….We’re Less Green Than We Think
1. For all the talk about recycling, people still throw out a lot of garbage every week. Some of it’s packaging that could be avoided if people were willing to buy bulk or demand that manufacturers change the way they sell their products. As well, many people are less than diligent when it comes to really recycling all their paper and organics.
2. Cost still prevails over the environment. As much as people talk about going organic, most of us are only willing to do so if we don’t have to pay a serious premium. When a pound of organic bananas is 79 cents compared with a 39 cents for regular bananas, what do you think most people are going to buy? The same goes for “green energy” produced by wind and water sources, which is still significantly more expensive than power produced by coal and nuclear.
3. Comfort and convenient. The dream of the big house with the two-car garage means suburbia is alive and well. Of course, people living in suburbia have to drive everywhere, and it requires a lot of energy to power their air conditioners, large screen televisions, huge refrigerators and lawn mowers.
4. Car still rule the roads. There should be more people bicycling, walking and talking public transit to get around but we continue to live in a car-dominated culture. Look, for example, what’s happening in Toronto where the cash-strapped city is going to spend $800,000 to expropriate The Matador Club so it can build a 20-car parking lot.
5. SUVs. They suck gas and, let’s be honest, they really don’t offer that much more room than a four-door sedan but we continue to buy them.
