Documentation:Open Case Studies/Political Science/Regional10
Climate Change Action Plan
Regional Group 10: Ben Foster, Cody Haddow, Bismarke Songose, Hudson Mooney
Introduction
Regional governments are large enough to effect change, and they are easily defined by the economic and geographical areas to understand the economies they are based on. We propose that the elimination of the use of plastic bags would be an effective way to address climate change. Currently, banning plastic bags rests under provincial jurisdiction in B.C., so change would require provincial legislation.
Action Plan
1. Begin with campaigns encouraging retailers and consumers to discontinue use of plastic bags.
2. Implement a tax on plastic bags to be paid by consumers, to discourage plastic bag use.
3. Over a three year period, use the funds collected by the plastic bag tax to bolster the plastic recycling industry.
4. introduce environmentally cosncious replacement products at par.
Implications
(Erase this text: In this section, consider how your action plan can be framed to address the concerns of political, economic, and social groups. Your answers in these sections should consider the guiding questions on the student handout page. Why could you anticipate your plan as having a chance of success in gaining appropriate support? What will be its impacts? Consider both negative and positive impacts.)
Political
(Erase this text: Write your answers here)
Economic
There are 13 plastic bag manufacturers in British Columbia alone[1]. The revenues and jobs they generate are an important factor to consider, as they would be impacted by a plastic bag. Further, taxation on plastic bags would be costly for consumers and might result in a price increase of products.
Social
Frame it in a way that creates a culture which implements reusable bags. How this is done is yet to be determined.
Remaining Challenges
(Erase this text: What are some remaining challenges to your action plan? What does it fail to address? How can you mitigate shortcomings?)