What We’re Reading: Plastic Bag Bans Are Working

What We’re Reading: Plastic Bag Bans Are Working

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at [email protected].

Pack your bags

In recent years, many U.S. cities and states have implemented plastic bag bans or fees. And now, according to a story Contributing Editor Michaela Haas shared from Grist, science says these policies are working. The study found that fewer plastic bags end up littering beaches in places with such policies, and that the impact was greater in places with state-wide policies than local ones.

Michaela says:

I’m all for making plastic bags really expensive or banning them.

What floats your boat

Ferry rides: undeniably a pretty dreamy way to commute. But operators have struggled to find a way to make ferries both sustainable and fast. As the New York Times reports in a story that caught Executive Editor Will Doig’s eye, a battery-powered vessel developed by a Swedish startup offers a possible solution.

Will says:

At first I assumed this electric hydrofoil ferry was just a concept. Turns out it’s already in operation in Stockholm, lifting ferries up into the air to make waterborne commuting faster, greener and more fish-friendly.

What else we’re reading

🌊 Underwater turbine spinning for 6 years off Scotland’s coast is a breakthrough for tidal energy — shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from AP News

🚦 New Air Quality Stats Dispel Earlier Forecasts for Congestion Pricing Pollution — shared by Will Doig from Streetsblog NYC

❄️ Atlanta is embracing a cheap, effective way to beat urban heat: ‘cool roofs’ — shared by Rebecca Worby from Grist

In other news…

Frequent RTBC contributor MaryLou Costa shared with us a cool story from People’s Daily Online about drones delivering food to elderly residents of villages in a rural, mountainous part of China.

“It’s a great example of technology being used to connect people with vital resources and curb isolation,” MaryLou notes.