Will Santa Fe harm the environment by baning plastic bags?

Santa Fe is considering yet another economically and environmentally-dubious policy idea. In this case, the policy under consideration is a ban on plastic shopping bags. Thankfully, even in the “People’s Republic,” this policy is generating opposition. You can add your voice to the opposition by clicking here and sending a message to your City Councilor.

The devil, as they say, is always in the details. Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center who actually visited “The City Different” earlier this year, speaks out regularly about “Eco-Fads” and has even written a book on the topic. As he writes in this article, bans on plastic bags actually have a net-negative impact on the environment due to increased energy use.

So, rather than jumping on the bandwagon and doing something that feels good, but ultimately harms the environment, Santa Feans should take a close look at the proposal to ban the bags and say “no.”