Down to Earth

Plasticless recently got a mention in the online version of one of India’s biggest environmental magazines. I think that’s pretty cool. There are a lot of others bloggers doing a great job of covering the basics and fighting the battles with regard to plastic waste. One thing that makes my take on things a bit different is that I have been spending several years living in developing and less developed countries. I have lived among people who consume less than the average American. At the same time I have witnessed the degree to which many people aspire to the kind of consumerism that goes on in America and the rest of the developed world. I also got to see a range of attitudes about waste management from citizens and government. The guilt trips and social trends that bloggers in places like California use to try and effect change do not translate well to the developing world. I like to read publications like Down to Earth because they are written from the perspective of people who live and work in the developing world. Regional governments in India have recently been coming out with very strict plastic bag bans. It will be interesting to see how the society adjusts to this.