Who the Hell Is Mark Daniels?

It's got all the magic words in it.  He's got lots of titles, with the words "progressive" and "alliance," "marketing and environmental affairs," and "sustainability and environmental policy."  He been a chairman, a vice president, and a senior vice president.  He's worked for The American Progressive Plastic Bag Alliance, Novolex and Hilex Poly (which appears to be owned by Novolex).

Most important, what he does is create doubt about the value of banning plastic bags.  He has done it wherever the need arises.  He did it in 2011 (even got the Huffington Post to feature him as a member of its "signature lineup of contributors."  He has been on the front lines fighting the ban in California, and then fighting to have the ban repealed.  Now he is in Charleston, putting his well-heeled nose into the Isle of Palms and their attempt to ban plastic bags.

And he is using the same arguments.

Why is he doing this?  Because he represents plastic bag manufacturers.  This item, made from the petroleum chemical polyethylene, is easy to throw away, and who knows what happens to those recycling bins at the grocery store?  They litter the environment, and blow into windshields on roadways.  They are a hazard to animals and a cause of greenhouse gas.

But they make lots of money for Novolex.  And Novolex pays Mark Daniels well for coming to places like Charleston and getting papers like our Post & Courier to feature his lies and distortions.

Those scientists and environmentalists who support the ban on plastic bags don't have the deep pockets of the petroleum corporations.  The reason communities have gotten together to ban these items is because they see the damage that is done by them.  When people like Mark Daniels come to town and throw around their propaganda it is likely that far more people are going to see his editorials than will ever see factual articles by scientists and environmental organizations.  Which is why what he does works.

So please share this post and spread the word.  Charleston is being invaded, not just by litter, but by corporate interests that want to prevent us from cutting their profits by trying to clean up our beautiful towns.  Isle of Palms, beware.