Plastic bags
I was grateful to read in the October 3rd and 17th issues of the RGS that Mayor John Ramon Vigil has proposed a ban on single use plastic grocery bags. It is true that they are one of the culprits in the trash that is seen or not seen all over the City as well as out on the hillsides.
There are also other, very important reasons to ban these bags. According to Dr. LaBeaud, Stanford University Department of Infectious Diseases and the World Economic Forum “Plastic trash can be directly linked to mosquito abundance and human disease.”
They have also discovered that there are micro plastics in most humans, often within the bloodstream and the lungs. This can contribute to cancer, diabetes and other major diseases.
Councilor LeDoux’s statement about the spread of bacteria in reusable bags is far less of a health hazard than the long term effects of plastic waste and micro plastics.
Even one small action such as banning plastic bags can foster awareness in consumers who may have previously been unaware of the hazardous long-term effects of plastic on the environment and ourselves.
t us work to secure a vibrant, healthy future by heightening people’s awareness about single use plastics by the banning of plastic grocery bags in Espanola. Center Market is already offering free paper bags to those who ask for them. We can all make the effort to carry reusable bags in our cars and bring them with us when we shop.
Judith Chaddick
Velarde