Plastic bags are cheap and effective... ergo you collect more taxes by forcing people to by more expensive paper bags.  You also will probably find a few lumber lobbyists in the mix somewhere too if you look.  For we the people there is no good reason to ban plastic bags, but there are plenty of reasons for those who make the laws to ban them .

I don't know if we can call it trickery when it's obvious and only gullible douchebags believe it.

Flint, that study that you are quoting from, specifically looks at Plastic Bags in the UK...I only bring this up, because I looked at your sources sources, and came across this quote which made me realise that the data contained will not be entirely accurate for the US:

"The large increase in potential human toxicity is due to the reduction in incineration which means more electricity has to be generated from coal and gas, and also an increased contribution from transport due to the shipping of the waste plastic to the Far East for recycling." (http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/SCHO0711BUAN-E-E.pdf)

This will have less relevance to the US because I am pretty sure they dump most of their plastic into landfills and not incinerators which generate power. They also look at the cost/impact of production of these products which is also dependant on manufactorer (ie. if the US is producing their own plastic bags, whilst the UK buys from China (for example), then the use of "greener" electrical grids (I did read in that article I quoted that the Chinese power grid did play a part...also I say greener because they could possibly use Hydro, Wind, Nuclear, who-knows, but be less reliant on coal/gas) then it would also affect the results.

"Time to educate people to end a meme."

I suggest you fully educate yourself before you try and "educate" others, than trying to regurgitate information that you haven't fully researched.

Just use one or two strong big bags. I don't see the need for constantly getting new paper or plastic bags or recycling for that matter.

http://tinyurl.com/cjsbcm6

Lol, don't be such a pussy!

"Transporting by ship in bulk is cheaper than other means.
So your Far East falls flat in part there. Add cheaper labor costs."

You COMPLETELY missed the point, and trying to use random information to detract from the topic at hand. You are taking a study taken place in an environment that is NOT the same as in the US, and then applying it to the US. At best, your argument SHOULD be that a similar study needs to take place in the US before an educated decision is made. Once again you are simply looking for any small bit of information to build a huge case and then pander it to the public to make it look like you know what you are talking about. Now, back to my ACTUAL point. I pasted that quote in order to demonstrate that the waste products burnt in incinerators doesn't happen in the US. Once again, you avoided that completely, but my point still remains, the only thing you have countered with was cost, and if the consumer is happy to pay an increased cost, does your argument then fall flat on its ass?

"The vast majority of power in the US is coal."

What's that? You were complaining recently about Obama's war on coal? So if the US reduces its use of coal and gas for power generation (as it has said it will), does that change your argument? I wonder if it will be different for say Europe, since they also rely on other electrical generation methods such as Nuclear (even though they are trying to reduce their use of nuclear power).

"We recycle most bags (see recycling statistics) not burn them and recylcing takes even more power than burning them. It also adds to 'toxicity'"

You find me the reference to that, and also find out both the recycling techniques in the UK and US before you start making comparissons...

"As a forum moderator, I feel that there's something you should know: He does that all the time. Most of the time, in fact. tongue"

Yeah, well aware of it. Also why I haven't posted in Politics for awhile. Got super busy and kinda over the same useless and pointless arguments.

I can carry a lot.

If it was food, it'd inflate me.