Ed, There were 40,000 global delegates are in Paris this month putting together a workable plan to address climate change. Climate change is arguably the greatest challenge our children and grandchildren are inheriting from our generation. Our generation is thought to be the last generation to have enough time to adequately address this issue. And in some small but very practical measure the way in which Yamba’s community members, its businesses and its many visitors have embraced Yamba’s EcoBags shows that many people in our lovely region are concerned enough about major environmental issues to now start to make different and more sustainable choices so that we don’t end up where we are headed. Congratulations to anti-plastic bag campaigner and local EcoBag representative Gina Lopez, EcoBag director Stacey Randell and all those people who have used about 60,000 reusable paper shopping bags in Yamba. You are telling your politicians that you choose not to use single-use plastic bags, CONvenient throw aways which are best suited to a “throw away”world. And by making this very simple choice you are telling your politicians that you want them to address environmental issues such as climate change now. By taking the direct action of choosing to use a reusable EcoBag you are taking one positive step that will help guarantee your children and grandchildren a more healthy and safer future. The beautiful simplicity of an EcoBag or any other reusable product refers to all the manufacturing inputs of any reusable item you choose to use. The manufacturing inputs are as follows:- materials, energy, water, air and water pollution generated during the manufacturing processes and landfill waste during the course of manufacture. So if you choose to use an EcoBag, all these manufacturing inputs are locked into the entire life of any reusable item you use. However if you’ve been conned into the CONvenience of using a single-use product, all these same manufacturing inputs are involved in the manufacture of every single disposable product you use. There is a line in Mudrooroo’s (Colin Johnson’) wonderful book ‘Doctor Wooreddy’s prescription for Enduring the Ending of the World.’ :-” This world is yours and you can have the ruins.” The future is what you choose and by choosing to use a reusable EcoBag you are showing your children you want a better future world for them. All the best in the future you choose for your children. Harry Johnson, Iluka