San Fran Ban

San Francisco is one of the most famous cities
in the United States,maybe even the world.
The city by the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge,
Fisherman's Wharf - all symbols of this
northern California city. And lest we forget,
San Francisco is also home to the largest gay
community in the United States, fueling its
reputation as a very liberal city. Many of the
liberal reforms that have sprouted in Cali-
fornia have their roots in San Fran. Some
have been good ideas, others maybe not so
much. But the latest news out of the Golden
State is definitely positive. Last week, the

San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to ban plastic bags
from large supermarkets and pharmacies in an effort to promote
recycling. Plastic bags are made out of petroleum products; city
legislator Ross Mirkarimi stated that the ban would save 450,000
gallons of oil a year and would also remove the need to send 1,400
tons of debris now sent every year to the landfill. (Recyclable plastic
bags, however, would be allowed under the new law.) It will be
intriguing to follow this development, to see how it will be received
and carried out, and if other U.S. cities will follow San Fran's example.
Let's hope so.