Plastic

Since we didn't feel like venturing far from home today, we just wandered down to our neighbourhood green to check out an event billed as "jazz on Newington Green." Plenty of locals were taking advantage of the perfect picnic weather:

When we started listening to the lyrics that went along with the jazz, a curious theme emerged: the evils of plastic bags and the damage they do to the environment (especially wildlife). We soon realised that the today's event was meant to launch "plastic-bag-free Newington Green," part of an ongoing initiative to make this corner of London one of the few places in the UK (and the first in London) where merchants do not give out free plastic bags. This next installation didn't look like much at first,

but can you tell what it is?

Once the giant whale was built, it would then be stuffed with plastic bags as a reminder of the bags that whales, birds, turtles, and other wildlife can fatally ingest. (For the last few weeks, I haven't been able to walk around the neighbourhood without seeing various sad photos of cute creatures swallowing or being swallowed by plastic bags, underscored by the slogan, "plastic-bag-free Newington Green." I'd like to think that I don't need such shock tactics to remind me to carry a reusable bag, but for the past few weeks, I certainly haven't been without one when I've gone to the fruit-and-vegetable shop!) Cloth bags were being given out today (and will continue to be given out for the rest of the week by local merchants) to help cut down on plastic, and we happily picked up two and used them right away for our shopping. Hey, if it's good enough for Billy Bragg, it's good enough for us.