The more plastic bags we use, the higher the price of gasoline.

- Chris Lupke, "The myth of the free plastic bag," Moscow-Pullman Daily News, September 3, 2008

Lupke has told some outrageous whoppers before, but this one takes the cake.  He may only have a Ph.D. in Chinese, and not a science related field, but it is tremendously embarrassing for a tenured faculty member of a university whose motto is "World Class, Face to Face," to promulgate such junk science.

Plastic bags are made from polyethylene, which comes from ethane.  Ethane is a by-product of natural gas and oil drilling.  Ethane is too hot for commercial natural gas usage and thus used to be BURNED OFF before it started to be utilized for other purposes.  Plastic bags do not affect either the price or supply of gasoline or natural gas.  That is an absurdly false claim.

My God, what's Lupke going to claim next? Plastic bags cause baldness, bad breath and athlete's foot?

Lupke's claim that "Times are tough and one main reason is the wasteful use of plastic bags that cost everybody" is also patently untrue.  Plastic bags certainly cost retailers, but the price per bag is very low and the amount added on to your grocery bill is infinitesimal.  However, the extra administrative costs for retailers associated with tracking plastic bags and collecting a tax would be much more noticeable to consumers.

And his assertion that we pay more on our disposal bill because plastic bags take up so much room in landfill is equally fallacious  Only 0.3 percent of landfill waste is comprised of plastic bags.

There are so many myths associated with plastic bags, the Times of London reported earlier this year that scientists and environmentalists have attacked the global campaign to ban plastic bags that is based on flawed science and exaggerated claims.  For example, the Times could find absolutely no veracity to claims that plastic bags kill marine animals.

Thank goodness for the truth that the wheels came off Lupke and company's liberal fascist bandwagon in the Pullman City Council chambers last week.