A plastic bag tax is a must it seems

I came across a disturbing article in the Australian Northern Star. Australia has been at the forefront of the battle against plastic bags, but on a strictly voluntary basis and I thought that was admirable. Taxation works wonders (Ireland reduced consumption of plastic bags 90% in just one year of introducing a tax), but I there’s nothing like all the citizens getting involved and avoinding plastic bags because they are harming our living environment. But Dee Tipping in Byron Shire, who began a ‘bring your own shopping bag’ campaign in 2003 with the aim of making Byron Bay free of plastic bags by 2005, now advocates a levy. She said the campaign initially took off, but had since hit a plateau and she was now planning to lobby the Federal Government to introduce a policy of a 25cent levy on plastic bags. "Activists can do so much, but government policy is what will make or break the environment," she said. "People do have the best intentions at heart, but we’re notoriously forgetful, she added "Some people have 85 of those green bags at home, which defeats the purpose. If people had to pay 25 cents per plastic bag they would make more of an effort to remember their green bag." Looks like taxation is the most effective thing. If we can tax food and medicines, we ought to be taxing harmful things like plastic bags.