Plastic or Paper?

This is a blog focused on food and its relationship with the environment. Whether or not the merits of a tax on plastic bags should be posted here is dubious. Nonetheless, I found this Leo Hickman piece rather good. I don't have much more to add really, except to say that bags are indicative of your consumption patterns. Over-consumption is certainly not sustainable, one only need to open Jared Diamond's Collapse for more on this. Sure taxes change our behaviour, but it would be brilliant if we could put a bit more effort into changing it ourselves. Taking a reusable bag should be an automatic impulse anytime we leave the house. With so many lovely decorations out there, they can be the ultimate accessory. I seem to throw my sunglasses and umbrella (you never know either way in London) in there and it happens to hold my food purchases too. So buy (or make) a canvas bag and make sure you take it with you. Because there really are more important environmental issues out there and this should be one habit that is easy for us to kick.