Comments on: Ironic Recycling http://talkingtech.net/2008/05/11/ironic-recycling/ life and technology on the north coast of california Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:16:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Mike Buettner http://talkingtech.net/2008/05/11/ironic-recycling/#comment-30951 Mike Buettner Wed, 21 May 2008 17:32:07 +0000 http://talkingtech.net/?p=385#comment-30951 When I lived in the Bay Area on the peninsula I would see the big SUVs from my neighborhood drive 4 blocks to drop their kids off at school. Same for the 8 block trip to the soccer field. It is encouraging to see kids here walk to school and even to the park. When I lived in the Bay Area on the peninsula I would see the big SUVs from my neighborhood drive 4 blocks to drop their kids off at school. Same for the 8 block trip to the soccer field. It is encouraging to see kids here walk to school and even to the park.

]]> By: Carson Park Ranger http://talkingtech.net/2008/05/11/ironic-recycling/#comment-30943 Carson Park Ranger Wed, 21 May 2008 05:02:31 +0000 http://talkingtech.net/?p=385#comment-30943 This post reminded me of Earth Day in Balboa Park in San Diego. Every year, thousands of giant, suburban SUVs would descend upon uptown and circle the blocks in search of convenient parking. The families would pour out and shlep to the event where they would fill the trash receptacles with thousands of plastic water bottles, cardboard/mylar "juice" containers and all of the other crap that modern American families discard every day. "Hopeful," is what we called this. This post reminded me of Earth Day in Balboa Park in San Diego. Every year, thousands of giant, suburban SUVs would descend upon uptown and circle the blocks in search of convenient parking. The families would pour out and shlep to the event where they would fill the trash receptacles with thousands of plastic water bottles, cardboard/mylar “juice” containers and all of the other crap that modern American families discard every day.

“Hopeful,” is what we called this.

]]> By: Aaron Antrim http://talkingtech.net/2008/05/11/ironic-recycling/#comment-30873 Aaron Antrim Mon, 12 May 2008 17:10:35 +0000 http://talkingtech.net/?p=385#comment-30873 Bob, didn't you know that the <a href="http://www.greencar.com/features/2008greencar/" rel="nofollow">Chevy Tahoe is the Green Car of the Year</a>? Seriously, though, driving and car-culture present disproportionate impacts on the environment. I calculate that, using average figures, the climate change emissions per year generated from the waste of one person who doesn't recycle are about one-tenth of their climate change emissions from driving (http://www.reduceimpact.com/). Now, this comparison doesn't consider all the embedded energy of producing the products and packaging which are thrown out (but neither does the driving figure consider the embedded energy for the car). It's just a stab at offering some quantified comparison. Bob, didn’t you know that the Chevy Tahoe is the Green Car of the Year?

Seriously, though, driving and car-culture present disproportionate impacts on the environment. I calculate that, using average figures, the climate change emissions per year generated from the waste of one person who doesn’t recycle are about one-tenth of their climate change emissions from driving (http://www.reduceimpact.com/).

Now, this comparison doesn’t consider all the embedded energy of producing the products and packaging which are thrown out (but neither does the driving figure consider the embedded energy for the car). It’s just a stab at offering some quantified comparison.

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