Escaping Suburbia

Heal the Bay down in Los Angeles county is coordinating their second annual Day Without a Bag event on December 18th. The event itself is only for LA county, but I decided to pilfer the idea and let you all know about it too. Can you go one full day without using a disposable bag? I’m sure many people have canvas bags or totes or other means of carrying purchases. I know I do. I leave them at home all the time, or in the car, despite my best intentions.

There are so many good reasons to reduce our use of plastic. But here’s one very graphic reason I can give you:

This is a sea lion in Newport, Oregon and that’s a plastic bag stuck around its neck. Tissue and muscle (I think?) have now grown around the bag and there is no way for it to be removed without causing more damage or death.

This photo was taken some time ago. I know the sea lion was being monitored when I took the photo (there was a sign on the dock), but I don’t know what’s happened to him since then.

So, December 18th… who’s in? I’m going to put up a post on the 18th inviting comments… tell me how you participated, and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a hand-made, cotton market bag. I have two made right now, and if I can get a few more done between now and the end of the year, I’ll give those up, too.

Here’s one of the bags I have made. The other one is purple.

Only people who are NOT in the LA area are eligible, please. You guys already have a neat event and a whole mess of places to pick up a free bag. But your comments are welcome, of course!