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| Also listed in: Female political bloggers |
Categories: Environment and Conservation, Media Accountability, Humor & Sarcasm
Really, I want to help the environment. I need to do penance for all those cigarette butts I threw out of my car window in the 80s. But, you know, I've settled into a two-car-attached-garage existence and I don't expect to back out of it anytime soon.
Like everyone else, I'm flipping off switches and not driving as much. By being energy-efficient, we not only save ourselves money, but also help everyone else on the planet. At least that's my green feel-good fantasy.
There are impediments to the green life, however. For example, a lot of young parents would like to use cloth diapers on their babies, but most day care facilities insist parents supply disposables (the expensive, brand name kind).
It seems to me that the MSM isn't telling the whole story in their glossy special green advertising supplements. Please, meedya people: Will you shut up about compact fluorescent bulbs already? These coiled glass bulbs produce inferior-quality light, create a mercury haz-mat danger if broken, and may not be suitable for outdoor use (I'm not sure, the package doesn't say). Solve these problems, and I will buy these squirrelly light bulbs, but until then, put a sleep timer on it.
Another natural barrier along the path to greenness is fashion. While I highly approve of how Columbus is promoting bike use, I'm skeptical that the city can turn many commuters into bicyclists. For most people, a luggage rack worth of suits and briefcases would be required to get ready for work in downtown offices. (It's a hair, shoes and purse issue for women.) I don't see us as the backpack-wearing type.
I'm lucky to live in a community with a good recycling and yard waste program. They pick up sorted paper, plastic, glass, cans and other stuff for free. The warm, fuzzy feeling I get looking at my well-organized recycling bins just makes me want to hug myself. But then I realize that I probably expended more energy washing out those soup cans and microwave food trays in hot water than I saved by recycling them.
When it comes to saving the earth, isn't it the thought that counts? Uh, no.
A controversial study by the UK government found that there was no appreciable difference in carbon emissions if you have an older washer and dryer.
Also if you haven't used any CFL bulbs lately, you should take a second look as they've evolved a lot lately. Popular Mechanics did a lab test and found every single CFL they tested put out better light than the incandescents they tested. Link Also the size and the amount of mercury has been reduced by a third.
Also, I want to point out that riding a bike to downtown is quite doable, at least from the West side near OSU campus. I've done it a couple times (yes, I'm bragging, I'm pretty old), and you can ride on sidewalks and bike trails almost the whole way. Biking may not be a practical way to commute, but it is fun and I hope central Ohio keeps developing its bike trails.