Volcom Fiji Pro: Preview

The official waiting period for the Volcom Fiji Pro starts in just over one day.  Personally, it can not come soon enough.  This is going to be an awesome event this year and the one that I am looking forward to the most...especially after seeing the swell report.  There is a strong possibility that we could see the first few rounds start immediately and towards the end of the waiting period there will swell that would make for an all-time finish.

Cloudbreak is one of the best waves in the world, no question - with that being said, it will prove to be one of the hardest waves on tour this year.  With it offering long barrels, and walls to perform some very effective power-surfing, I expect to see a ton of "excellent" scores.  I do not see the young gun's such as Kolohe or Medina, who are more known for their aerial tactics rather than barrel-getting.  It will certainly separate the men from the boys.  I really did some studying when putting together my Fantasy Surfer roster for this event.  Parko, leading the ASP Title race at the moment, is in the drivers seat and can really pull away from the rest of the pack.  He has proved in the past at events in Tahiti, Fiji and Hawaii that this type of wave really suits his style of surfing.  Kelly is finally returning and is looking like himself again after sustaining an injury to his foot.  He is always a threat, especially in Fiji.  A surfer who we have yet to see a big result out of this year is Julian Wilson; at the beginning of the season, many saw him as a World Title contender.  Known for his moves above the lip, Julian is an underground charger.  I have a feeling that we may see him finally getting the result that he needs.  Owen Wilson will feel right at home in Fiji; last year we saw Owen and Kelly battle it out in Tahiti, another left reef break.  He made a statement at that point that he can surf in this type of wave and excel.

My team has a few sleepers that I think will make it far in this event.

John John Florence: arguably the best surfers and barrel riders in the world.  He grew up surfing these waves and will go far in this event.  He showed us what he can do backside at Pipe and will most definitely do the same here in Fiji.

Michel Bourez: While this is not his home in Tahiti, Cloudbreak is a similar wave.  His strong turns and barrel riding ability will get him a result in this event.

Kelly Slater: I do not really need to say anything about this pick, I am just glad he's back and healthy enough to compete.

Kieren Perrow: 2011 Pipe Masters Champion.  An underdog and sleeper for me.  Many underestimate his barrel riding and power surfing and I have a feeling that he will take out some big names in Fiji.

Josh Kerr: Three semi-final appearances in a row and currently number three in the world.  We saw what he is capable of in waves like this in Tahiti last year.  Very dangerous in waves and I am sure he will find some way to land airs here.

Matt Wilkinson: Fresh off a win at the 6-star prime in Brazil, Wilko made his way far into the Tahiti event last year.  Another sleeper of mine, he has the potential to make it far in this event.

Jeremy Flores: This could be a last minute change for me, word just got out via Jeremy's Twitter that he is sick.  Hopefully he is healthy enough to compete.  He scored a 20 last year in a heat of his in Tahiti.  His barrel surfing and power turns are some of the best.  If healthy, he could make it into the later rounds.

Fred Patacchia: Taking Dusty's spot due to injury, Freddy's style of surfing will suit this wave.  He is one of the strongest and most dangerous surfers on his forehand.  He is fighting to make it back on tour full time and a result here will definitely help him out.

I like my team and their chances.  I feel that all of them have a chance to take the title here.  I can't wait for this event to get underway.  Keep checking back after each day for updates on the contest.

Watch it online here: http://volcomfijipro.com/  and leave comments on my picks and who your picks are!

Surf Art

It's been kind of a down week for me - I was diagnosed with pneumonia and sinusitis and have been locked up in my home all week trying to get better.  Pretty much the WORST weekend that this could happen.  With the recent tropical storms making their way up the East Coast, there has been some great swell pushing through that friends of mine have gotten.

As jealous as I am, I know that this is the "official" first week of summer here on the East Coast, as it is Memorial Day weekend.  I've been trying to keep myself sane by painting my new board as well as my iPhone case.  Only a few pictures but take a look, leave some comments and maybe share some art work or photos that you all have taken and I will gladly repost them!

Enjoy

Reader Responses: Summer Boards

"hey vince 

i got a bing dharma for my summer board. its an eggy fish shape but lacks the fish tail and features a butt tail instead helps give the board a lot snappier feel. its a quad setup and is great at picking up speed down the line.
The coolest part about the board has to be its rails. there beveled so you have a lot more foam under your feet for glide but the rail line itself is thinner and holds in the pocket unlike most fish that have a fat rail that tends to slide down the face. (a common problem associated with the am [Al Merrick] biscuit)

only have had a few surfs with it but already in love with it. i hear the same from everybody in the surf community that has tried one

heres a video where bing shaper (matt calvani) and surfer (chris del moro) talk about the dharma"

Thanks for the share Billy.  This board looks really fun, I like the ideas that went into the shaping of it.  Also I like Bing's other models especially the Speed Square.  I have yet to try out a Bing board, but I only hear good things about them.  Hopefully I can get my hands on one to try out this summer!  

Essay I Wrote: A Mock Proposal to Senator Harry Reid, Speaker John Boehner and Lisa P Jackson on a National Bag Tax

This is an essay that I had to write as my final paper for my Environmental Policy course at UMD.  We had to write a memo as if I were working for a government official.  In my case, I opted to be an advisor to Senator John Kerry, one of the biggest environmental advocates in our government.  I am writing this memo to Lisa P Jackson (EPA Administrator); Speaker of the House, John Boehner; and Senate Majority Leader, Senator Harry Reid proposing a National Bag Tax.  This proposal states accurate scientific evidence about plastics, international examples of bag taxes in other countries and effects this tax could have on our society, environment and economy.  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE COMMENTS!  NOTE: THIS PAPER CAN NOT BE USED BY ANYONE ELSE. IT IS MEANT FOR READING PURPOSES ONLY
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To: Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa P. Jackson; Speaker of the House, John Boehner; Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid.

From: Vincent J. Clementi, Environmental Lawyer, Aid to Senator John Kerry (D-MA)

Re: Proposing a Uniform Plastic Bag Tax Across the United States of America

Date: April 19, 2012

Introduction

Our nation is being severely polluted and destroyed by an enemy who will never disappear, but will instead stay in our environment forever – plastic.  The United States is the worlds leading consumer of plastic, specifically plastic bags.  According to EnviroSax, a reusable bag producer, the United States consumes 380 billion plastic bags per year, or about 1,200 per person per year, out of the 500 billion plastic bags consumed worldwide (EnviroSax 2012).  As an aid to Senator Kerry, an advocate of environmental protection, the Senator believes that it is time to take a stand against plastic.  The Senator is proposing to implement a nationwide bag tax on all plastic bags to reduce usage among our citizens.  After allowing time to analyze the effectiveness of this bill, the United States government can choose to take steps toward banning all plastic bag usage.  This will provide reason for other nations to follow in our footsteps.  Being three of the most powerful and influential people within our government, Senator Kerry suggests that by forming this committee, we can begin a movement that will forever change this planet. 

Background

Plastic bags are some of the most harmful pollutants in the environment and they do not biodegrade.  They are made of polyethylene, a man-made synthetic polymer, which is not recognized by microorganisms as an edible substance.  Scientists have discovered that plastic bags do, however, photodegrade, meaning that when exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, the polymer breaks down and eventually becomes microscopic.  It is impossible to determine how long this process takes, but with current mathematical analysis, scientists are able to estimate that it could take anywhere from 500-1000 or more years (Lapidos 2007).  That is not an acceptable statistic by any means.  Plastic on land is not the only problem as millions of pounds of plastic and plastic bags have made their way into our water systems and into our oceans.  Currently, there is a plastic “garbage patch” floating in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.  This patch is roughly two times larger than the state of Texas (Coulter 2010).  The plastic patch is trapped by the North Pacific Gyre, which is the middle of all of the currents in the North Pacific.  This mass of plastic will eventually make its way to our shores and will ultimately put human health and ecological health in harms way.  Aside from Plastic Island, which it has come to be known, our oceans are littered with plastic in virtually every corner of the Earth.  Marine life is constantly harmed and humans are also adversely affected as we consume marine life. 

The United States is far behind many other countries in the fight against plastics.  As a world leader, we once again can take the initiative and lead this effort.  Ireland, a nation deeply affected by the EuroZone Crisis, was one of the first countries to adopt a nationwide plastic bag tax in 2002.  Even though this was before the economic collapse of Europe, the Irish Government implanted a 15-cent tax per plastic bag used (Doucette 2011).  Soon after, Taiwan implemented a similar tax on bags and in 2005 Japan adopted a plastic bag tax.  In a matter of three years, Ireland and Taiwan have seen a 90 percent and 69 percent decrease in plastic bag usage, respectively (“Japan’s… 2005).  In our research, we discover that China, a nation who we compete against to be the world strongest power, banned ALL plastic bags in 2008 (“China… 2008). 

Within the United States, we have seen major cities take the necessary steps towards the ultimate goal of this bill.  Seattle, San Francisco and Washington D.C. are three of the many cities that have implemented a bag tax.  Washington D.C., which under the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 (District 2009), adopted the bag tax and has seen a 75 percent decrease in plastic bag usage with just a 5-cent bag tax (Grossman 2012).  At the end of 2011, Seattle took a more aggressive stance and implemented a 20-cent on not only plastic bags, but paper bags as well.  This stance proved to be favorable among citizens in that city who were more than willing to comply (Yardley 2011).  While not all cities have progressed towards adopting a local bag tax, those who have are realizing the importance in decreasing the usage of plastic bags. 

For years, scientists have offered plenty of evidence showing the adverse affects of plastics in our environment.  Once into our waterways, the ecological repercussions can be devastating as plastic bags kill many different types of organisms.  Scientists have lobbied for plastic reduction for years and at all levels.  Federal agencies such as the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA have conducted studies that provide clear data that plastic is detrimental our environment (Seba 2011). 

The bag tax itself is not just a tool to benefit the environment, but it also benefits local and state economies, and will also benefit our national economy.  The bag tax uses a market-based system; the money raised from the tax does not go to the state, it actually goes right back to the environment.  The area implementing a tax will set up a fund and organization that will overlook this tax and profits.  By simply putting forth a bag tax, people will automatically cut down on plastic bag usage.  At the same time, there will still be people who will choose to pay the tax and purchase a bag.  The money raised from the tax goes directly into this fund, which pays for environmental cleanups, protection and awareness.  Instead of using taxpayer money to pay for cleanup services, which could cost upwards of the millions of dollars, as seen in Montgomery County, MD where it costs $3 million per year, this system pays for it itself (Grossman 2012).  This same system can be applied at the state level; if a state decides to implement a statewide tax, the money will go to a state controlled fund that will use the money across the entire state – same goes for a national tax.  If applied at the national level, the United States could potentially save hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars each year on environmental cleanups and protection. 

Aside from supporting scientific and economic evidence, there are also social benefits of adopting a nationwide bag tax.  As stated earlier, once a tax is implemented, within a very short time people will stop using plastic bags and make the change to reusable bags.  In doing so, those people will feel as if they are doing their part in making their community a better place, which they are.  These citizens will become more active within the community and begin to educate those who have not yet made the decision to stop using plastic bags.  This interaction that will be created will formulate a sense of unity among citizens whether at the local, state or national level.  It will be the beginning of a new social movement that will put the United States on the map with other highly environmentally conscious nations such as Germany, Sweden and Denmark.  One can argue that if some citizen find out that China has already had a bag ban for years, there could be pushes to match and even out do their efforts.  It could be a unification that the United States has needed for many years. 

Description of Options/Arguments

            The United States government currently has two options for this tax.  Option one only involves the federal government.  This bill, labeled the American Plastic Bag Usage Tax, will call for a 5-cent tax to be charged for each plastic bag used at any pharmacies, groceries stores and any other type of store.  APBUT will be put into effect on January 1, 2013.  All states would have to adopt this bill and under this bill will have to form an Environmental Clean Up and Protection Agency.  This agency will be the primary caretaker of that states environmental cleanups of pollution and educational output to the citizens.  The pro’s of this bill being put into effect are: 1) All states would be following the same legislation as the others and there will be no arguing between states.  2) This tax will allow for the revenue to be split between the states’ Environmental Clean Up and Protection Agency and the federal government.  The seventy-five percent distributed to the ECUPA will fund their operations.  The work force will come from current federal employees that work in environmental departments across the nation.  The other twenty-five percent will go directly to the United States towards green energy technology, research and production.  3) Allocating funds to the federal government will go towards green energy will allow for jobs to be created.  4) It will lower the United States’ dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil and boost local, state and national economies.  The con’s of this bill being passed are as followed: 1) Citizen’s may argue that their personal rights are being interfered with and will call on their Representatives and Congressmen to vote down on this bill.  2) There may be hesitation from certain government officials about the way the funds will be distributed. 

            Option two involves the state government as well as the federal government.  Under this bill, labeled the Joint State-Federal Plastic Bag Usage Tax, would allow for the federal government to give the states the power to choose their own price for their bag tax.  At first, the states will have to adopt this bill as they would the APBUT; once adopted, states have the ability to choose a tax, no lower than 5-cents, but can go as high as they would like (recommended highest due to statistics and other nations is 15-cents).  Under the JFSBUT, states will once again have to establish an ECUPA to monitor environmental cleanups of pollution as well as educate local citizens as this bill will also go into effect on January 1, 2013.  The distribution of the funds raised will be as followed: 50% will go to the ECUPA, 25% will go to the Federal Government (to be put towards means stated above), and 25% to the States to be used to fund local research on green energy usage.  The pro’s of this bill as opposed to APBUT are: 1) States have more power in determining the tax the would like to impose.  2) States are receiving funds to research and invest in green energy.  3) Jobs will be created and local, state and national economies will also be boosted.  The con’s of this bill being passed are as followed: 1) There will be an un-evenness between states and how high or low their tax is.  2) Although some states will have to comply with this bill, some may or may not be as willing to enforce it if it is not a federally run bill.  3) The nation and states will not see as much progression in green technology if funds are cut to the federal division. 

            There will be opposition against this bill by those who will argue that plastics bags are beneficial to society.  While this may be true to an extent, it is proven that these bags are detrimental to the environment and we will have to counter their claims with simple scientific facts. 

            The main goal of both of these taxes, whichever is passed in the end, is that they will both drastically lower plastic bag usage and pollution across the United States.  We expect to see similar results in the US as we have seen in nations such as Ireland, a 50%-90% decrease in plastic bag usage over 5 years which would bring us to 38-190 billion plastic bags used per year, a great starting point.   

Recommendations

            After thorough research, it is in our nations best interest to adopt the first proposed bill, the American Plastic Bag Usage Tax.  This will give the United States and its citizens the best chance to significantly lower our plastic bag usage, clean our communities, invest in green technology and boost the economy all at the same time.  It will be hard to propose this 5-cent tax without educating the public.  Prior to proposing this bill to members of Congress, there will be a public campaign called “The United States Against Plastics” which will run off of commercials, magazine advertisements and social media use.  This campaign will do nothing other than educate the public on the negative effects plastic bags have on our environment and our health.  After two months of campaigning, the bill will be officially introduced into Congress.  By this time, the public will be educated enough to support this bill and will have let their Representatives know that they want this bill passed.  After being passed, the United States will begin the process of reducing plastic bag usage and investing in green energy.  There will be a positive feedback when citizens notice that their communities are cleaner, the unemployment rate improves, our economy grows and our fuel prices drop.  Within the five-year testing period, January 2013-December 2018, once usage decreases to 70% of 2012 levels, we can begin the process of fully eliminating all plastic bag usage in the United States.  By this time, most citizens in the United States will have already invested in reusable bags and will see no use for plastic bags to be used.  It will be a monumental moment in our nation when we can say that the United States is “plastic bag free”. 

Conclusion

            It has been proven that a tax such as this is successful in any country and under any economic condition.  In the United States, we have recovered from a recession and are now in a growing and progressive economy.  Plastic bags are literally choking our nation and need to be reduced and eventually eliminated from the United States.  This bill will allow for this nation to have a clean and healthy environment.  It must be noted again that this bill will also allow for economic and energy expansion.  Mr. Speaker, Ms. Jackson and Mr. Reid, by having three of the most influential people in our government working together on this bill, other congressmen and congresswomen will understand the imperativeness in passing this bill.  This will be a bi-partisan effort to better our environment, society and economy.  Senator Kerry urges that we must work together to pass this tax immediately to create a uniform bag tax across the United States of America to reduce our environmental impacts on our nation and on Earth. 

Works Consulted

"Bagging Plastic." State Legislatures May 2011: 10. Ebsco Host. Web.

28 Mar. 2012.

"China Bans Plastic Bags." China Chemical Reporter 19.3 (2008): 5. Academic

Search Premier. Web. 26 Apr. 2012.

Coulter, Jessica. "A SEA CHANGE TO CHANGE THE SEA: STOPPING

THE SPREAD OF THE PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH WITH SMALL-SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION." William & Mary Law Review 51.5 (2010): 1959-1995. Print.

District of Columbia. "ANACOSTIA RIVER CLEAN UP AND PROTECTION

ACT OF 2009." Department of the Environment of the District of Columbia 1 (2009): 1-16. Print.

Doucette, Kitt. "The Plastic Bag Wars." Rolling Stone 1136 (2011): 37-39.

Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Apr. 2

EnviroSax. " Dangers of plastic bags ."  Envirosax reusable shopping bags . N.p.,

n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts>.

Grossman, Drew. "Bag tax legislation for Prince George's County

moves forward." Baltimore Sun 2 Feb. 2012: n. pag. Baltimore Sun . Web. 12 Apr. 2012.

"Japan's Tax On Plastic Sacks." New Scientist 186.2504 (2005): 4. Academic

Search Premier. Web. 26 Apr. 2012.

Lapidos, Juliet. "Do plastic bags really take 500 years to break down in a landfill? - Slate Magazine." Slate Magazine - Politics, Business, Technology, and the Arts - Slate Magazine. N.p., 27 June 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/06/will_my_plastic_bag_still_be_here_in_2507.html>.

Seba B. Sheavly, et al. "Plastic Particles In Coastal Pelagic Ecosystems Of The

Northeast Pacific Ocean." Marine Environmental Research 71.1 (2011): 41-52. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Apr. 2012.

Spivey, Angela. "Plastic Bags--Prolific Problem." Environmental Health

Perspectives 111.4 (2003): 208. Ebsco Host. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

Yardley, William. "Seattle Bans Plastic Bags, and Sets a Charge for

Paper." New York Times 20 Dec. 2011: 23. Ebsco Host. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

NEW SURFBOARD!

I just got (and by just got I mean got it a few weeks ago) a new surfboard!  Its a 5'8'' ...Lost Motivator.  Its this funny design with an innovative tail that will allow me to get out and surf in the 1-2ft mush us East Coasters experience for the entire summer.  I only had one surf on it so far and it was in Cape Hatteras a few weeks ago with the UMD Surf Club.  I was pretty nervous to take it out, we had a decent swell, 3-5 foot and it surprisingly performed very well; I wasn't expecting much because I kept hearing that it was a small wave board and that it sometimes has trouble performing in larger waves.  It is super fast and has very good control and turns really nicely.  Everyone was trying it out, in fact, I think more people spent time riding it than I did!

I had been in the market for a summer board for a few months now and I was looking at the Channel Islands Motorboat.  I thought that it would be the board I was going to get.  I was down at the beach and decided to stop in at my local shop, Heritage Surf and Sport, to take a look at what is new this year.  After a good talk with one of the guys, I decided that the Motorboat wasn't for me.  He then showed me the Channel Islands Biscuit, and Super Brand Slug, both of which have an ovular shape to them, round nose and tail.  I've never ridden one, but I rode a Firewire Sweet Potato before, which I figured was similar, and they both looked fun.  I went back home and got in contact with a good friend of mine, Adam, who knows the ins and outs of surfboards.  He opened my eyes to ...Lost surfboards; I had always heard good things about Mayhem shapes but never had the opportunity to ride one.  Based on what I was looking for, he said that the Motivator was the board for me.  I trusted his decision (after knowing that he has virtually ridden almost every ...Lost board there is) and decided that I would go back down and see what Heritage had to offer - they had one!  I purchased it and its been the perfect addition to my quiver.  My 6'1'' HIC Pilot is a board that I rarely use unless it is a really good swell, and my 6'0'' fish has a hard time performing in the small mush that we receive in the summer.  What really attracted my to this board was the 5-fin set up that it has.  It allows me to ride it as a thruster, quad, 5-fin and even a twin (with the correct fins).  I have never ridden a quad before and my first go at it was awesome, such a nice feel.  For laughs, I purchased the "Kelly Slater 5th Fin" just to see what it was like.  Unfortunately, unless you're a pro surfer, or maybe just Kelly himself, it seems hard to feel what that fin does exactly.

I am going to put Matt Biolos and ...Lost to the test and see if their description for the Motivator is true and try and catch and surf 1ft waves on this thing.  Something tells me that they will win this bet.

All-in-all, I can't wait to get back on this as soon as possible.  I purchased a GoPro a while back so hopefully I will be able to get some footage on this thing to show you all.  For now here are some pictures of it.  I will also be putting a design on it soon so stay tuned for that!

Have any of you gotten a hold of a new board or boards for the summer?  If so let me know! Feel free to send pics to clementiv@comcast.net and I will put up a post of the surfer and their boards!

Here are pics of the board and fin options

Essay I Wrote on What a Bag Tax Is, What Goes into Making and Applying One and How They Are Beneficial

This is an essay that I had to write for my Environmental Politics class.  We had the opportunity to choose any topic as long as it applied to an approach used to make policy (in my case I chose market-based mechanisms).  My topic was the Bag Tax, something that has become prevalent in many US cities.  In the DC Metro area, this type of tax is becoming quite popular.  My paper addresses this tax and uses many examples from the DC area.  With that being said, it does not mean that this information can not be applied elsewhere; in fact, many of the trends seen in DC and its surrounding areas can be seen in almost any location, within the US and abroad, that implements a bag tax.  I hope you enjoy and PLEASE leave comments.  ALSO NOTE: THIS PAPER CAN NOT BE USED BY ANYONE ELSE. IT IS MEANT FOR READING PURPOSES ONLY

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            There is currently a movement sweeping the nation; it started out in San Francisco as an effort to reduce pollution, but now it has turned into much, much more.  The bag tax is one of the most wanted and, at the same time, argued pieces of legislation popping up in cities across the United States.  In the beginning, it was an environmentalist push for a greener city, but it is now a socio-enviro-economic tool being used to boost local economies, cut down on plastic pollution and give citizens the notion that they are helping out their community.  This market-based policy tactic is one of the most effective and influential policy-making tools available today. 

            The main purpose and goal of a bag tax is to impose a tax, usually 5-10 cents per bag, to sway people away from the use of plastics and towards reusable, eco-friendly bags.  Each city that has adopted this policy has had their own take on this rule, sometimes making a higher fee (10-20 cents) or also charging a fee for the use of paper bags as well.  Usually, the money raised through the tax is used to fund environmental enforcement and cleanup efforts, as well as other environmentally related efforts within the community. 

            In the Baltimore Sun article, “Bag Tax Legislation for Prince George’s County Moves Forward”, writer Drew Grossman discusses how this movement has made its way into our local community and what the possible outcomes could be.  The bag tax was recently imposed in Montgomery County, MD at the beginning of the 2012 year and has been in effect in Washington D.C. for two years.  Prince George’s officials have used these two examples as blueprints and “crystal balls” to try and predict how this tax would play out if implemented in Prince George’s County, MD. 

            Market-based environmental policies, according to Stavins and Whitehead, are, “regulation that encourages appropriate environmental behavior through price signals rather than through explicit instructions” (Hadden).  Normally, market-based approaches are cost effective and encourage technological improvement, leave choice of how to accomplish goals up to individual or firm and [show the] importance of incentives (Hadden).  By taxing those who continue to use plastic bags, the money acquired will allow for the production of locally made reusable bags and to invest in other technologies for goods to be carried.  Grossman notes in his article in a conversation with Mike Bolinder, the Anacostia Waterkeeper, that, “Because almost half of the Anacostia River's watershed lies in Prince George's County, the new bag fee under consideration will help further reduce the number of disposable plastic bags that pollute the river” (Grossman).

A main idea of this political tactic is that the economic impact will have enough of an effect on people that the end goal (a reduction in plastic bag usage) will present itself without any governmental regulation, meaning putting a ban on all plastic bags.  Even though it is such a small price to pay for a bag, only 5 cents, cities that have implemented this tax have seen drastic reductions in plastic bag usage, and even more importantly, plastic bag pollution.  For example, in Washington D.C., since first adopting this tax in 2010, has seen a 75% decrease in plastic bag usage (of the polled citizens) and has raised $1.8 million from the tax along with over $1.3 million from donations and grants (Grossman).  It is clear, just in this region, that a market-based approach such as the bag tax is effective; it is just a matter of if it is accepted by the community and by local political officials. 

            In lecture given by Dr. Hadden at the University of Maryland, College Park on “Market-Based Mechanisms”, she touched on the idea that many environmentalists and environmental groups favor these “quasi-market” schemes over others such as command and control (Hadden).  Due to the government action involved in market-based schemes, there is rarely any room to get away with not complying with the law.  For example, if a city adopts a bag tax, anyone who purchases a good within the city limits must pay for the bag if they choose to get one.  On the other hand, each business must abide by the law and tax consumers for each bag.  In the case of the Prince George’s County bag fee, the idea of environmental groups supporting schemes like this is proven true.  There are plenty of non-profit environmental organizations that have voiced their opinions and have become active players in trying to get this law passed.  Organizations such as Surfrider DC and Bag Free Maryland are two key organizations that have, from the beginning, been spreading knowledge within the county of how much of a difference this tax would make on the local environment.  Both of these groups also helped get the Montgomery County bag that passed as well as the Washington D.C. bag tax. 

            With the market-based approach to the bag tax comes plenty of criticism.  Fortunately, the areas of criticism that Dr. Hadden had addressed can all be answered with a positive note of the bag tax.  In general the market-based mechanism was critiqued thoroughly in the Goodwin article.  It is mentioned that we want “polluters not to pollute” not for “polluters to pay for polluting” (Hadden).  While this may be true, it is almost impossible to stop all polluting at every level.  Therefore, we must compromise and take something rather than nothing.  At the same time, with this approach, unlike others, money is being made off of the tax which is going directly back into the community to help clean it more.  This idea is 100 percent green in the sense that the government is trying to cut down on plastics, and instead of pocketing the profits they are recycling them.  The issue of fairness is also brought up; Goodwin asks “Is it fair for everyone in the environmental community to have to do the same thing?”  The answer is yes; mostly everyone in this community contributes to pollution and is guilty, somewhere down the road, of throwing plastic or trash on the ground.  Even though they might not be guilty in doing so now, it is simple to switch from plastic bags to reusable bags.  Not only will there be a sense of peace knowing that they aren’t contributing to plastic usage but people will realize that the cost of purchasing a reusable bag is just as much as a purchasing few plastic bags that, not to mention, can only be use one or twice.  Goodwin also mentions that there is usually a problem setting the price in market-based approaches.  In the case of the Prince Georges County bag tax, the 5-cent tax has proven to be the best price to start out with.  As seen in D.C., Montgomery County and elsewhere, 5-cents has drastically reduced plastic bag usage within a short period of time.  After a few years of reduction, lawmakers can decide whether to raise that tax to further push for less plastic usage – something that we have seen in San Francisco and other areas.  Goodwin’s main argument in his piece is that people will still pollute if they have the money or until it is unacceptable by law to use any resource, in this case plastic bags.  While this may be true, that people will still purchase bags, statistics clearly show that the number of plastic bags have gone down by almost 50 percent in some locations within a few years of the tax being put into effect.  When environmental groups inform local citizens of the toll plastic has on the environment and the damage it can cause to human health, there will be more people who will take action to reduce their effect on the environment than there will be those who do not.  While Goodwin does make quality arguments against the market-based approach, in the case of the plastic bag tax in Prince Georges County, this approach will do wonders for the environment and economy.  In a place that is littered with plastic and trash, a market-based solution such a bag tax will help out a less-affluent communities such as College Park, Hyattsville and Beltsville. 

            Even though there are many clear positives to adopting a bag tax in any community, there are still some areas of the tax itself that could be corrected.  Living in College Park, I have spoken to a few vendors who have said that this tax will not pass because “poor people” cannot afford it and will not want to have to deal with the inconvenience of a 5-cent tax on plastic bags.  It is understandable why one would say this, but I think that the issue at hand is the education of the local citizens.  Not whether or not they are smart, but instead being educated about pollution, human health hazards from plastic and environmental hazards from plastic pollution and other pollution.  Yes, there are some groups who advocate for this cause and do their best to educate the public, but there is only so much that they can do.  Every town in America should want to push for such a beneficial tax; each town, whether it is Bethesda or Baltimore, has pollution in its environment, in its water and chances are you will see plastic bags on the sides of their roads.  It should be the responsibility of the policymakers to want to have a clean town and to want to protect their citizens, it shouldn’t be about political identity or labeling it a “leftist” thought, it should be about doing to the right thing and taking an easy of a step as mandating a 5-cent tax on plastic bags towards living in a better community.  Education of the public is the main problem with this market-based solution to plastic bag pollution.  If people were more educated about this subject than I am willing to bet that this tax would be implemented in cities across the United States. 

Works Cited

Hadden, Dr. Jennifer. "Approaches: Market-Based  Mechanisms  ." Class. GVPT273. Lecture, College Park. 15 Apr. 2012. Lecture.

Grossman, Drew. "Bag tax legislation for Prince George's County moves forward." Baltimore

Sun 2 Feb. 2012: n. pag. Baltimore Sun . Web. 12 Apr. 2012.

Billabong Pro Rio Final

Sorry this is a few days late, but its better late than never.  I don't know where else to start than by saying - Wow.  Wow to the finish at the Billabong Pro Final, both Men's and Women's, wow to the surfing we saw and wow to the excitement.

The women's division ended a few day's earlier than the mens, but even in smaller surf, the surfing was all time.  Fan favorite, Sally Fitzgibbon's took home the title with a young and in-form Coco Ho in second.  I liked Coco to win this event, but Sally was on the top of my list as well.  Coco needed this result to secure her a spot in the top 10 and solidify her spot on tour.  It looked like it was going to be her heat to win until the last few minutes when Sally posted a 7.93 and beating Coco by .07 points.  A true heartbreaker as this would have been a monumental second WT win for Coco.  This win moves Sally into second place in the title race, right behind rival (and friend), Steph Gilmore.

The mens was on hold for a few days after Day 1.  Finally, some swell came and it provided the surfers with some very difficult conditions.  The boys went all out and I can't write about all of the good surfing, the ridiculous barrels and airs that were performed.  Rio went into a little bit of a frenzy after 5 of the 10 Brazilian surfers were eliminated in Round two including phenom Gabriel Medina, a heat which I said he could very well end up losing.  After a controversial situation in which he opted for jet-ski assist to get back into the line up (after it was established that there would be no assist that day) he was forced to come back to the beach and paddle out.  At this point it was too late and the heat was practically over.  An unfortunate mistake in which he can only blame himself.  The only Brazilians left were Adriano de Souza and wild card Peterson Crisanto (who eliminated Medina), Alejo Muniz and Miguel Pupo.  Pupo and Crisanto were both eliminated in Round 3 leaving Adriano de Souza and Alejo to carry their country on their backs through the rest of the event.  It looked promising until de Souza met Josh Kerr (another favorite of mine to win this contest) in the quarterfinals and Muniz being ousted by Mick Fanning in the quarters as well, ending the Brazilian campaign in this event.  Other standouts were Josh Kerr who lost out to John John Florence in the Semi's, Julian Wilson, Parko, Mick Fanning and John John.

John John was the overall standout and posted massive heat totals throughout the entire event.  He continuously found barrels and landed huge aerial maneuvers.  This was his first win, of many in my opinion.  With Fiji coming up, I see him fitting in quite well with those perfect reef breaks.  I wouldn't be surprised if he goes back-to-back.

Even though I had John John on my Fantasy Surfer team, it was hurt with the early loses of Kolohe Andino (who I saw going far in this event), Brett Simpson and Owen Wright (my projected winner), all in Round 3.

This event was very exciting to watch and was a great tone setter for the Volcom Pro Fiji in a few weeks.  I will do a post prior to the event and throughout the event with details, recaps and videos.  But for now, here are videos from the finals of the Billabong Pro Rio for the mens and womens, as well as a video taken by a few of the surfers!

Video Taken By Taj and Friends on a Lay Day

Event Heat Recaps as well as Current World Rankings. Note:

1) John John posted close to a 15.00 heat total or better in every heat after Round 1

2) The world rankings are very interesting.  Kelly, who had to miss this event due to injury currently sits in 8th.  Parko is sitting in first and is looking very strong and can easily have big results in the next few events.

3)  Mick Fanning in Second should worry Parko as he has always given Parko battles that have made or broken WT races or events.  

4)  Josh Kerr in 3rd should worry everyone, he is my sleeper as not many are considering him for a World Title.  I considered him a contender before the beginning of the year and with three consecutive semi-final finishes, don't be surprised if he is standing at the top of the podium sometime soon.  He has proven that he can be a strong, smart surfer in reef-break conditions in addition to being, arguably, the best aerialist in the world. 

5) With two very difficult events coming up (Fiji and Teahupoo) I expect to see some of these names drop off of the top-ten list, some new names on it and for a few of these names to jump up (specifically Kelly, Owen, John John and Josh Kerr)

photo: Surfline.com

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Billabong Pro Rio

Well, I am back (temporarily)... I have been trying to finish up the last month or two of school, but I have had a ton of work.  So I would first just like to apologize for not posting anything recently.

As some of you may know, the Billabong Pro Rio kicked off the other day.  So far the Men are through Round one and the Women are through Round two.  Day one for the mens saw some supreme surfing from the favorites and then some upsets were pulled off as well.  Julian Wilson, who has lacked to post results in the past few contests, reassured us why he was picked to be a World Title contender this year.  Local Gabriel Medina, fresh off of a stellar win at Lowers, couldn't pull off the win in his first round heat and will be under pressure to win in the win-or-go-home Round two.  He will be facing local wildcard Peterson Christiano. It will be no easy feat for Medina, they both have very similar styles and Christiano is also known for his high flying antics so in punchy beachbreak, its anyones heat.

In the rest of Round 1, we saw many of the favorites winning their three-man heats.  These were the heat winners for Round 1: H1-Josh Kerr, H2-Jordy Smith, H3-Owen Wright, H4-Adriano de Souza (Winner in 2011), H5-Taj Burrow, H6-Joel Parkinson, H7-Julian Wilson, H8-Ace Buchan, H9-Mick Fanning, H10-Miguel Pupo, H11-Jeremy Flores, H12-Alejo Muniz.  Notable loses in Round 1 were John John Florence (3rd H12), Gabriel Medina (2nd H8).

I must note, that Kelly Slater had to pull out of the contest last minute due to a foot injury sustained surfing between Bells and Rio.  A piece of coral went into his foot and cannot menuver well.  He will be back for the Volcom Pro Fiji.

We saw some amazing surfing out of the Women so far this event.  Round 1 had some major upsets as Steph Gilmore AND Sally Fitzgibbon AND Courtney Conlogue lost their Round 1 heats.  Round 1 winners were: H1-Lakey Peterson, H2-Tyler Wright, H3-Alessa Quizon (sponsor wildcard and a world junior ripper from Hawaii), H4-Rebecca Woods, H5-Carissa Moore, H6-Malia Manuel.  Notable Round 1 loses, besides Sally, Courtney and Steph were Coco Ho (H5) and Laura Enever (H6).  In Round 2 there was a good chance that the two World Title favorites would go down early; both prevailed as Sally overcame her heat with Brazilian Jaqueline Silva and Steph beat Melanie Bartels.  Coco Ho, and Courtney Conlogue and Laura Enever were also able to escape elimination.

Round 2 for the men is sure to bring some excitement and early departures for surfers that some picked to go far in this event.  Heats to look out for are H1-Gabriel Medina vs Peterson Chrisanto (two Brazilians wanting to perform in front of their fellow countrymen), H3-John John vs Willian Cardoso (although I strongly believe that Florence will win this heat), H6-Brett Simpson vs Jadson Andre (Jadson, a previous winner here in the Juniors and a WT winner at the Santa Caterina Pro in 2010; and Brett coming off of a good result at Lowers), H7-Bede Durbidge vs Fred Pattachia (Freddy needs a good result as does Bede, I see this heat blowing up), H11-Kierren Perrow vs Kolohe Andino (Kolohe has yet to advance well into an event, a result here will put him back on the map and prove he can hang with the big boys..I think there is not better event to do so than Rio.  He can join the CT club of the highflyers such as Kerr, Medina and Owen by posting scores with those airs we all know he can do).  All of the Round 2 heats should be exciting, watch them all!

This event could be a turning point with Kelly out; it could allow for surfers like Adriano to pull away in the ranking with a win or let the lower guys jump up.  With todays style of surfing and the type of wave Rio is, I wouldn't be surprised if a John John, Owen or Josh Kerr won this event.  It will certainly make this year interesting, especially heading into Fiji (a barrel wave that will separate the men from the boys if a swell can generate waves that we saw last year when Kelly skipped J-Bay to surf Cloudbreak, Fiji).

Here are my Fantasy Surfer Rosters for the men and women.  I am a little nervous for Men's round two, it could make or break the event for me with 4 surfers in Round 2.  My roster for the women is looking strong right now.

Here are the video recaps from day's 1 and 2 for the men and women.  Keep checking back on Worn Trails after each day for news, recaps and opinions!

You can follow the action live at http://wctbrasil.com/

Day 1

Day 2 (no video for mens)

Remember to CHECK BACK IN AFTER EACH ROUND for up to date info on the event.  Spread the word about Worn Trails.  

For those who check in for environmental news, I have some great stories in the process of being put together including pieces that I've written for my college courses.  

Also, please leave comments on this blog, it only makes me try and improve it for you all.  Leave comments about the posts (who your picks are for the event, criticism on my picks, etc), and best opinions will be reposted as "viewer responses"!