California Watch also released an article that states, “In 2009, a private consultant hired by California school officials added a new section to the 11th-grade teachers’ edition textbook called “The Advantages of Plastic Shopping Bags.” The title and some of the textbook language were inserted almost verbatim from letters written by the chemistry council. Although the curriculum includes the environmental hazards of plastic bags, the consultant also added a five-point question to a workbook asking students to list some advantages. According to the teachers’ edition, the correct answer is: “Plastic shopping bags are very convenient to use. They take less energy to manufacture than paper bags, cost less to transport, and can be reused.”
All of these behind the scenes actions are quite troubling and as the SF Chronicle points out, “Although the group will not say how much money it spent on advertising and lobbying the issue, [CA] state documents show it has spent more than $9 million lobbying government agencies since 2003.” We saw it when the lobbyists swarmed into Sacramento last year to kill AB 1998 (CA plastic shopping bag ban) in the 11th hour. We saw their money influence Seattle in 2009 and the State of Oregon earlier this year. It's tough to fight that type of money and influence but with a powerful activist network, Surfrider and the environment will prevail in the end.