Nobel winner backs Gulf News plastic bag campaign

Dubai: The co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize has lent support to Gulf News campaign urging people to say 'No to Plastic Bags'.

Dr Rajendra K. Pachauri, an environmental scientist and Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said the campaign created consciousness and awareness on the subject.

"Symbolically and philosophically, Gulf News' campaign has even greater value than the practical element it is achieving," he said.

"Plastic bags are a nuisance of the worst kind and in most cases their usage is totally avoidable. People should be looking at substitutes or reusable alternatives. It is very disappointing to see that plastic bags have taken over completely. You often find them discarded in drains and shrubbery. This region has a long way to go in terms of environmental awareness."

Dr Pachauri was speaking at the launch of ETA Star's new Verde Residences and Offices in Dubai Maritime City.

Designed by celebrity architects Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, the 'green towers' are designed to maximise the use of natural resources such as wind, natural light and geothermal mass. The project comprises of two towers - residential and commercial.

A plastic exhibition ... highlights the effects of [such] items ... on the environment and what can be done to reduce them."