The Earthlings of the Georgia Conservancy are monitoring the happenings of Georgia Senate Bill 280 – a proposal to “prohibit the distribution of plastic ‘grocery’ bags by retail stores to customers.” A number of other plastic bags and containers would be exempt from this legislation (source).
Plastic bag pollution doesn’t just threaten Georgia’s endangered and threatened marine life (see list of Georgia’s endangered species here), it also harms our more common wildlife, like this squirrel seen tangled in a plastic bag in Atlanta, obviously distressed that it can’t shake itself free:
bag seen August 2019 in Atlanta, GA
And with a $66 billion tourism industry that sustains over 475,000 jobs, Georgia literally can’t afford to degrade its environment (source).
How You Can Support Bill 280
Step 1: Identify your Georgia state senator
Simply type in your address into OpenStates.org to identify your Georgia state senator.
Step 2: Contact them to voice your support
Whether you prefer leaving a voicemail or an email, we’ve got you covered with some sample language to use. Feel free to add some personal stories of your own to grab their attention! Below are a sample voicemail script and email template for contacting your Georgia state senator:
Sample voicemail
Hello, my name is ________ and I’m your Georgia constituent contacting you regarding Georgia Senate Bill 280. I have lived in ______ since ____ and I am a strong supporter of environmental conservation. I urge you to vote Yes on Senate Bill 280 to protect our environment and our wildlife from plastic bag pollution. Georgia is home to over 30 endangered species, many whose lives are threatened by plastic bag pollution in our state. Banning plastic grocery bags will benefit our state’s $66.2 billion tourism industry, which sustains over 475,000 jobs for Georgia residents. Thank you.
Sample email
Dear ____________,
My name is [first and last name] and I have lived in [area] for [amount of time}. I’m writing as your constituent to voice my support for GA SB 280. I strongly urge you to vote Yes on SB 280 to protect our environment and our wildlife from plastic bag pollution. Georgia is home to over 30 endangered species (source), many whose lives are threatened by plastic bag pollution in our state. Banning plastic grocery bags will benefit our state’s $66.2 billion tourism industry, which sustains over 475,000 jobs for Georgia residents (source). Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[City, State, Zip]
Step 3: Share with others
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