Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Reusable Grocery Bags Are Dangerous

This doesn't surprise me one bit. I mean, it's common sense stuff, and shouldn't require scientific proof to convince people to scrap those stupid things that recently became a blackmail-option without notice at many grocery stores, including the one I visit most frequently.

ht: Bourque

A microbiological study — a first in North America — of the popular, eco-friendly bags has uncovered some unsettling facts. Swab-testing by two independent laboratories found unacceptably high levels of bacterial, yeast, mold and coliform counts in the reusable bags.

"The main risk is food poisoning," Dr. Richard Summerbell, research director at Toronto-based Sporometrics and former chief of medical mycology for the Ontario Ministry of Health, stated in a news release. Dr. Summerbell evaluated the study results.

"But other significant risks include skin infections such as bacterial boils, allergic reactions, triggering of asthma attacks, and ear infections," he stated.

Like the curly, expensive CFL bulbs being imposed upon us, this is another stupid "planet saving" idea which can seriously harm the user. CFL bulbs are a proven fire hazard and, when broken, a mercury-contamination hazard. They're also proven to cause or worsen skin disorders and cause headaches. Yet they, incredibly, remain on the shelves.

Now those reusable grocery bags can easily end up killing their users, most of whom, we know from observing many careless, lazy folks we know, won't know or care about the risks of their use and certainly won't take necessary anti-microbial precautions to prevent contamination and contraction of deadly microbes.

Frankly, I was surprised and pissed to find the inconvenience of having only one, as opposed to six, convenient racks of plastic bags per self-service checkout, and having to pay five cents per bag used, or purchase, for a buck apiece plus tax, those stupid, deadly MADE IN CHINA "Green" bags. Pissed, royally, at the corporation's arrogance.

I didn't see it coming. Nothing I noticed before indicated any coming change.

It's inconvenient, costly and potentially deadly.

Shame on Loblaws and the SuperStore. This likely won't stand, as they're going to see folks buy less stuff per visit to avoid having to deal with the inconvenience of the bags. I already buy less stuff, which is a good thing, as it leads to healthier choices and a lower final bill, but which obviously impacts the bottom line of this stupid, Gore-worshipping company.

I just might go to another grocery store instead which doesn't impose this inconvenient, blackmail-like "option".

I don't like being told by cavalier asses, "Damned one way, damned the other way. What are you gonna do?"

I'm pissed. How about you?

Speaking of "pissed"...

What next? Saving water by making it much more expensive via "green" (or "Gorean) taxation, while subsidizing the construction of outhouses as a cheap "option"?

It's envirofascism, plain and simple.

The People don't have to put up with it. We can reject this green Gorean bullshit and demand what we demand, or impose punishment of our own with boycotts and public awareness-of-fascism campaigns.

I can also see the wrongful-death negligence lawsuits coming. People will certainly die of things like reusable-bag-contracted e-coli poisoning (which is horrible to endure, as I once did, and is excruciatingly painful, like there's literally a fire raging in your belly, and you leak blood all the time at a rate that makes you worry about being exsanguinated to death if it goes on much longer ). Luckily for me and my super-powerful immune system, I was only hospitalized three nights and fully recovered within a week, having only lost ten pounds. Some folks, unfortunately, won't be so "lucky".