You know who's not spending enough money to influence public opinion (or policy)? The American Chemistry Council, that's who. Reports Plastics News:

To meet the challenges faced by the increased public debate over the role of plastics in the environment, the American Chemistry Council is reorganizing its plastic activities and adding a new group to strengthen its public outreach and sustainability efforts.

“We are an advocacy-based organization that defends plastics, but it has become increasingly apparent that we need to promote plastic products with the same vigor that we defend plastic products,” [ACC plastics department Vice President Steve] Russell said in an Aug. 12 phone interview. “We looked at the nature and frequency of the challenges we were experiencing from policy makers, consumers, and brand owners and wanted to make sure we had the most effective structure” for dealing with them. ...

“They will work on the things that drive public perception,” Russell said.

“We are most successful when we define what the plastics industry stands for, rather than letting others define it,” he said. “We want to create programs and messages for consumers, the media, the general public and policymakers.

The American Chemistry Council wants to show "what the plastics industry stands for" by talking about plastics that recycle, plastics that save energy, and marvelous plastic gadgetry used in medical care. Those innovations are sensational. But innovation is not what the plastic industry is fighting for. As their $1.3 million investment to reject Seattle's Prop 1 (the bag fee) shows, they're fighting to keep pumping out the gross volume of plastic: crap that is easily replaced by sustainable products—crap that fills landfills and floats in the oceans forever. In the words of anti-bag-fee spokesman Adam Parmer, “Obviously, plastic bag companies have an interest. I don’t think it’s surprising that companies with an interest will spend money to protect it.”