Small and slow eco gain.  A take-home reminder offered by the Woolworths supermarket in town.  A lot can be done, some supermarkets in Sydney and Canberra were no way into reusable bags in the past.
Manufacturers could be tempted to sell sets of plastic bags to make up for those from the checkout and handy for this and that.  It would be a backward step.  Plastic bin liners exist and some are biodegradable but doubts are cast on the biodegradable process.  

Full marks to those in the community who make reusable bags on the sewing machine.  Short handles are a must.  Please make short handles for the bags. Long handles mean that the bag drags on the ground if the bag of groceries is held by the handles.

This photo is nothing like the reality of the long descent and climb up from the scary span with high sides to deter xtreme sports persons launching into the valley below
 Previous photos were of Hunter Street but since then several journeys have been along other highways.
The M1, Sydney to Newcastle secton would be the most ambitious, challenging, fastest and busiest in the land from what my travels have shown. Last Saturday afternoon the traffic was light.
Extensive roadworks meant kilometers of speed restrictions, in place to build extra lanes it is supposed. For one, the service centres this side of half way create problems. 
The last section closer to Newcastle is very boring until the TV transmitter on Mount Sugarloaf comes into view with relief that the home run is nigh.

 Hawkesbury or Brooklyn Bridges

 Beyond Darby Street, which is closed at this end, next was the Court House.  One area of design had used a balls and chain idea!   There, a section of the light rail was almost finished.


 
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Hunter Street revisited.  Locals may identify with this.  1.  Looking west from this side of Darby Street and light rail construction.  I'm all for workplaces observing public hols or is there a bit of urgency over finishing this work as soon as possible? Where do we draw the line.
2.  Looking east.   4.  Deserted footpath.  People were hard to spot on a rainy public holiday.  Next to no shops were open.
The shops have limited access to suppliers,to customers, to trades persons and their tools of trade, to cleaners, or for medical or fire emergencies.

Queens Birthday long weekend, I think, the city was as quiet as with rain showers in Hunter street.  1 Formal wear shop zone stand coy behind construction fences. 2  View is extended with a new glimpse up the hill where parking station was demolished in Perkin street.  3  Electric Bikes sit in wait. These sets are found around the city and are a positive move to take our minds off the general inconvenience of the moment.

Hunter Street revisited.  Images that a local may relate to.  1.  Beyond the barriers around the light rail construction is the former Newcastle Railway Station, due for reuse.  2.  Engineering works on ex shop front redevelopment. Formerly David Jones, formerly Scotts Hunter street mall.   3.  a patch of light rail in a finished stage and crossing to the wharves near corner of Scott and Wolfe Streets.

Yesterday, an unusually calm mostly warm sunny day, Jimmys Beach, north of Newcastle, inside headlands of Nelson Bay, was free of gross piles of items that had washed overboard when 83 containers fell off a ship.  The opposite northern beachface was also clear.  Other beaches have problems.
Clean-up of a range of plastic products had taken place and work was in progress in the distance close to the headland..  Several people were making their own offort  to pick up mini items of plastic.  There was littering at the extreme high tide mark I was told.
In the opposite direction, beach erosion was up to the edge of the street in a couple of places.  Development is too close to the beach.
Plastic ware degrades into unseen micro pieces and is an extreme problem for our ocean environment and marine life and down the food chain affecting animals and humans. 
Fishing boats can snag their nets on a container making for a dangerous situation.  They would rely on sonar.  The position of the containers may be 'charted' by the navy.

   

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY    
Single use containers prepared in a busy stop-off  on the interstate highway.
 I must reform and keep away from this mega franchise which has no obvious recycling activities whatsoever considering that every item is single use.  Well, except for china-ware coffee cups and mugs in the cafe area which is the attraction, usually.  No sorting or recycling bins are ever in sight.

Our wonderful planet from skylab. Resources are finite.

 Strange and unearthly from Skylab.....for earthlings a truly remarkable planet like no other - so far.  Splendor is all round us. Protect our environment. 
A slow environmental revolution is stirring in the supermarkets seen at Woolworths.  In response to legislation?  Free of single-use plastic bags.  Praise be!
It takes more effort..  Is believed that single use plastic bags will remain in use in fruit and vegies. Thick white plastic bags are offered for 15 cents each and can be reused for a time.  What will become of them?
Long lasting reusable fabric bags continue to be available on sale.
The poster includes a translation into a Chinese language and is pleasing to see. An issue of importance?  Translation into several languages more commonly used in our suburbs might be of  benefit.