In the bag
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Strange fruit: the discarded plastic bag has become the ‘national blossom’ of many countries. Emmanuel Vialet / Still Pictures / www.stillpictures.com
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The Irish call it the ‘national flag’; in South Africa it is known as the ‘national flower’. The plastic bag is surely the most ubiquitous consumer item on earth. Between four and five trillion (million million) were produced in 2002, most ending up in landfill sites.
Many others go airborne. Kenyan farmers complain that the bags get caught in trees; they also lodge in the throats of birds. Beijing authorities spend a fortune cleaning the bags out of gutters.
When the same problem threatened to choke the irrigation channels of snowmelt, crucial for agriculture in the high-altitude desert region of Ladakh in India, the local Ladakhi Women’s Alliance organized a ban. Flood-prone Bangladesh imposed a countrywide ban on plastic bags, also due to clogged drains and channels. South African laws to make bags more durable (and expensive) reduced use by 90 per cent. Australia, India, New Zealand/Aotearoa and the Philippines are among countries intending to follow Ireland’s lead in imposing a tax on bags which has reduced use by 95 per cent.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
