Carbon Neutral and Plastics

Some interesting links from the Sea Turtle Listserve:

This climate change calculator will determine your carbon output and estimate how many trees you need to plant to be carbon neutral.

Also, the recent measure in San Francisco to switch to biodegradable plastic bags is a step in the right direction. In Senegal, cheap plastic bags were everywhere they weren't supposed to be and blew across the country like leaves. The classic example of harm to wildife caused by plastic bags is the sea turtles that swallow the bags, confusing them with sea jellies. But my concerns with the new plastic bags: Are people going to be more likely to dispose of plastic bags improperly when they are "biodegradable"? How long does it take for the bags to biodegrade and into what products? Though this article dates back a few years, it speaks to the tremendous quantities of plastics in our ocean.