Plastic Bags Should Be Banned

The article Bag Ban Bad for Freedom and Environment, by Adam B. Summers, argues that a ban placed on plastic grocery bags would be detrimental to the environment as well as to people. Summers builds his argument with the use of pathos, ethos, and statistics throughout the article. Summers uses pathos in the article to strengthen his argument. He is able to use two examples of the negative impacts of the possible ban on plastic bags. These examples appeal to the reader’s emotions and help to persuade people that his view is right. The first example of this is when Summers states that one result of a bag ban in San Francisco was an increase in hospital visits due to intestinal infectious diseases. This was seen as a byproduct of food contamination

Similar to the use of ethos, statistics can also be utilized to add to the credibility of the writer and writing. In the article, statistics are used to give specific evidence supporting claims made by Summers. For instance, Summers makes his claim that plastic bags are in fact better for the environment and he uses evidence to back up his opinion. He says, “Compared to paper bags, plastic grocery bags produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, require 70 percent less energy to make, generate 80 percent less waste, and utilize less than 4 percent of the amount of water needed to manufacture them.” The statistics used support Summers and illustrate the differences between plastic and paper bags. He also takes advantage of the device when he talks about Ireland’s increased taxes on plastic bags in 2002. He uses Ireland as an example of how the ban on plastic bags led to an increase in the purchasing of alternative sources of bags. He follows this statement by saying, “The tax imposed on plastic shopping bags led to a 77 percent increase in the sale of plastic trash can liners.” This shows how that despite the tax intended to limit the use of plastic bags, in reality it led to the increased purchasing of these alternative products. The use of statistics in writing adds to the legitimacy of the claims. Without evidence to back up what is being said, readers are more likely to be skeptical about Summers’s views. This being said, the use of statistics in the article help to strengthen the stance of