Are things bad with the environment or is it blown out of proportion?

Here we are pumping out enormous amounts of pollution from our factories, vehicles and power plants.  Due to the carbon dioxide levels the human race is creating, we are being told that these gasses are causing the planet to heat up.  The heating up of the planet is causing the melting of the ice caps, and changes weather patterns.

Now we are not talking about 15 degrees a year increases, but the increases are measurable.  Some people say this is nothing to worry about and it is just a fluctuation which the planet cycles through.  As for the Ice caps, they have been melting for a long time, well before man had factories and cars.

On the other hand we are being told if we do not change our habits now, we will not have a habitable planet in a couple of decades.  We will have food shortages, un-breathable air that he been polluted and no way to correct the problem once the damage is done.

So the question is this, are scientists making global warming into a bigger deal than it really is?  Perhaps they are crying Chicken Little, or perhaps they really do know what is best.

Where do we draw the line between the a green earth and greedy corporations?

Most people these days try and do their part to leave this planet somewhat healthy.  Walk somewhere instead of taking a car, recycle their refuse and of course cut down on plastic use.

So now grocery stores are jumping in on helping mother earth (or so they claim).  To do their part, some stores are now charging a fee if you want require a plastic bag.  The stores are encouraging people to buy reusable bags to help cut down on the amount of plastic bags produced.  If you go down to your local store, are you willing to pay 5-10 cents extra for every plastic bag you use?

At first glance one may say great, it is about time.   If you give it more than a few minutes thought, a person may ask themselves a few things.

1) Where is the money collected from the plastic bags going?
2)  If this is to save on using plastic bags, why have plastic bags at all.  Why not only carry paper bags for their customers.
3) How much energy goes into making the reusable bags?  Some contain a lot of plastic and do not look recyclable after you wear them out.
4) Wait a second, have we not been recycling those plastic bags already.  Does this not help reduce the environmental impact?

Green or Greed?  What are the true intentions and should they charge a fee for bags?