Embuthanweni wezimbangela ezilahlekile, ukuvikela isikhwama segrosa sepulasitiki kubonakala kulungile lapho usekela ukubhema ezindizeni noma ukubulawa kwemidlwane.Isikhwama esimhlophe esitholakala yonke indawo esizacile siye sadlulela ngalé kwamehlo sangena endaweni yenkathazo yomphakathi, uphawu lokumosha kanye nokweqisa kanye nokucekelwa phansi kwemvelo okwandayo.Kodwa lapho kunemboni esengozini, kukhona ummeli, futhi ummeli oyinhloko wesikhwama sepulasitiki ngu-Stephen L. Joseph, inhloko yomkhankaso osihloko sithi Save the Plastic Bag.

Muva nje, uJoseph kanye nesizathu sakhe bathathe izingoma ezimbalwa.NgoLwesibili olwedlule, iLos Angeles ibe yidolobha laseMelika lakamuva kakhulu ukuthi lithathe isinyathelo ngokumelene nalesi sikhwama, lapho umkhandlu wedolobha uvote ngazwi linye ukuthi kuvalwe upulasitiki kuzo zonke izitolo ezinkulu kanye nezitolo ngo-2010 uma imali yezifundazwe yonke ezikhwameni ingakafakwa. bese.(Kulinganiselwa ukuthi iLos Angeles isebenzisa izikhwama zepulasitiki eziyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili ngonyaka, u-5% kuphela wazo ogaywa kabusha.) UJoseph wayefake icala ngokumelene neLos Angeles County ngezizathu zokuthi ayizange iwulungiselele uMbiko Wokuthinta Kwemvelo mayelana nokuvinjelwa kwezikhwama njengoba kudingwa ngumthetho waseCalifornia.

Enyangeni ngaphambili, iManhattan Beach, Calif., yamukela umthetho ofanayo, naphezu kokuphikisa kukaJoseph kanye nezinyathelo zomthetho.Futhi ngoJulayi odlule, idolobha lakubo kaJoseph iSan Francisco laba idolobha lokuqala laseMelika ukuphoqelela ukuvinjelwa.(UJoseph ubesecaleni kusukela ngoJuni kuphela, ngakho-ke akukho kukholamu yakhe.)

Lowo owayengumgqugquzeli waseWashington, owazalelwa eNgilandi futhi ngokungabaza wanikeza iminyaka yakhe yobudala engama-50-into ethile, uyavuma ukuthi kuyimpi enzima ezama ukuthuthukisa isithombe sento yokulahla eboshelwe kukho konke kusukela ekushiseni komhlaba kuya ekuncikeni kuwoyela nokufa. ngempilo yasolwandle.Ikakhulukazi eCalifornia.Ikakhulukazi e-Ultra-liberal Marin County.Kwamthatha isikhathi esingaphezu konyaka ngemuva kokuthi abakhiqizi bezikhwama befika bezobiza imbangela."Kuyinselele kakhulu ukulwa nezinganekwane nolwazi olunganembile," esho evela emahhovisi akhe ezomthetho e-Tiburon, Calif.“Ngiwumbukiso womuntu oyedwa.”

Njengommeli, ungumsakazi omuhle kakhulu: ngo-2003 wamangalela i-Kraft Foods ukuze ivimbele ukudayiswa kwamakhukhi e-Oreo ezinganeni ezineminyaka engaphansi kwe-11 e-California, ngezizathu zokuthi zazigcwele amafutha e-trans.Nakuba engazange ayinqobe impi yasenkantolo, wayinqoba ngokusobala impi;Umbusi u-Arnold Schwarzenegger usayine umthethosivivinywa wokulwa nama-trans-fat emthethweni ngoJulayi 25. Ngaphambilini, uJoseph wamangalela umnyango wokupaka izimoto waseSan Francisco ukuze enze i-ejensi isuse i-graffiti ezimpawini zayo, futhi wayeyisishoshovu sokulwa nodoti.I-Graffiti nodoti - okuhlanganisa, ake sithi, izikhwama zokuthenga zepulasitiki - ziyaqhubeka, ngakho ushaya cishe .300.

Umuntu owayeyisishoshovu sokulwa nodoti angazisekela kanjani izikhwama zepulasitiki?UJoseph ubonisa, futhi ezinye izazi zendawo ezungezile ziyavuma, ukuthi ngezindlela eziningi izikhwama zephepha ziyingozi emvelweni njengepulasitiki.Ngenkathi izikhwama zephepha zibola, nazo zikhulula i-methane ngenkathi zenza kanjalo.Nakuba izikhwama zepulasitiki ngezinye izikhathi zenziwe ngamakhemikhali e-petrochemicals, izikhwama zephepha zidinga amandla engeziwe ukuze zenziwe futhi zisetshenziswe kabusha.Ubufakazi bokuthi izikhwama zepulasitiki zibulala izilwane zasolwandle abuqiniseki, futhi ngokuvamile kuyavunywa ukuthi i-detritus evela ekudobeni ngenjongo yokuthengisa iyingozi kakhulu.UJoseph uthi: “Ukucwaninga kwami ​​kulolu daba kungibonise ukuthi kukhona okuhlekisayo okwenzekayo.“Abakhankasela ama-anti-plastic bag abaphikiswa.Kufana necala lasenkantolo lapho kungekho muntu omele olunye uhlangothi.”

Ngokumelene nokusetshenziswa kwezikhwama zokuthenga zendwangu, noma kunjalo, noma uhlobo lwentambo okungenzeka ukuthi ugogo wakhe waluyisa emgwaqweni omkhulu, uJoseph unezimpikiswano ezimbalwa.Izikhwama zepulasitiki zenza amalayini kadoti awusizo, uthi, noma izinto zokubeka udoti wamakati.Futhi, kunjalo, zingasetshenziswa kabusha ukubamba ukuthenga.“Uyazi ukuthi yini engicabanga ukuthi iyona engcono kakhulu ngabo?Ungashova angaba ngu-12 endaweni yakho yamagilavu.”

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi izimpikiswano zakhe zithonya kanjani, umsebenzi kaJosefa ungase ufane neCanute.NgoJuni, i-China yavala izitolo ezweni lonke ekukhipheni izikhwama zepulasitiki zamahhala futhi yavimbela ukukhiqizwa, ukuthengiswa kanye nokusetshenziswa kwanoma yiziphi izikhwama zepulasitiki ezingaphansi kwenkulungwane eyodwa ye-intshi ubukhulu.I-Bhutan ivimbele izikhwama ngesizathu sokuthi ziphazamisa injabulo yezwe.I-Ireland ibeke imali eshisiwe engu-34-cent esikhwameni ngasinye esisetshenzisiwe.Kokubili i-Uganda neZanzibar zibavimbile, kanye namadolobhana angama-30 e-Alaska.Amazwe amaningi abeke noma acabangela izinyathelo ezifanayo.

UJoseph uyazikhandla nokho, engathuki ngenxa yegagasi noma lokho omakhelwane bakhe baseMarin County okumelwe bakucabange.“Ngitshele abantu abaningi ukuthi ngizama ukonga isikhwama sepulasitiki,” usho kanje.“Bangibuka ngokwesaba.”Kodwa uthi cha, akakaze akubone ukwehla kwezimemo zedili.“Lokhu akulona udaba olusebhakedeni kwesokunxele noma kwesokudla.Imayelana neqiniso.Futhi ngizimisele ngokulenza libhaliswe.”