Japanese villagers creativity to attract tourists

French government bans plastic bags from supermarkets

Billions of plastic bags find their way into the world's oceans every year. Now the French government has moved to reduce the number of plastic bags in consumers' hands - by banning them from supermarkets altogether.

The French government has moved to ban all plastic bags from supermarkets in an attempt to curb pollution and reduce waste.

Amid debate on a biodiversity bill Wednesday evening, French lawmakers on the National Assembly's Commission for Sustainable Development voted in favor of an amendment that would bar single-use plastic bags that are not biodegradable from supermarket checkout lines and produce sections beginning in January 2016.

Instead, the measure proposed the use of thicker, reusable plastic bags or paper ones.

Renewed intiative

It was not the first time French shoppers faced a reduction in the amount of plastic bags available to them. Between 2002 and 2011, the number of plastic bags passed out in supermarkets dropped to 700 million from 10.5 billion.

The French Environment Minister Segolene Royal has said many consumers are unaware of the devastating effect the use of plastic bags has on the environment.

A press release posted on the ministry's website on Thursday said the discharge of plastic waste into the oceans not only posed a threat to marine life but had also cost the tourism and fishing industries some $13 billion.

Water level of Urmia Lake hase increased by 78cm

Positive & Negative Effects of Tourism

Tourism can bring many economic and social benefits, particularly in rural areas and developing countries, but mass tourism is also associated with negative effects. Tourism can only be sustainable if it is carefully managed so that potential negative effects on the host community and the environment are not permitted to outweigh the financial benefits.

1. Economic Effects -- Positive.                                                             Tourism creates jobs, both through direct employment within the tourism industry and indirectly in sectors such as retail and transportation. When these people spend their wages on goods and services, it leads to what is known as the "multiplier effect," creating more jobs. The tourism industry also provides opportunities for small-scale business enterprises, which is especially important in rural communities, and generates extra tax revenues, such as airport and hotel taxes, which can be used for schools, housing and hospitals.                                                                                                    Economic Effects -- Negative.                                                          Successful tourism relies on establishing a basic infrastructure, such as roads, visitor centers and hotels. The cost of this usually falls on the government, so it has to come out of tax revenues. Jobs created by tourism are often seasonal and poorly paid, yet tourism can push up local property prices and the cost of goods and services. Money generated by tourism does not always benefit the local community, as some of it leaks out to huge international companies, such as hotel chains. Destinations dependent on tourism can be adversely affected by events such as terrorism, natural disasters and economic recession.
2. Social Effects -- Positive.                                                                   The improvements to infrastructure and new leisure amenities that result from tourism also benefit the local community. Tourism encourages the preservation of traditional customs, handicrafts and festivals that might otherwise have been allowed to wane, and it creates civic pride. Interchanges between hosts and guests create a better cultural understanding and can also help raise global awareness of issues such as poverty and human.

Social Effects -- Negative.                                                                      Visitor behavior can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of the host community. For example, crowding and congestion, drugs and alcohol problems, prostitution and increased crime levels can occur. Tourism can even infringe on human rights, with locals being displaced from their land to make way for new hotels or barred from beaches. Interaction with tourists can also lead to an erosion of traditional cultures and values.