Enviro Mental

While we all wait to hear about the big trees, here's a bit of a blast from the recent past, Environment minsiter Ian Campbell on the Insiders on 25 July 2004:

Cassidy: You mention plastic bags – of course Mark Latham has made much of his ban on plastic bags. Are you going to try and trump him on that issue?

Campbell: One of the things I've already done this week, Barrie, is I'm working with retailers to bring in a new series of bags. We want some blue bags, for example. People like these green bags, I want a new initiative to link the importance of the damage that plastic bags can do to our rivers and oceans to send a strong message by saying this is a very important measure for the world's oceans and Australia's beaches.

Cassidy: What message does a blue bag send?
Campbell: The blue bag will be the same as a green bag, Barrie, but it's going to be blue.
We want a series of different colours, we want to keep the initiative going and keep re-invigorating it every few months with different coloured bags.

Cassidy: I'm sorry, I missed the point – what's the significance of changing from green to blue?
Campbell: Well, you can basically have your choice of colours.
Some people like green, some like white. Some of the supermarkets I visited yesterday had calico bags. The colour's not important, but I want to link the colour of the bags to environmental outcomes. And one of the things I'm working with retailers on is bringing in a new blue bag.

Cassidy: Minister, we're out of time. Thanks for your time.
Campbell: My pleasure.

Utter Brainiac.