Ross McKitrick: Suddenly, plastic is looking pretty good again

When I speak or teach on environmental policy, one question often comes up. What to do about all the plastic waste, and why don’t we just ban it all? Until a month ago, my answer would have seemed abstract and unconvincing to a lot of young people. I’d note that much of our current reliance on plastic packaging was motivated by the need for public hygiene. We used to get our meat the way we still get most of our vegetables — from open counters. But people grew uncomfortable with the exposure of meat to insects and germs, not to mention the problem if people handle raw meat in one aisle then touch products in other aisles, so stores responded with those little Styrofoam trays with absorbent liners and clear plastic wrap, to which we all soon grew accustomed.-- More...