You Can't Buy "Being Green"

I wake up to the radio every morning. It annoys me and I'm not sure why I do it. I suppose I should just use an alarm sound, a CD, an MP3, or anything other than those 3 jerks on the Team 1200 who never talk about sports unless it's about the Swedish God Daniel Alfredsson. But my rant today isn't aimed at the Three Jerks on the Radio. No, today I've got a gripe with a particular advertisement that I hear every morning.

The ad is for a hot tub and the selling point is that this particular brand of hot tub is "green". I'm not going to name the company because they shouldn't get any free air. But I just don't see how buying a hot tub could ever be considered being green. If you buy a hot tub you are going to be using more water and energy than you currently use. Being green means consuming less energy and less water than you currently do. In fact, you should consume as little as possible. Being green does not mean buying a product that consumes less energy and water than its counterparts, especially when that particular product is one that you can live without.

Jerks.

Sometimes I Hate Grand Lake

Ok, the title isn't entirely true. I love Grand Lake, always. But when I was there last on vacation I saw many things that really grind my gears (technically many things, but one general thing in many forms).

If you've read my blog before you know that I like to think I'm environmentally friendly. Grand Lake is one of those places that make you want to be environmentally friendly. You have a huge beautiful lake, a picturesque back lake, plenty of forest, and even a family of osprey. My girlfriend even saw a deer during one of her bike rides.

I brought my bike with me to Grand Lake to 1) burn off Nana's cookies, cakes and pies and 2) to take in the sights. However I was just a few feet past the camps (their camps in NB, not cottages) and getting into the less populated area of the ride when I saw the first thing that upset me; a Tim Horton's cup. "It's alright", I think. It's just one litterer, or maybe a careless truck driver who's garbage flew out of the truck bed. Then, not even one full pedal of the bike later I see an empty box of Alpine, then a can of Alpine, then a pillow (a pillow!?!), then another Tim Horton's cup. It went on and on and on. The side of the road is littered with litter. It was like watching that episode of Mad Men when they just threw their garbage anywhere while on picnic.

Come on people of Grand Lake. It isn't that hard to find a garbage can. There's one just a few kilometres away in Douglas Harbour. You're ruining what is a beautiful part of the province. In fact, prior to re-branding NB's slogan to "Be...in this place" NB used to be the "Picture Province".

It's no surprise that given this lack of eco-friendliness that the area of the lake that was public (actually privately owned, but generously available for public use) is no longer. The owner decided that they didn't want to put up with the filth that people leave behind (even diapers). It's also no surprise that people ignore the no trespassing signs and continue to use the beach and litter. I implore you NBers and Grand Lakers, stop littering. You're really messing up my bike ride and picture taking. Maybe you think that you alone can't stop garbage from piling up. Well if everyone thought that way we'd end up with a big garbage island somewhere in the Pacific twice the size of Texas. Wait, what? We have one?

You Don't Care and You're Lazy

So I mentioned how Bluesfest won an award for their environmental efforts in a previous blog. It seems like every 20 yards or so there's a trash can/compost bin/plastic, glass and can recycling bin, and the cupsuckers. I don't know the exact figure, but I've never had to walk very far to dispose of my garbage or recycling.

Last night, after the Drive by Truckers, we went to grab a bite to eat and watched the people clear out of Lebreton Flats. After about 20 minutes, the festival grounds were pretty empty and I was amazed at how much trash was on the ground. You could barely take a few steps without hearing a beer cup or beer can crush under your feet. I was further amazed at trash on the ground right beside the trash can/compost bin/plastic, glass and can recycling bin, and the cupsuckers.

Are you that freaking lazy people? The organizers went a long way to place these things just about everywhere and you can't walk a few metres to dispose of your trash?

For shame people. For shame.

Carbon Market

Your governing PC party detailed its carbon market plan on Wednesday. No, not carbonite market, the carbon market. They are trying to show you all that they are concerned about the environment and trying to reduce carbon emissions. Given that the world is full of stupid people, it will probably work.

The following is a summary for those who don't want to read on (I know you don't like politics).

Environment Minister Prentice to voters:

We are placing caps on carbon emissions for all polluters in Canada.

Environment Minister Prentice to polluters:

Don't worry, you can buy your way out of it.

I shouldn't be so critical, but like the polar bear with the big paws, I was born that way. So the plan, as outlined in this Globe and Mail article, is to put a cap on carbon emissions. You can only emit up to a certain upper limit. Great idea by the way, at least 10 years too late (and the Liberals have their share of the blame in that) but great idea. But, if you emit beyond carbon beyond that cap, don't worry about it, you can buy credits on the open market.

How do I buy credits you ask? Easy, somebody is going to be such a good reducer of carbon emissions that they'll be far under the cap, you can buy the surplus from them. And in the event that no polluter has reduced emissions (worst case, but conceivable), there will be carbon projects that you can buy credits from to get you under the cap by offsetting your emissions.

This really ticks me off. Buying credits doesn't reduce a polluter's emissions. Rather, it helps to create projects that offset the emissions. Don't get me wrong, I understand that carbon offsets are a good thing. While they don't reduce emissions, they compensate for the emissions by making reductions somewhere else.

According to Mr. Prentice, the goal is to gradually reduce the ceiling of the cap to control emissions, but what if actual emissions never go down? What if, instead, polluters just buy more and more credits because it's easier and cheaper? Does this really solve the problem?

I know this is a step in the right direction, it just doesn't feel like enough. I'd prefer a hard cap and a mandatory credit system to offset emissions under the cap. But I suppose if I were in power, we'd be faced with a record setting deficit.

Who Resuscitated the Electric Car? (or Back to the Future)

In my last post I made a joke about how I'd rather see the GM bailout money spent; for the invention of technologies seen in Back to the Future Part II. Now GM appears to be reaching into the past to shape it's future with the production of an electric car for the masses, the Chevy Volt.

Kudos to GM for trying to position themselves as the greenest automaker around and investing in new technologies, but they've tried this before and they pulled the plug. In 1996, GM introduced the EV1, the first modern electric car from a major automaker. EV1s were only available in California and Arizona under leases as an engineering and marketing evaluation. The EV1 was discontinued in 1999 and all models were removed from the road by 2003. The reasons for the discontinuation are the subject of the great film Who Killed the Electric Car. In The film sets out numerous conspiracies about why GM discontinued the vehicle.

I'm not going to get into the conspiracies here. It's been done before (and better than I could). My guess is that GM discontinued the vehicle for the same reason that corporations do most anything, profitability. Instead, my issue is why we should believe GM will follow through in the first place.

GM has been down this road before. Had they stuck with the EV1 in 1996 we might have an electric car as a real alternative today. Their electric car line may even be profitable. GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner even admits the worst decision of his tenure at GM was "axing the EV1 electric-car program and not putting the right resources into hybrids. It didn’t affect profitability, but it did affect image."

So what about the Volt? What if the Volt is not profitable? Will GM give up on the technology again? What about governments (US, Canadian, Ontario)? Given their newly acquired stake in GM, how will they react if the Volt is not turning a profit? How should they react? Should they ensure that their investment is profitable? Should they be green friendly and insist that GM continue with the technology?

There are so many questions regarding the future of GM and the electric car. Historians will tell you that looking to the past can help you to predict the future. Take a look back and tell me if you think the future of the Volt looks promising? While I'm glad that GM is investing in new (ahem) technologies, I'm not optimistic given their track record.

(Note, all plug, road, track, and other puns were not intentional, well except the plug pun.)

Turn Off the Damn Lights

Just turn them off. It’s not that hard. You’ll save some money on your power bill. You won’t save the world, not alone anyhow, but haven’t you ever heard the axiom “do no harm”?

Why do you need that light on anyway? You’re not even in that room. So people will know you are home? Well, I can sort of understand that, but who drops by without a text, phone call or email anymore? If you must, can you at least use a CFL bulb? You’ll save money and do less harm at the same time.

While you’re at it, turn that TV off. You’re not watching it. Oh, you’re listening to the game? It’s probably on the radio or a station on the internet. Your computer is likely on anyhow, so why not listen to it that way.

And hey, when I see you outside smoking tomorrow, that cigarette butt doesn’t have to be thrown on the ground. There’s an ashtray right there in front of you. It’s tall and silver and has a picture of a cigarette on it. You know the one I’m talking about. Smoke is billowing from it. You can't miss it. Sometimes there’s no ashtray, but I’m pretty sure you can find a garbage can. Step on it, then pick it back up and chuck it in there. It’s not that hard. You may get your hands dirty, but you can wash them. Doorknobs probably have worse things on them anyway.

When you're waiting for your friend at the corner store, turn off the engine. You don't need to let it idle. In fact, some cities will give you a fine. You can still listen to your ipod with the engine battery set to accessory.

Go to city hall or home depot and get a blue and a black box (more if your city accommodates). They're not expensive and it's not that hard to sort your waste into recyclables. In fact, some cities provide them for free.

I’m no tree hugger and I’m not perfect. I don’t protest to be a world saver. I even waste from time to time. In fact, as I type this I’m listening to the Nuggets/Lakers game on TV. But all the lights in my apartment are off. I throw butts on the ground sometimes too, but never when there’s an alternative near and I always try to carry film cases in my pack to put them in when there are no ashtrays or trash cans around. The cases lock in the nasty smell and I can chuck’em when I find a trash can. I just do the little things whenever I can. It may not help, but it sure doesn’t hurt.