While I can't argue that your local stores aren't trying to earn an extra buck, removing plastic bags does make a difference. For grocery stores that's what, 8 bags/customer on average sometimes more - those are bags that won't end up in landfills or, more importantly, the ocean. If the ocean dies we die. That's less plastic that needs to be recycled, too - and for some reason it seems harder than ever to recycle plastic (at least in the States). There's a lot they won't accept now because China stopped buying it from us. All trash goes somewhere and unfortunately, it's mostly the ocean.
Where I live it's a bit of a marketing ploy. They stopped GIVING plastic bags away, but they now offer them for sale. 15 cents each, plenty of bags still going home (not for me, I haven't bought them in years).
No offence to anyone here (and I'm included with this next part), but Society is full of hypocrites.
From those who want the environment to be 'saved' but drive cars, use disposable household goods, use the electricity grid, fly in planes etc etc.
Vegetarians (Pug ducks Sarah's flying shoe..) that buy from the supermarket yet the products are all packed in fancy packaging - and using excess packaging, the products often needing to be kept chilled for their convenience. The inks and plastics used create damage to the environment etc etc.
I wont go on about religious people no matter their faith but they are included here.
My point is we are ALL slaves to the financial system globally.
We cannot change things by hashtag movements, swapping plastic bags for material ones, or wishing really really hard that what we wish for will happen. The system is global. Too big and powerful to change by us.
Today, greed still rules. And I believe it will for some time yet. But I also believe there is a 'trident (not a fork) in the road' for humanity in the not too distant future.
We as a species have a choice to make. 1)We either continue as we are, and we destroy our environment (and ourselves) with our current greed global system,
2)we can invest in science to give us real answers so we become a technologically savvy species where we actually stop harming our environment, change the system to include everyone in well being thereby doing away with the current financial system
or 3) or go back to using horse and cart, living in the old ways (which I can't see ever happening).
I believe we have to one day get rid of the current financial system, include everyone, become a tech savvy species and become a space faring species.
Unfortunately to stop using oil, to get off the current system I believe will cause great upheaval and many, many deaths. I believe it will bring about the next war.
Rant over
