The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Everything I Know About Climate Change, I Learned in the Fifth Grade by Martin Musatov

When Torture Is Condoned, Is FISA That Shocking? by Wendy Cohen

* * *

Nicole Hughes:

Baltimore Woman Turns Tragedy Into Art

Why Don’t We Do More to Stop Global Warming?

* * *

Andy Kondrat:

Foods You Should and Shouldn’t Buy Organic

Paper or Plastic? The Environmental Impact

* * *

Jon Popham:

The Energy Independence Bill: A Filibuster Odyssey

“Bruno” Fools Mossad Agent

* * *

Gina Telaroli:

While Iran Tests Missiles, Test These 5 Iranian Films

Mao’s Out, Time to Capitalize On the Olympics

Every time you go to the grocery store, and the guy at checkout asks, “Paper or plastic,” do you freeze in a moment of panic trying to figure out what the right answer is? Now, if you freeze in panic because you really want to get the answer right because you need approval, then I’m not sure we can help you. However, if you freeze because you’re trying to figure out which answer is better for the environment, then you’ve come to the right place.

Today, treehugger.com posted an in-depth comparison of paper bags versus plastic bags, including where each type comes from, how each type is produced, and how each type is recycled. For example, for a plastic bag,

plastic bags are typically made from oil, a non-renewable resource. Plastics are a by-product of the oil-refining process, accounting for about four percent of oil production around the globe. The biggest energy input is from the plastic bag creation process is electricity, which, in this country, comes from coal-burning power plants at least half of the time.

But, for example, simply to recycle a paper bag

Read the rest of this entry »