All Things Must Pass

In Like a Virus

March 10, 2020 Comments (0) journal

Tipping Points

With the state-wide bag bill en route to the Governor’s desk for that last, all-important autograph, it’s a time for party hats and backslaps on a job finally well done. (Nah. Best to be careful on the contact these days, actually. You know. And wash your hands.) But as regards the bag ban, a whole lot of people spent years of their lives making this happen, so it’s gratifying when the numbers add up, at long last. And still, almost in the same instant, there’s an understanding of how far we have yet to go, and how much more we still have to do, in terms of our addiction to plastic.

One of the things that I have been reflecting on is the idea of a tipping point, whether a specific level of cultural interest and awareness is needed before change can come. Is that level quantifiable? Is the fact that about one-third of Washington residents live in cities and counties that already have reusable bag initiatives important to this discussion? could it be that this level of support and adoption inevitably leads to the larger successes?

Relax, these are rhetorical questions, more or less. For the full libretto on this bill becoming law, check out the online write-up at Surfrider. And enjoy this moment… I know I am.