(Music) - Hi, everyone.

Welcome to both sides of the story.

I'm your host Alan Gionet from CBS4.

Thanks for joining us.

This is the final debate of the preliminary round for the 2021 tournament, featuring eight students from eight different High Schools.

Tonight Show the Denver Urban Debate League makes its return to both sides of the story, with students from Hinkley High School and Range View High School in Aurora.

So, let's meet our participants right away.

First up, Yeabsera Fitsum a senior from Range View High School.

Here's her story.

- My name is Yeabsera Fitsum and I'm a senior at ranging high school.

Debate has all these critical thinking skills like you kinda have to think on the spot to prepare yourself.

And that's definitely something that I could use in every aspect of my life.

I want to be a diplomat or an ambassador for Ethiopian and United States relations, because I'm from Ethiopia and I grew up in America.

So I kind of want to incorporate both those aspects.

I really love music and I'm in band here at Range View.

But, I love listening to music, composing music and I also play soccer in my free time.

- Yeabsera is one of the leaders of the speech and debate team.

One of Yeabsera strongest qualities is personal responsibility and just independent learning.

Her commitment to success is.

It's inspirational.

It really is.

- I would like to go to Yale because they have one of the best law schools in the nation and on top of that I feel like it's a way to repay my family for the sacrifices they made by getting to this like super high place in life.

- Wonderful young woman.

We have another wonderful young woman for you to meet.

Kimberly Miranda is a junior at Hinkley High School.

Let's catch up with Kim.

- Hi, my name is Kimberly Miranda.

I am a junior.

I go to Hinkley High School.

I decided to join because speech and debate is very interesting to me.

Also, I talk a lot I just wanted to like learn how to answer each and debate and I work with my coaches, my teachers, and other students as well.

My most interesting topics work on are probably, like issues going on in the world and how to, like fix those and research that can come with those.

And you know, just make the world a better place.

I am interested in the filmmaking industry.

I want to be a director and see my vision comes to life and have that vision on a big screen some day so that other people can watch.

- In class.

She's personable.

She's hardworking, she gets along well with other students and she knows how to ask good questions but also helps other students that might need a little more help.

Her strong side is, she's well-spoken and she presents her ideas and her opinion very clearly.

- I want to help my family in the future because I know this going through so much they inspired me a lot and they give me a lot of opportunities and I love them so much.

- Alright, you met two fantastic competitors.

Also joining us is our special panel of experts who will offer their analysis of our debate today.

They are, Dominic Dezzutti, host of Colorado inside out the weekly roundtable program here on PBS 12, and he is joined by Michael Fields, Executive Director of Colorado Rasing state Action, and Ian Thomas Tafoya,a Community organizer and activist.

Alright time to set our ground rules, right now.

Each side will present their case.

Ask each other questions.

Then they're going to have a chance to offer rebuttals.

Both students have prepared a pro and con case for tonight's debate.

They won't know which side they'll defend until we have our coin flip right here in our studio.

When it is finished, will go to our illustrious panel for questions and we'll find out who they felt offered the best argument.

So, let's get started right now.

Here's the issue up for debate today.

"Should the state of Colorado ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores?"

Let's have our coin flip and we're going to get it underway.

Yeabsera, I'm going to let you make the call heads or tails.

What do you like?

- Heads.

- Heads it is, what would you like, affirmative or negative.

- Negative.

- Negative, negative means you go second.

That means Kimberly as the proponent during this round you start things off.

The floor is yours for three minutes, go ahead.

- When should they put plastic bags are consumed worldwide.

It is because of the impact of the environment that I am excited to participate in this debate.

I appreciate this opportunity.

Today I will be arguing in support of the resolution.

The state of Colorado should ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores for the following three reasons.

The first argument is that plastic bags caused increased pollution.

There's plastic everywhere.

It's insane to think about it, is in food, cloths electronics, cosmetics, our bodies, animals, etc.

All this plastic is accumulating day by day, filling up landfills and the ocean.

It can last for potentially hundreds of thousands of years.

Once it's in the natural environment, that means it's not going to break down and it will just keep accumulating.

Pollution is basically an accumulation of trash that doesn't have the ability to decompose.

Without this decomposition, gas starts to be created and exceeded by the trash.

Plastic pollution releases tons of methane gas that goes up into the atmosphere but gets trapped and has no other way but to go down.

Temperatures causing this causes temperatures and sea levels to rise, which could be devastating to all forms of life.

According to the EPA, methane --methane is more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide--dioxide trapped.

Which can trap heat in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gas trapped in the atmosphere leads to global warming and climate change.

This causes negative impacts to agriculture and the growing seasons.

It changes participation, precipitation patterns, causes, droughts, and heatwaves, and overall causes severe weather to be more intense like hurricanes.

Second, plastic damages animals and other living organisms.

When plastic is breaking down, it breaks down little by little.

Creating micro-- microplastic and animals can mistake that for food, causing them to starve because they don't get the nutrients that they need.

Birds chicks were turning up dead in the hundreds, and with the stomachs of these birds work open they found them filled with plastic.

The length of decomposition damaged damages the environment and hurts ecosystem, ecosystems, ecosystems, and animals.

Not only is this generally bad for the environment and can lead to harm.

And can lead to harmless people too.

It is our responsibility ethically.

And third, banning plastic would allow the redistribution of funds and resources for more beneficial programs.

Funds that were being used to create plastic bags can be used for programs that help the environment and communities.

For example, with the existing policy 60% of the bag fee will go to local jurisdictions for recycling or composting programs and related administrative issues, increase programs for recycling and composting, reduce waste and harm to the environment.

- Kim, thank you very much that wraps up your proponent round.

And now, Yeabsera, you have two minutes for questions and cross-examination.

Go ahead.

- Are plastic bags recyclable?

- Plastic bags they're not recyclable, but you can use them many, many times, which is why-- which is why...

Plastic bags are not recyclable, but you can use them many times because they're made of thick material that is-- that can hold and withstand a lot, which is why more laws and like it should be promoted more to use values multiple, multiple and multiple times.

- In terms of global warming, what are the main causes of it, and how does plastic specifically plastic bags contribute to it?

- Plastic bags contribute to global warming because like I said, they fill up landfills and they can't break down.

So without breaking down...more gas methane starts to create and goes up into the atmosphere and then it just gets trapped there and goes down and it raises the temperature.

- So with the possible passing of this resolution, bags would not be banned, but there will be a fee on them.

So how do you think this fee might affect low income or fixed-income communities?

- Well, if you take into consideration mostly low-income communities are filled with people of color, and people of color usually stand from Latino, Caribbean, African American, Middle Eastern backgrounds, and in those countries they don't really use a lot of plastic.

So, they're just like used to not having plastic into their lives.

- But in your speech you stated how plastic is a part of our everyday life and pretty much every item that we use.

So how would these countries not have access to plastic?

- Well, it's 'cause they're in a different country.

It's different things, different, you know, different things have different things besides plastic or they use glass or metal or more sustainable resources.

- I will have to wrap up the questions right there.

Thank you very much.

Kimberly and Yeabsera.

Yeabsera you now have 3 minutes to state your case in the negative.

Go right ahead.

- Thank you for your arguments supporting the resolution.

I, however, will be arguing against the resolution for the following three reasons.

The state of Colorado should not ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores.

First, because plastic bags are not the largest source of plastic pollution.

Although plastic bags do contribute to plastic pollution, the significance of their damage is so small that bans on it would have little to no effect on the environment.

Earlier this year, Fort Collins, attempted to pass a plastic bag ban on their April 6 valet.

The goal behind that proposition was to decrease the amount of plastic pollution to get them closer to zero waste.

However, studies found that plastic of all kinds makes up about 10% of the waste Fort Collins sends to landfills with plastic bags making up a very small but undetermined percentage of that volume.

The EPA estimates that plastic bags make up to.

3% of the waste stream nationally.

The pro plans to solve various environmental problems.

Caused by plastic pollution, but plastic bags are so ministrul and their effects that no significant change would genuinely occur from a ban.

To make that kind of change that the proposition proposes for the environment, there needs to be much more done than just simply banning plastic bags.

Second, consumers will shift to other, more detrimental alternatives if there are no plastic bags.

People will use other options, specifically less equal friendly alternatives.

A 2019 study by Elsie Taylor on plastic bag bans in California found that the approach effectively reduce the use of plastic carryout bags, but that reduction was partially offset by an increase in paper bag and cotton bag use, as well as the purchase of thicker plastic bags.

The Environment Agency in the UK released a report in 2011.

That shows the carbon impact of paper reusable plastic and cotton bags is higher than single-use plastic bags when considering the production, use, and disposal of each.

According to the report, a cotton bag it needs to be used 131 times to have a lower effect on the environment.

This defeats the purpose of the ban and ultimately creates more harm.

And third, a plastic bag ban would directly target people in low-income communities.

Ban & tax ordinances have never been successful at meaningfully reducing litter waste or marine debris.

What they have been shown to do is keep unfair costs on low and fixed-income families and add more red tape to local businesses.

The environment does not benefit, and neither does the people.

Reusable bags cost money and for lower-income and fixed-income, households that might not be an option at checkout.

And for families with no vehicle, grocery shopping becomes an enormous burden at ten or five-cent tax on each bag may seem like a drop in the bucket, but it's important to consider the burden this bill places on low-income residents, specifically those who use food assistance to purchase groceries for those who use public transport to get to the grocery store, remembering to carry around reusable bags can be more burdensome than simply leaving a couple in your car.

Additionally, people who live in food deserts that have to walk considerable distances to get to the grocery store may find it harder to carry a home to carry a week's worth of groceries and paper rather than plastic bags.

- Yeabsera Fitsum, Kim Miranda today the question is, should the state of Colorado ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores?

A lot of debate about this one.

Kim, you now have two minutes for questions to Yeabsera.

Go ahead.

- Okay, so my question is you commented on Fort Collins.

Fort Collins is just one example and studies looking at plastic use.

Is it the same all across Colorado?

- I chose Fort Collins as my point of research because Fort Collins is one of the top four cities in Colorado and to get a general like a sample space of what Colorado might reflect, I chose Fort Collins to show that.

- Okay, on a large scale isn't a small percentage still significant?

- A Colorado bill hasn't been passed yet, so we use whatever information we have at hand to determine what might possibly happen.

- Okay, Even if we-- even if we are not fixing the problem for all plastic is it reducing what we can from plastic bags beneficial.

- Any type of change is beneficial, but the point to be made here is that there are other alternatives that are more time-efficient than just banning plastic bags, banning plastic bags when the real effect is just general plastic-- as a whole is kind of just.--pushing the problem under the rug and trying to find an easier solution than addressing the root cause.

- Okay, concerning that low income--income communities have a background of Latino, Caribbean, Middle Eastern or African American roots where plastic isn't as predominant in their countries.

Do you believe that the plastic ban will actually affect them?

- Well, for now, we're arguing how the plastic band will affect people in Colorado if Colorado passes the resolution and-- as I stated, low-income families need those plastic bags because they don't have access to the same luxuries that higher income communities do.

- Alright, Kim.

We're gonna have to wrap up the questions right now because now it's time for your rebuttal, Kim stating in the affirmative today, and Yeabsera in the negative.

Kim, go ahead with your rebuttal 2 minutes.

- So for my rebuttal.

I said that.

We should reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse.

So we should just implement more recycling.

We should just make it bigger and we should just push more programs and organizations that help keep plastic out of landfills.

Also, since the bill is called 2111 62, which was passed by Jerry Polis and he said that plastic utensils and as well as styrofoam will not be given by restaurants.

So that will also help cut down on the plastic pollution.

Also, they have other alternatives like cotton tote bags, paper bags, you know, boxes, crates, whatever.

So, also... About global warming and pollution by 2050, there will be more plastic than--than fish in the ocean, which is crazy, which is why we need to just ban plastic altogether.

- Should the state of Colorado ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores?

Yeabsera, you now have 3 minutes to respond and close.

Go ahead.

- I think this was a very interesting debate with multiple arguments made.

But the main one that I noticed was the impact that has on our environment and what I realized listening to both sides of the debate is, while plastic is a main cause of pollution, and while it is very detrimental to our environment, plastic bags are not the cause of that.

And by banning these plastic bags there will be no change done and-- We should be doing more to limit other plastic issues, especially when plastic bag alternatives cause more damage to the environment.

So if we look at the impact that either plastic bags or cotton bags and reusable plastic bags have on the environment, we can see that the other option, the latter option, is more detrimental.

So by banning plastic bags, the proposition actually harms the environment, which they are trying to save in the first place.

And I agree that funds should be distributed and we should be focusing on more recycling programs, but not at the expense of plastic bags.

Like I said before, banning it is more harmful to the environment and directly targets vulnerable communities.

Because low-income communities do not have the same access to luxuries such as cars where they might keep reusable bags or like I mentioned in my constructive how they might have to walk to their houses carrying all these groceries that they were not able to afford because of the plastic bag ban.

Yes.

Thank you.

- Okay, thank you very much, Yeabsera.

Finally, Kim, you have one minute available to close, so go ahead.

- So why I think Colorado should ban should go with the ban of plastic bags is, because like I said, it affects the global warming and pollution.

It affects animals.

It affects us to also.

There are other alternatives that we can you know implement in her daily lives.

Like cotton tote bags, glass you know crates back boxes.

We can just start reusing stuff and recycling stuff.

Also plastic just causes a lot of like problems everywhere.

It's it can cause cancer even like it's just.

It's really bad really toxic, which is why you know taking a small step by plastic bags will then contribute to a bigger step of getting rid of all plastic.

- Kim, thank you very much and Yeabsera, thank you very much.

Now, this issue of course goes back and forth and a lot of discussion in Colorado about whether we should do this.

Should grocery stores have plastic bags available?

Let's go to our panel of experts right now.

Their thoughts on what they saw, Dominic?

Take it away.

- Alan, as you saw this is this was a great debate.

Kimberly and Yeabsera you both did a wonderful job and frankly the three of us were talking, you could very well be presenting these speeches to your City Councilor.

City councils across the metro area.

A lot of people are talking about this particular issue, so I think the argument you made hit home with a lot of our viewers.

But your job is not done because we want to ask you some questions ourselves.

- Ian why don't you start questions for Kimberly.

What's your first question?

- Well, Kimberly my first is question is if plastic bags are recyclable, why not boost for cycling instead of banning it?

- We don't boost recycling instead of banning it because people, it's just very hard to recycle like there's so many rules and laws to recycling.

Sometimes they're not available to people or also we can.

We can implement biodegradable bags, but then again, people are just so used to throwing things in the trash that they just once again end up in the landfill to create more.

So yeah.

- Okay, Michael, you have a question for Kimberly.

- Yeah, I want to dig into a little bit more on why exactly a mandate.

Why not just educate people and let them make their own informed decisions about what to use or what not to use.

-The reason why I think education is like, not like people are being educated on, you know sustainable things is because.

We just don't have like, the resources or people, just you know, they're just so lost.

They don't know where to find those resources.

I do think that we should promote more education on how to recycle or how to like, calm down the plastic pollution.

But like I said, it's just very hard to like.

Get people on board sometimes.

- Yeabsera you're not off the hook.

We're going to have some questions for you.

Ian your question for Yeabsera.

- Yes, you mentioned more red tape, possibly if there was a ban, but compared to a fee, which would require some sort of calculation and remittance of funds isn't a band less red tape.

-Well, the ban itself also has fees on top of it.

Like I said, lower-income communities might not be able to afford plastic bags because the plastic bags are still there.

They're just being charged a $0.10 to five-cent fee to access them.

And that's why the ban is less effective.

- And Michael your question for Yeabsera.

- Is a plastic.

Bags are used for an average of 12 minutes.

We know that they at least produce some pollution.

How do we tackle bigger environmental issues if we're not even willing to do a ban like other countries have?

- I'm sorry, can you repeat the question?

- Yeah, that I think saying that this is a small step in terms of dealing with bigger environmental issues that could be tougher other countries have done it.

Why do you think that this small step shouldn't be done?

- I feel like the small steps should be done, but in a different context, like where Ian I believe asked her in the last one, why don't we educate instead of initiating this ban in the first place, I think that a lot of time and effort could be going into this, and I think this they would have to support the fees for at least a year before they get any revenue back.

And I feel like there are so many alternative options that we could take before we actually put our efforts into this small step that won't make a genuine change in the environment.

-Well, like I said before Alan, I think there's probably a lot of City Council people out there right now very interested in and in both of our students right now, and their points that they've made in this very particular issue.

This is top of mind for so many city councils right now.

Give us a couple of minutes.

We'll try to figure out who won this debate.

- Alright guys, good luck with that.

Yeabsera Fitsum from Range View High School in Aurora.

Kim Miranda from Hinkley High School in Aurora.

Battle of Aurora we're having today.

We're going to give our panel a moment to consider him whom they felt one this debate that gives me a moment to let you know that this is part of our expanded season of both sides of the story.

Now next week we're going to begin our semifinal debates in both of our winners and our consolation brackets.

You won't want to miss it.

So, catch up on any episodes if you want by going to pbs12.org Alright, panel.

Let's have your decision.

- Well, I don't think--- we had to go to executive session like I like The City Council would for this kind of decision, but just to reinforce both, you did a fantastic job.

But we do have to make a decision.

That's our job as judges and when we looked at both how you responded and how the questions you asked in the cross-examination and the polished sections of your presentation.

Yeabsera, we decided that you were the victory in this debate.

Congratulations!

You both did a fantastic job.

We're looking forward to seeing both of you in the debates moving forward.

- That's the great thing.

We do continue to see both.

Yeabsera, thank you very much.

Congratulations to you!

and Kim Miranda, thank you very much.

Congratulations to you.

You both did a great job and should be very proud.

So, Yeabsera, you're now going to go on to compete against the winner from our second debate from George Washington High School and Kim, we're going to be seeing you again at our consolation bracket debates as well.

That's all we have time for our program tonight and I want to thank our excellent students for accepting our challenge and participating in our debate.

I also want to thank our esteemed panel for sharing their thoughts.

And finally, we want to thank you for tuning in.

It is the support of viewers like you and our sponsors that helped to make this show a reality.

You can catch up on past episodes of this program on pbs12.org and you can catch me on CBS4 for all the latest news and information impacting Colorado.

For everyone here at PBS 12.

I'm Alan Gionet.

Thanks for watching and that is both sides of the story.

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