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July 15, 2005
Plastic Bags and the One Tonne Challenge
I was psyched to read about a possible tax on plastic bags in the city, and even more happy to read the most of the people commenting also support it. I have been waging my own "I don't need a bag" campaign against delis and other stores for years. Even for larger stuff, I usually have a canvas bag on hand to use instead. Despite these efforts (and even despite doing all my grocery shopping at the Coop sans plastic bags), I still have a large stash of used bags at home that I can't seem to get rid of. It's amazing how wasteful we are with these things.
Also on the eco front, I'm envious of the One Tonne Challenge happening up north (Yarn Harlot mentioned it today). Canadians are working to reduce emissions in a big way to keep their Kyoto promise. There should be a coordinated stateside effort to do the same thing in spite of the current administration's Kyoto snub.
The suggestions in the little booklet are great -- some are obvious, some not. Try carpooling, turning off the lights when you're not using them, don't let the car idle. Choose the green energy alternative (ahem, Derek, ahem). Buy local produce -- it's fresh, it's in season, it did not burn jet fuel to get to your table. Collect rainwater to water the plants, etc. I'm familiar with many of the suggestions, but getting the word out to everyone else in this oil-greedy country might be nice. People often think they are saving energy one way or another -- maybe they buy organic food or use an incandescent bulb -- but usually the case is that the extra fridge or minivan they use is more than canceling out their effort.
The Canadian booklet has numbers and a method for keeping track, so it goes beyond creating awareness. There are tips about cleaning the refrigerator seal and using a different dryer setting -- all good reminders that actually make a difference. We recently had our car fixed up and the difference in fuel efficiency is significant.
At least we New Yorkers can look forward to hybrid taxis in the near future, given that the beaurocrats stop whining about legroom (oh please! -- don't beurocrats ride buses or airplanes or F trains? Give us the hybrids already!).
Posted by csageday at July 15, 2005 12:09 AM
Comments
I don't want to burst your bubble, but the hybrids aren't necessarily all they've been cracked up to be. At least the versions rolling off of the factory floor today.
See today's Sunday Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/automobiles/17hybrid.html
Personally, I think Biodiesel is the way to go, what with our country's penchant for McDonald's and greasy food....we could have Biodiesel SUVs and load up while we SuperSize our double cheeseburger....
http://www.biodiesel.org/
Posted by: ck at July 17, 2005 09:33 PM
Thanks for the links. Yeah, it's a shame about the hybrids (although I'll take what I can get with NYC taxis -- any reduction in emissions would be welcome here). The earlier ones were small (the Honda Insight my dad has is a tiny two-seater) and had stick shifts, so they really were more eco-friendly. I was so annoyed when bigger automatic-transmission SUV-type hybrids arrived -- it completely defeats the purpose. Funny how environmentally-safe products seem to make people feel entitled to increase consumption in other ways (hey, this type of car uses less gas, so we can afford to buy an even bigger one!).
And yes, given our national diet, we should all be driving biodiesel-fueled cars. Not that hard to do either, if you have a diesel engine, apparently.
Posted by: Cindy at July 17, 2005 11:24 PM