A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Taina Uitto (of http://plasticmanners.wordpress.com/) in her home to learn about all the changes she's made in her life since embarking on her one year, plastic-free project.

Yesterday we visited Bhat-Bhateni Super Store and stumbled upon a brand new environmental initiative.

Bhat-Bhateni is now encouraging shoppers to use re-usable plastic bags and is also selling re-usable branded bags. I quickly visited the Bhat-Bhateni web site and found their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) page which says:

I was at Resilient Cities conference this week - which kind of blew my mind open. It's amazing how shielded we are from the environmental impacts of our lifestyles when we live in cities. It's like there aren't any, because we export them out into landfills, the oceans, and other wondrous places.

The current poll has "ban plastic bags" leading by a wide margin. Come on people! Plastic bags have their uses, and the battle to ban them distracts us from the big issues.

As Grist's "Ask Umbra" reminds us, a plastic bag has almost no impact on the environment compared to our habitual drive in the car to the grocery store.

I know, I know…you’re thinking…'EnviroWoman haven’t you already found plastic-free CFL bulbs by NOMA that come packaged in cardboard rather than that annoying and uber-evil blisterpak stuff.'

Well, I said it once, I’ll say it again….life is full of ironies. And this is another one of them.

And we’re not talking an itsy-bitsy-paramecium-sized irony. We’re talking a big, honkin’ Godzilla- Meets-Tyrannosaurus-Rex-sized irony – the Sequel.

I know, I know…you’re thinking…'EnviroWoman this is a no-brainer. Of course you’re buying Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs. They use 60% less energy. They last up to 15 times longer. Every Green Guide on the planet evangelizes them as being an energy saver. And energy saviour. I think they may even be able to walk on water.'

Well, life is full of ironies. And this is one of them.