The August calendar is packed with extraordinary events supporting passage of the Single-Use Bag Reduction Act in California. The bill must pass the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 13, 2010 and then win a majority of the votes on the Senate floor at the end of the month.

On August 12th Ghiradelli Square will welcome the world’s largest gathering of Plastic Bag Monsters to bring attention to  plastic bag pollution.  Each bag monster is made up of 600 single-use plastic bags, the number of bags used by the average American each year.  To be a part of this event, contact  Becca@chicobag.com

Plastic Pollution Coalition presents Bag It! A Film Festival at UCLA’s Bridges Theater on August 22^nd with our partners Chico Bag, Environment California and Clean Seas Coalition.  PPC will screen the festival favorite short film Plastic Bag by Ramin Bahrani, voiced by Werner Herzog, followed by the feature documentary Bag It! By Susan Bereza.  Academy award winning Director of The Cove, Louie Psihoyos,  calls Bag It! “a powerful and deceptively simple movie that is sure to change the way you look at everyday objects.  I didn’t expect a movie about plastic bags to change my life in such a deep and profound way. Gripping, funny, intelligent and sure to change your life.”

Plastic Pollution Coalition will take part in the BLUE Ocean film festival in Monterey on August 24th-29th.

And finally, Environment California will be touring California with a 25 foot inflatable turtle to raise awareness of the impact of plastic bags on California’s sea turtle population. Turtles feed on jellyfish and often mistake floating plastic bags for food. Watch out for that flying turtle!