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On reading the Feb. 4 Commentary piece by Chris Clarendon (“Rhode Island plastic bag ban would protect wildlife”), I thought the issues regarding marine pollution should be put in their proper perspective. I am a retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration captain, having spent 30 years in sailing the open oceans and participated in many surveys and scientific expeditions, including the 2002 New England Air Quality Study.
I completely agree with Mr. Clarendon that plastic bags, or any other solid matter such as tires, bottles, etc., do not belong in our estuaries or ocean waters. But I do think that this problem is solved not by bans on products but by proper disposal, recycling and education.
What should be addressed is the pollution from storm water runoff, excess fertilizer polluting our estuaries (i.e., the Dead Zone at the mouth of the Mississippi) and the air pollution and carbon dioxide that lead to global warming and acidification of our oceans.
In testimony before the Rhode Island Senate’s Committee on Environment and Agriculture, Christopher Reddy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute testified: “In Narragansett Bay, nitrogen from combined sewage overflow and leaking septic fields is a significantly greater problem than plastics, and perhaps any other pollutant in the Bay.” These, I believe, are much bigger threats to Mr. Clarendon’s oysters than plastic bags.
I have also studied the alternatives to plastic bags such as paper and reusable bags. I have purchased reusable bags but was worried about their cleanliness, not to mention forgetting them at home or in the car most of the time. It has been shown that much more energy and water is wasted manufacturing and recycling paper bags than plastic.
Plastic bags are recyclable, reusable (for animal waste, household garbage, etc.) and, with proper education and disposal facilities, they are a minor problem.
The money and resources that we have today are very limited, especially with federal and state budget tightening. It is very important for us to prioritize problems and solutions concerning our environment.
The biggest are those that are global and affect all mankind, such as global warming, water pollution by chemicals and the acidification of the ocean. This is where we need to concentrate our efforts, not on bans.
Timothy B. Wright, of Chesterfield, Mo., is a retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration captain.
Post to be found at:
http://www.providencejournal.com/opinion/commentary/20140218-timothy-b.-wright-the-oceans-face-much-bigger-problems-than-plastic-bags.ece
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