This won't be much of a diary, but I'd like to cheer the good news from California, brought to us by our good Democratic Senators from California and all the people who got their asses out to the voting booth in 2010 in order to make sure that the Democrats get elected.
Thank you, California!
California Senate votes to ban foam takeout containers
Sandwiches, milkshakes and other food items frequently packaged in foam takeout containers will have to be packaged in other materials under a bill that cleared the state Senate on Thursday. SB 568 by Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) would prohibit food vendors and restaurants from dispensing prepared foods to customers in polystyrene foam beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
Expanded polystyrene foam, commonly known as Styrofoam, is a lightweight plastic that, when littered, is often carried from streets through storm drains into the ocean. It accounts for 15% of storm drain litter, according to the California Department of Transportation. It is the second-most-common type of beach debris, according to a study by the Southern California Coastal Water Quality Research Project.
California just did both itself, the Pacific Ocean, and the world a huge favor by reducing its contribution to the Pacific Garbage Patch in a significant manner, preventing a huge amount of fish, sea turtle, and bird deaths caused by the ingestion of styrofoam, lowering our dependence on oil, and reducing the amount GHG that it emits.
And all it took was some forward-thinking state senators in a legislature dominated by Democrats deciding that they had had enough of styrofoam pollution.
"I introduced this bill not just to solve an environmental problem that plagues our state but also because it's a job booster for California," Lowenthal said. He added that many California companies are making alternatives to polystyrene takeout packaging, including compostable materials, aluminum foil and paper.
SB 568 passed on a bipartisan 21-15 vote. The bill is headed to the Assembly this month, with a floor vote by the end of August.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/...
California will be the first state to get rid of the yucky styrofoam containers that are strewn throughout so many of our natural landscapes. The California House is expected to pass the measure and Governor Jerry Brown... well, he'll hardly be inclined to pull out the veto pen for this, needless to say.
Thank you for getting out there and voting in 2010, California. I greatly appreciate your trailblazing!