Are plastic bags really the enemy? Not according to some scientists and environmentalists who say the bags have unfairly earned a bad reputation stemming from accusations they kill 100,000 animals and over one million sea birds on an annual basis. Experts say this information is not true and based on "flawed science and exaggerated claims." They claim in reality the risk bags pose to marine life such as whales, dolphins and sea birds, is minimal. However, this hasn't stopped U.K. Primse Minister Gordon Brown from calling them "one of the most visible symbols of environmental waste.”

Lord Taverne, the chairman of Sense about Science, said: “The Government is irresponsible to jump on a bandwagon that has no base in scientific evidence. This is one of many examples where you get bad science leading to bad decisions which are counter-productive. Attacking plastic bags makes people feel good but it doesn’t achieve anything.”

The central claim of campaigners is that the bags kill more than 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds every year. However, this figure is based on a misinterpretation of a 1987 Canadian study in Newfoundland, which found that, between 1981 and 1984, more than 100,000 marine mammals, including birds, were killed by discarded nets. The Canadian study did not mention plastic bags.

Fifteen years later in 2002, when the Australian Government commissioned a report into the effects of plastic bags, its authors misquoted the Newfoundland study, mistakenly attributing the deaths to “plastic bags”.

It was later determined that the Canadian study actually referred to fishing tackle as a potential threat, and not plastic bags. However despite the misquote being admitted, some environmentalists still use the information as though it is completely factual.

If this is really the case, it should be the duty of Gordon Brown to ensure all of the correct facts are presented before making decisions such as forcing supermarkets to charge for plastic bags. That being said, plastic bags should still be treated the same as waste from bottled water. Disposable bags end up in landfills and while they may not directly be linked to killing dolphins, can't be good for the earth either. Taking your own reusable bags next time you go grocery shopping is still the best eco-friendly answer.

» Times Online