Green agenda on hold

Setbacks on two bills put politics before environment, advocates say

Politics lags behind public opinion, frustrated environmental and good government groups said after seeing two “green” proposals — one city and one state — get brushed back.

“It’s just such a cesspool here in Albany,” said NYPIRG’s Laura Haight, which successfully pushed for passage of a law to expand bottle deposit to cover bottled water. A judge delayed the plan — set for June — back to April 2010 after complaints from beverage companies and supermarkets.

This week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was forced to back off his plan to add a 5-cent charge on plastic bags when it became clear the City Council wouldn’t approve it.

New Yorkers use an estimated 1 billion plastic bags a year. The five cents was mild compared to Ireland, where a 33 cent charge on  plastic bags has greatly reduced their use.

“Unfortunately, these political battles are never won on the facts alone,” said Eric Goldstein of the National Resources Defense Council, noting many shoppers already avoid plastic bags even without a tax on them.

He’s believes the plan, which needs Albany’s approval, will be back.

“It’s an outmoded idea that you would take a plastic bag, use it for an hour or less and leave a whole host of littering and environment problems for centuries to come,” he said.