ALIADI

WHERE AS plastic bags consume massive amounts of energy in their production, and are made up of substances derived from petroleum that can take up to 1000 years to decompose. Furthermore, they decompose into toxic particles that become part of the soil and water and have been linked to endocrine disruption which leads to cancers, birth defects, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children; and

WHERE AS there is no limit on the discarding of plastic bags, contributing to the contamination and pollution in cities, land and ocean ecosystems, threatening numerous plant and animal species, and our water supplies; and

WHERE AS each year 500 billion plastic bags are used in the world, of which a tiny fraction of them are recycled. The United States and the European Union consume 80% of the worlds production of plastic bags, with California consuming 19 billion bags a year; and

WHERE AS bills passed like Assembly bill 2449 in California, which requires large retail stores to provide recycling bins to help consumers recycle plastic, are not enough to halt the damaging use of plastic bags in our communities; and

WHERE AS it is a basic human right that Latino communities learn the toxic effects of plastic bag use, as it is often marginalized communities that are the most effected by environmental damage;

1. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates at the National Latino Congress endorse and promote reusable, harmless and biodegradable bag use instead of plastic bag use in the Latino community; and

2. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the ALIADI will begin the campaign in 2010 by linking with environmental groups on the local, national and international level, as the Latino community is often left out of the environmental movement and awareness.