="duet--article--timestamp _1rf9w8o2 _1rf9w8o0 xkp0cg5 _1agbrixr"><time dateTime="2024-01-21T20:24:36+00:00">Jan 21, 2024</time></span></div><div><div class="xkp0cg9 _1neefee5 _1neefee2"><a class="qcd9z1" href="/24036220/iowa-caucuses-2024-results-latest-news-polls-candidates-explainers-winners-voting">The 2024 Iowa caucuses</a></div></div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1neefeej _1neefeee _1neefeef">The latest news, analysis, and explainers coming out of the GOP Iowa caucuses.</p><div class="_1k0riie _1k0rii0"><span class="u2goo40">By </span><span class="u2goo42 xkp0cg5"><span><span>Vox Staff</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="duet--content-cards--content-card _1agz5xb3 _1agz5xb0 qcd9z0"><div class="_1agz5xb9 _1agz5xb6 _1agz5xbc _1agz5xbh _102m78f3"><img alt="The Big Squeeze" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbf mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="100px" srcSet="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.649899396378%2C0%2C66.700201207243%2C100&w=16 16w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.649899396378%2C0%2C66.700201207243%2C100&w=32 32w, 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.649899396378%2C0%2C66.700201207243%2C100&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.649899396378%2C0%2C66.700201207243%2C100&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.649899396378%2C0%2C66.700201207243%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.649899396378%2C0%2C66.700201207243%2C100&w=2400"/><img alt="The Big Squeeze" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbg mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="195px" 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.025138260432378%2C100%2C99.949723479135&w=1200 1200w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.025138260432378%2C100%2C99.949723479135&w=1440 1440w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.025138260432378%2C100%2C99.949723479135&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.025138260432378%2C100%2C99.949723479135&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.025138260432378%2C100%2C99.949723479135&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23263816/GettyImages_1316434483.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.025138260432378%2C100%2C99.949723479135&w=2400"/></div><div class="_1agz5xbi"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="_1k0rii4 _1k0rii0"><span class="_1g6d7eu0 xkp0cg7 xkp0cg5">archives</span><span class="duet--article--timestamp _1rf9w8o2 _1rf9w8o0 xkp0cg5 _1agbrixr"><time dateTime="2024-01-04T12:50:00+00:00">Jan 4, 2024</time></span></div><div><div class="xkp0cg9 _1neefee5 _1neefee2"><a class="qcd9z1" href="/22946366/the-big-squeeze">The Big Squeeze</a></div></div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1neefeej _1neefeee _1neefeef">The economy’s stacked against us.</p><div class="_1k0riie _1k0rii0"><span class="u2goo40">By </span><span class="u2goo42 xkp0cg5"><span><span>Vox Staff</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="duet--content-cards--content-card _1agz5xb3 _1agz5xb0 qcd9z0 _1agz5xbk _1agz5xbl"><div class="_1agz5xb9 _1agz5xb6 _1agz5xbc _1agz5xbh _102m78f3"><img alt="Abortion medication in America: News and updates" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbf mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="100px" srcSet="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.64691943128%2C0%2C66.706161137441%2C100&w=16 16w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.64691943128%2C0%2C66.706161137441%2C100&w=32 32w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.64691943128%2C0%2C66.706161137441%2C100&w=48 48w, 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.64691943128%2C0%2C66.706161137441%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=16.64691943128%2C0%2C66.706161137441%2C100&w=2400"/><img alt="Abortion medication in America: News and updates" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="_1agz5xbg mvmjsc0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 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https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.029603315571343%2C100%2C99.940793368857&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.029603315571343%2C100%2C99.940793368857&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.029603315571343%2C100%2C99.940793368857&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24574822/GettyImages_1248336813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.029603315571343%2C100%2C99.940793368857&w=2400"/></div><div class="_1agz5xbi"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="_1k0rii4 _1k0rii0"><span class="_1g6d7eu0 xkp0cg7 xkp0cg5">archives</span><span class="duet--article--timestamp _1rf9w8o2 _1rf9w8o0 xkp0cg5 _1agbrixr"><time dateTime="2023-12-13T15:52:14+00:00">Dec 13, 2023</time></span></div><div><div class="xkp0cg9 _1neefee5 _1neefee2"><a class="qcd9z1" href="/2023/4/10/23677220/texas-abortion-pills-usa-updates-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk">Abortion medication in America: News and updates</a></div></div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1neefeej _1neefeee _1neefeef">A Texas judge issued a national ruling against medication abortion. Here’s what you need to know.</p><div class="_1k0riie _1k0rii0"><span class="u2goo40">By </span><span class="u2goo42 xkp0cg5"><span><span>Vox Staff</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="duet--ad--native-ad-linkset _1yq350v3 _1yq350v4 _1yq350v9 hidden" data-native-ad-id="container"><div><div class="hidden"><div class="dynamic-native-ad-native_ad_linkset_link"></div></div><a href="/" aria-label="Advertisement"><div class=""><div class="_1yq350v6"><span data-native-ad-id="preamble" class="_1yq350v7 _1yq350v8">Advertiser Content From</span><div><img data-native-ad-id="logo" src="" alt="Sponsor Logo" class="_1yq350vf"/></div></div><h3 class="_1yq350vh" data-native-ad-id="title">This is the title for the native ad</h3></div></a></div></div><div class="_1ugw7dw1o _1ugw7dw6 _1ugw7dw0 _1ugw7dw21"><div class="_1ugw7dw0 _1ugw7dw1p" data-concert="outbrain_post_mobile"></div></div></div><div class="_1ot72dd4"><hr class="duet--article--divider 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All Rights Reserved</p></div></div></footer></div></div><div id="mixer-modal-root"></div><script id="__NEXT_DATA__" type="application/json">{"props":{"pageProps":{"_sentryTraceData":"aa8d8ac7c6c90122a90e358a77492431-78a7fcbbc3912c07","_sentryBaggage":"sentry-environment=production,sentry-release=Tw620f_FwH1rSWgTU5x_k,sentry-public_key=dda62d08b807fc79b0fff14e1d7dd23d,sentry-trace_id=aa8d8ac7c6c90122a90e358a77492431","hydration":{"responses":[{"operationName":"PostLayoutQuery","variables":{"nodeId":"dngyOnBvc3Q6MjgwNTI0"},"data":{"node":{"__typename":"PostResourceType","globalId":"dngyOnBvc3Q6MjgwNTI0","title":"Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense","permalink":"https://www.vox.com/2014/10/4/6901299/plastic-bags-environment","customCss":"","comments":{"enabled":false,"mode":"standard"},"chorusUuid":"aa680197-e94f-4e0c-ac64-58f4be732e22","chorusId":6665340,"path":"/2014/10/4/6901299/plastic-bags-environment","resourceType":"post","template":null,"authors":[{"id":"dngyOmF1dGhvclByb2ZpbGU6MTkyMzE=","name":"Joseph Stromberg","permalink":"https://www.vox.com/authors/joseph-stromberg","shortBio":[],"profileImage":{"thumbnails":{"square":{"url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/author_profile_images/8165/c56cc06e2d32578ecc7b67cbd18316e8.jpeg?quality=90\u0026strip=all\u0026crop=0,0,100,100"}},"id":"dngyOmltYWdlOjE5MjM1"},"title":"Former Vox Staff"}],"primaryCampaign":null,"articlePackage":null,"categories":[{"title":"archives","path":"/vox-archives","slug":"vox-archives","id":"dngyOmNhdGVnb3J5Ojc1Mg==","isHub":true}],"primaryCategory":{"newsletter":null,"id":"dngyOmNhdGVnb3J5Ojc1Mg==","title":"archives","path":"/vox-archives","parent":null,"slug":"vox-archives","permalink":"https://www.vox.com/vox-archives","isHub":true},"internalCategories":[],"games":{"nodes":[]},"blocks":[{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"This week, California \u003ca href=\"http://www.salon.com/2014/09/30/breaking_california_becomes_first_state_to_outlaw_plastic_bags/\"\u003ebecame the first state\u003c/a\u003e to ban single-use plastic bags. Going forward, customers at grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience marts will have two options for bagging their purchases: they can pay ten cents for a paper bag, or they can bring a reusable bag from home."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cq class=\"right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003ethe type of bag you use is less important than what you put in it\u003c/q\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"Supporters \u003ca href=\"http://mashable.com/2014/09/05/california-plastic-bag-ban/\"\u003eargued\u003c/a\u003e that the ban would help cut down on plastic litter \u0026mdash; particularly in the oceans, where the bags can pose a threat to sea turtles and other marine life."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"But this is also part of a bigger trend. \u003ca href=\"http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign/plastic_bags/national\"\u003eDozens of cities\u003c/a\u003e \u0026mdash; including \u003ca href=\"http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-04-30/news/chi-chicago-aldermen-vote-to-ban-plastic-bags-20140430_1_plastic-bags-chicago-city-council-ald\"\u003eChicago\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/03/dallas-city-council-approves-partial-fee-based-ban-on-single-use-carryout-bags.html/\"\u003eDallas\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/washington-dc-charge-disposable-bag-fee/story?id=9456761\"\u003eDC\u003c/a\u003e \u0026mdash; either tax plastic bags or ban them outright. And among shoppers, bringing a reusable bag from home has become the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d545PS_AkOw\"\u003emost visible symbol\u003c/a\u003e of environmental-friendliness. If recycling was the quintessential environmental activity of the the 1970s and 80s, toting a reusable bag may be today’s."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"There’s nothing wrong with any of this. It’s a mildly positive step for the planet \u0026mdash; especially if the goal is to cut down on plastic waste. But the disproportionate emphasis on plastic bags among people who care about the environment is also a bit misplaced. If you want to use your shopping choices to benefit wildlife and the environment as a whole, the type of bag you use is far less important than what you put inside it."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHeadingBlockType","__typename":"CoreHeadingBlockType","contents":{"html":"Plastic bags are a tiny fraction of the trash we make"},"headingId":"plastic-bags-are-a-tiny-fraction-of-the-trash-we-make","level":2,"placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cchorus-asset data-id=\"2323426\" class=\"chorus-snippet browser_wide_media\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2323426/76308225.0.jpg\" class=\"small\" alt=\"landfill\"\u003e \u003c/chorus-asset\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp class=\"caption\"\u003e(Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"The main problem with plastic bags \u0026mdash; and the one that gets all the attention \u0026mdash; is waste."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003eMost bags end up in landfills, but some don't. Because some people carelessly drop them all over the place, they're a major source of litter. In San Jose, for instance, \u0026mdash; which surveyed plastic litter prior to implementing a ban in 2012 \u0026mdash; bags previously made up \u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" href=\"http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_23474167/mixed-bag-are-californias-bans-plastic-bags-working\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eabout 8 percent\u003c/a\u003e of litter in local creeks. They also made up about 15 percent of the trash in nearby Monterrey Bay. \u003cspan\u003ePerhaps most troublingly, they contribute to the\u003c/span\u003e\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.vox.com/2014/7/12/5891817/plastic-garbage-patches\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e patches of garbage\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e that swirl in each of the world's oceans and are a\u003c/span\u003e\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/ocean-trash-plaguing-our-sea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e threat to wildlife\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003eEliminating the bags will certainly cut down on this litter. But at the same time, it won't substantially cut down on the total amount of trash we make. \u003cspan\u003eIt's estimated that the US throws out \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/Plastic%20Bags.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eroughly 100 billion\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e plastic bags\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e annually, generating \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/2012_msw_dat_tbls.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eabout 3.3 million tons\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof trash (o\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003enly about 1 to 2 percent \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.reuseit.com/facts-and-myths/facts-about-the-plastic-bag-pandemic.htm\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eare recycled\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"This is a huge amount. But it’s actually a pretty small percentage of the total amount of plastic we throw away: 31.8 million tons annually. And this total is still smaller than the amount of food waste we throw away \u0026mdash; 36.4 million tons per year."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"In other words, we throw away ten times as much food as plastic bags. If we care about reducing garbage, fixating on the \u003ca href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/09/23/americans-throw-out-more-food-than-plastic-paper-metal-or-glass/\"\u003ehuge amount of food waste \u003c/a\u003emight make more sense."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cchorus-asset data-id=\"2322792\" class=\"chorus-snippet browser_wide_media\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2322792/Screen_Shot_2014-10-03_at_3.09.42_PM.0.png\" class=\"small\" alt=\"garbage graph\"\u003e \u003c/chorus-asset\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003eOf course, all waste is not the same. \u003cspan\u003eW\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehile paper and food waste are thought to biodegrade \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://recycling.about.com/od/Resources/fl/How-Long-Does-It-Take-Garbage-to-Decompose.htm\" style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ewithin a few months\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, plastic bags may take anywhere from \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/06/will_my_plastic_bag_still_be_here_in_2507.html\" style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e500 to 1000 years\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to get broken down \u0026mdash; we don't really know, because they simply haven't been around that long.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003eBut there are a few reasons why this distinction matters less than you might think. One minor point is that\u003cspan\u003e in the actual landfill environment, food waste and paper biodegrade at considerably slower rates than under ideal experimental conditions. \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.msue.msu.edu/objects/content_revision/download.cfm/revision_id.498908/workspace_id.-4/01500582.html/\" style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eMichigan State researchers\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, for instance, dug into layers of landfill from the early 70s and found readable newspapers, intact grass clippings, and five preserved hot dogs.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cq class=\"right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003erunning out of space for garbage is not a pressing environmental problem\u003c/q\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003eBut the bigger thing to note here is that \u003cspan\u003erunning out of space for garbage, despite what you might imagine, is not actually a pressing environmental problem. Although worldwide trash production is \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/when-will-we-hit-peak-garbage-7074398/\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eprojected to continue increasing\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for the \u003c/span\u003eforeseeable \u003cspan\u003efuture, we're \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2011/02/go_west_garbage_can.html\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003enowhere near\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e running out of room for landfills. \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThey can be put virtually anywhere \u0026mdash; including otherwise unusable land \u0026mdash;\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and once they're sealed, we can do all sorts of things with the land on top of them, like \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/05/10/garbage-to-green-10-landfills-turned-into-nature-preserves/\" style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eestablish nature preserves\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://mentalfloss.com/article/19795/dirty-secrets-under-bleachers-when-landfills-become-sports-arenas\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ebuild football stadiums\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://events.awma.org/enviro_edu/fact_sheets/landfill_faqs1.html\" style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eairports\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"Now, burying landfills all over our planet is certainly not an ideal use of it. But doing so just causes localized, limited environmental disruption. In 500 or 1000 years \u0026mdash; when those bags are still around \u0026mdash; it’s exceedingly unlikely that the biggest problem facing our planet’s ecosystems will be buried islands of plastic, decomposing at a snail’s pace. We know exactly what the problem will be, and we’re doing pretty much nothing to stop it."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHeadingBlockType","__typename":"CoreHeadingBlockType","contents":{"html":"Trash isn’t the real problem. Climate change is"},"headingId":"trash-isnt-the-real-problem-climate-change-is","level":2,"placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cchorus-asset data-id=\"675162\" class=\"chorus-snippet browser_wide_media\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/675162/4248409028_c4cbac7c20_b.0.jpg\" class=\"small\" alt=\"global warming pic\"\u003e \u003c/chorus-asset\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp class=\"caption\"\u003e(Mikael Miettinen/Flickr)\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003eIn 500 to 1000 years, the primary concern for pretty much every ecosystem on earth will be \u003cspan\u003e \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/what-is-global-warming\" style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eglobal warming\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"The facts on this are pretty clear. If we don’t significantly cut back on greenhouse gas emissions very soon, the world will get hotter, sea levels will rise, and the oceans will turn more acidic, among other problems. If we let \u003ca href=\"http://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/4-degrees-global-warming\"\u003etruly drastic levels of warming\u003c/a\u003e occur \u0026mdash; and at this point, \u003ca href=\"http://www.vox.com/2014/9/22/6805513/un-climate-talks-in-seven-charts\"\u003ethere’s no sign we’re doing anything to stop it\u003c/a\u003e \u0026mdash; scientists warn that profound disruptions to both modern human society and the natural world are very likely."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cq class=\"right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003ewhen it comes to climate change, eliminating plastic bags is a symbolic move\u003c/q\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"What does all this have to do with plastic bags? When it comes to greenhouse gases, they’re once again dramatically less important than the products we buy and put inside them."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"In 2002, when considering a tax on plastic bags, the Australian government conducted \u003ca href=\"http://www.greenbag.com.au/UserFiles/AU_analysis.pdf\"\u003eone of the most detailed studies\u003c/a\u003e of their lifetime environmental costs. They calculated that an average bag has .48 megajoules (MJ) of \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_energy\"\u003eenergy embodied\u003c/a\u003e in it \u0026mdash; that is, .48 MJ of energy went into producing the plastic polymer, manufacturing the bag, and transporting the various inputs to make it all possible. More energy means more greenhouse gas emissions."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor comparison, making a one-liter plastic bottle \u0026mdash; the kind used to hold water, juice, or soda \u0026mdash; \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://pacinst.org/publication/bottled-water-and-energy-a-fact-sheet/\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003erequires 3.4 MJ\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. A can of corn requires \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://organic.kysu.edu/EnergySmartFood(2009).pdf\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eabout 12.82 MJ\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. A single order of french fries uses up \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://organic.kysu.edu/EnergySmartFood(2009).pdf\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eabout 3.7 MJ\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and a \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003equarter-pound hamburger \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://govconnect.alachuacounty.us/committees/ECSC/Strategies/wei/Shared%20Documents/EdFoodSection.pdf\" style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eabout 19.88 MJ\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cchorus-asset data-id=\"2323356\" class=\"chorus-snippet browser_wide_media\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2323356/Screen_Shot_2014-10-03_at_5.35.14_PM.0.png\" class=\"small\" alt=\"plastic bag energy chart\"\u003e \u003c/chorus-asset\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"These numbers can vary based on agricultural techniques, shipping methods, and other factors, but when you compare plastic bags with food, it’s not even close. Yet for whatever reason, we associate plastic bags \u0026mdash; but not food production \u0026mdash; with environmental degradation. If we care about climate change, cutting down on food waste would be many, many times more beneficial than worrying about plastic bags."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003eMoreover, when \u003cspan\u003efood waste is dumped in landfills, it \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/09/24/food.leftovers/#cnnSTCText\" style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ereleases substantial amounts of methane\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u0026mdash; a greenhouse gas \u0026mdash; as it as it decomposes. (It doesn't if it's composted, because it undergoes aerobic decomposition, rather than \u003c/span\u003eanaerobic.)\u003cspan\u003e This is more than a symbolic problem: landfills as a whole account for \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/strategy_to_reduce_methane_emissions_2014-03-28_final.pdf\" style=\"line-height: 1.5; background-color: #ffffff;\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eabout 18 percent\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e of all US methane emissions, with food waste responsible for a substantial portion.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"On top of all this, if plastic bag bans like California’s end up causing people to use more paper bags \u0026mdash; instead of bringing their reusable ones to the store \u0026mdash; it’ll certainly end up being worse for the environment. \u003ca href=\"http://www.treehugger.com/culture/paper-bags-or-plastic-bags-everything-you-need-to-know/page5.html\"\u003eResearch shows\u003c/a\u003e that making a paper bag consumes about four times more energy than a plastic bag, and produces about four times more waste if it’s not recycled."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"When it comes to both climate change and trash production, eliminating plastic bags is a symbolic move, not a substantial one. Encouraging people to cut down on food waste, on the other hand, would actually mean something."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHeadingBlockType","__typename":"CoreHeadingBlockType","contents":{"html":"So what should we be focusing on?"},"headingId":"so-what-should-we-be-focusing-on","level":2,"placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cchorus-asset data-id=\"2323430\" class=\"chorus-snippet browser_wide_media\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2323430/129368545.0.jpg\" class=\"small\" alt=\"plastic bag 2\"\u003e \u003c/chorus-asset\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp class=\"caption\"\u003e(Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"Despite all this, you might say that a small, symbolic step is better than no step at all. A heated-up planet with fewer plastic bags on it, in theory, is still better than one with more of them."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003eThe major benefit of the former scenario is reduction of plastic litter in marine environments, and the benefit to wildlife. \u003cspan\u003eBut a\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003et the same time, it'd be extremely hard to find a marine biologist willing to argue \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethat garbage patches are more of a threat to ocean ecosystems than \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/what-is-ocean-acidification\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eacidification\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"Now we could, theoretically, try to solve both. Is focusing on plastic bags the way to do it?"},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"The answer depends on whether you view the fight against plastic bags as something that will catalyze more people to care about the environment and take action \u0026mdash; or an empty gesture that will allow people to pat themselves on the back, imagine they’ve done something to save the planet, and move on."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cq class=\"right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003ei think most people feel they're doing their part for the environment simply by bringing a reusable bag to the store\u003c/q\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"In some places, it might seem like the former is a possibility. California, in fact, has its own \u003ca href=\"http://www.forbes.com/sites/edfenergyexchange/2014/01/08/four-reasons-california-cap-and-trade-had-an-extraordinary-first-year/\"\u003esuccessful cap-and-trade program\u003c/a\u003e that limits carbon emissions, and many cities \u0026mdash; including Chicago \u0026mdash; \u003ca href=\"http://www.vox.com/2014/9/24/6838567/we-should-pay-more-attention-to-what-cities-are-doing-on-climate\"\u003eare taking big steps to cut emissions\u003c/a\u003e within their borders."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"But at a national level, we still aren’t close to enacting a comprehensive plan that could make a significant dent in climate change. And as a cynic, I think most people feel they’re doing their part for the environment simply by bringing a reusable bag to the store."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false},{"__isBlockType":"CoreHTMLBlockType","__typename":"CoreHTMLBlockType","markup":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf we want to avoid catastrophic climate change, we need to \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/how-do-we-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ereinvent our energy systems\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and make other big, structural changes. \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn environmentalism that focuses on personal choices and visible, superficial steps is not one that leads to it.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","placement":"default"},{"__isBlockType":"CoreParagraphBlockType","__typename":"CoreParagraphBlockType","contents":{"html":"Banning plastic bags is a nice, small, mostly symbolic step towards helping the environment. Now is absolutely not the time for nice, small, symbolic steps."},"dropcap":false,"endmark":false,"lead":false}],"__isResolvedResourceInterface":"PostResourceType","id":"dngyOnBvc3Q6MjgwNTI0","wpId":280524,"__isContentResourceInterface":"PostResourceType","featuredImage":{"image":{"originalUrl":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90\u0026strip=all","wpId":280518,"id":"dngyOmltYWdlOjI4MDUxOA==","title":"","alt":"","originalHeight":2158,"originalWidth":3600,"thumbnails":{"social":{"url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90\u0026strip=all\u0026crop=0,6.3295469433109,100,87.340906113378","mimeType":"imageJpg","normalizedRatio":1.91,"cropCoordinates":{"height":87.3409061133782,"width":100}}}}},"__isFeedContentResourceInterface":"PostResourceType","dek":{"plaintext":"","html":""},"robots":{"index":true,"follow":true},"canonicalUrlOverride":"","originalPublishedAt":"2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00","publishedAt":"2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00","seo":{"headline":"Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense","description":""},"social":{"headline":"Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense","description":"","image":null},"promo":{"headline":"Why our environmental obsession with plastic bags makes no sense"},"ledeMedia":{"__typename":"LedeMediaImageType","image":{"title":"","alt":"","originalHeight":2158,"originalWidth":3600,"thumbnails":{"social":{"url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90\u0026strip=all\u0026crop=0,6.3295469433109,100,87.340906113378","mimeType":"imageJpg","normalizedRatio":1.91,"cropCoordinates":{"height":87.3409061133782,"width":100}},"horizontal":{"url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90\u0026strip=all\u0026crop=5.0416666666667,0,89.916666666667,100","cropCoordinates":{"height":100,"width":89.91666666666667}},"square":{"url":"https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15009540/456414998.0.0.1446217949.jpg?quality=90\u0026strip=all\u0026crop=20.027777777778,0,59.944444444444,100","cropCoordinates":{"height":100,"width":59.94444444444444}}},"id":"dngyOmltYWdlOjI4MDUxOA=="}},"updatedAt":"2019-03-02T09:19:31+00:00","createdAt":"2014-10-04T15:00:03+00:00","hasAffiliateLinks":false,"additionalBylines":"","status":"publish","wordCount":1615,"package":null,"streams":{"nodes":[]},"liveStatus":{"startAt":null,"status":false,"endAt":null},"isPaywallEligible":true,"seoArticleBody":"This week, California became the first state to ban single-use plastic bags. Going forward, customers at grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience marts will have two options for bagging their purchases: they can pay ten cents for a paper bag, or they can bring a reusable bag from home.\nSupporters argued that the ban would help cut down on plastic litter \u0026mdash; particularly in the oceans, where the bags can pose a threat to sea turtles and other marine life.\nBut this is also part of a bigger trend. Dozens of cities \u0026mdash; including Chicago, Dallas, and DC \u0026mdash; either tax plastic bags or ban them outright. And among shoppers, bringing a reusable bag from home has become the most visible symbol of environmental-friendliness. If recycling was the quintessential environmental activity of the the 1970s and 80s, toting a reusable bag may be today’s.\nThere’s nothing wrong with any of this. It’s a mildly positive step for the planet \u0026mdash; especially if the goal is to cut down on plastic waste. But the disproportionate emphasis on plastic bags among people who care about the environment is also a bit misplaced. If you want to use your shopping choices to benefit wildlife and the environment as a whole, the type of bag you use is far less important than what you put inside it.\nPlastic bags are a tiny fraction of the trash we make\nThe main problem with plastic bags \u0026mdash; and the one that gets all the attention \u0026mdash; is waste.\nThis is a huge amount. But it’s actually a pretty small percentage of the total amount of plastic we throw away: 31.8 million tons annually. And this total is still smaller than the amount of food waste we throw away \u0026mdash; 36.4 million tons per year.\nIn other words, we throw away ten times as much food as plastic bags. If we care about reducing garbage, fixating on the huge amount of food waste might make more sense.\nNow, burying landfills all over our planet is certainly not an ideal use of it. But doing so just causes localized, limited environmental disruption. In 500 or 1000 years \u0026mdash; when those bags are still around \u0026mdash; it’s exceedingly unlikely that the biggest problem facing our planet’s ecosystems will be buried islands of plastic, decomposing at a snail’s pace. We know exactly what the problem will be, and we’re doing pretty much nothing to stop it.\nTrash isn’t the real problem. Climate change is\nThe facts on this are pretty clear. If we don’t significantly cut back on greenhouse gas emissions very soon, the world will get hotter, sea levels will rise, and the oceans will turn more acidic, among other problems. If we let truly drastic levels of warming occur \u0026mdash; and at this point, there’s no sign we’re doing anything to stop it \u0026mdash; scientists warn that profound disruptions to both modern human society and the natural world are very likely.\nWhat does all this have to do with plastic bags? When it comes to greenhouse gases, they’re once again dramatically less important than the products we buy and put inside them.\nIn 2002, when considering a tax on plastic bags, the Australian government conducted one of the most detailed studies of their lifetime environmental costs. They calculated that an average bag has .48 megajoules (MJ) of energy embodied in it \u0026mdash; that is, .48 MJ of energy went into producing the plastic polymer, manufacturing the bag, and transporting the various inputs to make it all possible. More energy means more greenhouse gas emissions.\nThese numbers can vary based on agricultural techniques, shipping methods, and other factors, but when you compare plastic bags with food, it’s not even close. Yet for whatever reason, we associate plastic bags \u0026mdash; but not food production \u0026mdash; with environmental degradation. If we care about climate change, cutting down on food waste would be many, many times more beneficial than worrying about plastic bags.\nOn top of all this, if plastic bag bans like California’s end up causing people to use more paper bags \u0026mdash; instead of bringing their reusable ones to the store \u0026mdash; it’ll certainly end up being worse for the environment. Research shows that making a paper bag consumes about four times more energy than a plastic bag, and produces about four times more waste if it’s not recycled.\nWhen it comes to both climate change and trash production, eliminating plastic bags is a symbolic move, not a substantial one. Encouraging people to cut down on food waste, on the other hand, would actually mean something.\nSo what should we be focusing on?\nDespite all this, you might say that a small, symbolic step is better than no step at all. 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