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27 Mar 00 - simplicity; Kingdome; reusables reimbursement; conference ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- >From Marcia Rutan, Snohomish County Solid Waste Management Division, Everett, WA, responding to the 3/24/00 excerpt of an article by Joe Queenan about simplicity and simplicity websites, originally published in the 3/23/00 New York Times: I'm always intrigued as to why people are so scornful of voluntary simplicity because of the perception that it "just" reaches Yuppies or wealthy people. I wonder why this is considered a bad thing. I don't necessarily agree that this perception is even true, unless we remember that most of us in this country are unbelievably materially wealthy by world standards. However, given that people who have extra material goods are also those using far more resources, isn't it a good idea to encourage and support such individuals in making more conscious, less resource-intensive choices? The list of so-called simplicity actions suggested in Joe Queenan's article were highly superficial and obviously designed to make Voluntary Simplicity look foolish. This list and article did not acknowledge the more radical, life-changing actions that many people are making, who are truly concerned about the environment and the quality of life in this culture: changes that leave a lighter footprint as well as encourage more intimate relationships with family, friends, and community. I've had the great privilege of starting up a dozen or so Voluntary Simplicity and Your Money or Your Life study groups and of witnessing the transformation in the individuals who participate. These people downsize houses, get rid of cars, stop buying "habit" gifts for holidays, drop shopping as a recreational activity, prevent or get out of bankruptcy, give away many material items cluttering up garage and attic, and spend more time with their kids and in nature or volunteering. This is just a brief list of real life impacts I've seen in a brief period of time. I'm truly inspired by the commitment of these people, and how Voluntary Simplicity/Your Money or Your Life classes have provided a profound vehicle and support for shifting awareness and behavior. We can mock such changes, yet I consider them an indication of the possibility of a cultural paradigm shift, from material and money addiction to a deeper respect for life. It's easy to make fun of and be critical of Voluntary Simplicity, but more risky to fully participate in a Voluntary Simplicity/Your Money or Your Life study group and really listen to people who are starving for something beyond shopping and accrual of material goods as the measure of "the good life." Not only starving, but ready to walk their talk. How do we measure such change? It may not be as clever as a sophisticated journalist's caricature, but who is actually seeding a difference for the earth? E-mail: marcia (D O T) rutan (A T) co (D O T) snohomish (D O T) wa (D O T) us --------------------- >From Charlotte Becker, Association of Oregon Recyclers, Gresham, OR, responding to the recent postings about the Kingdome in Seattle: National Public Radio did a good piece on the Kingdome demolition. One thing that came out in a comment from former governor John Spellman was that the Kingdome has no viewing boxes - you know that exclusive seating that is purchased by corporations and folks with more cash than I've had in the last 10 years? As the Kingdome was being built, viewing boxes were suggested, as in the Astrodome, but there was a huge public outcry, because no one, except the privileged few, could afford to sit in them. After all, it was being built to serve the public. So it seems that a lack of vision and courage spelled the demise of this interesting structure before the cement dried. It's kind of like, if we had thought about groundwater contamination, we never would have allowed certain things to be buried in landfills. In this case, an ounce of prevention would be worth thousands of tons of cure. Farewell to another Seattle landmark. Maybe they could sell souvenirs from the rubble to fund planning for future projects and to start or enhance a green building program. Thanks for letting me vent. E-mail: aor [ AT ] mindspring [ DOT ] com ------------------- >From Ann Schneider, Mountain View, CA, co-chair of the California Resource Recovery Association's Policy & Legislation Committee (forwarded by Stephen Long from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Jobs Through Recycling listserv): I am working to change some regulations under Medi-Cal, the California Medicare provider. At this time they will only reimburse for disposable adult incontinent products (AIP) and not for reusables, as they are perceived as a service, not a product. This is a major waste stream item for convalescent hospitals and other aging care facilities, and of course it will grow as Baby Boomers age. I am working with the staff of the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee to allow for reimbursement of reusables, and they are pursuing discussions with the agency. At one time I remember reading somewhere that the Medicare agencies in four states in the U.S. had provisions that allowed reusable AIPs to be reimbursed. My memory says Oregon and Nebraska but I can't remember the other two, or if any other states allow this. The staffers I am working with would really like to know which states do allow for reusables, so I am asking for your help. Please let me know if your state does allow for reimbursement of reusables. And if you don't know, could you please do a little research and let me know yes or no? Some background statistics from Kimberly-Clark Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., and Knowaste LLC (taken from a Wall Street Journal article published 12/30/99): 1. Sales of adult incontinence products numbered 1.6 billion in 1998, or 9 percent of the disposable diaper market. This was up from 6 percent five years earlier. 2. There were 17.7 billion disposable diapers used in 1998, the latest data available, worth $4 billion in retail sales. 3. 95 percent of all diapers used in the U.S. are disposable (kids and adults). Thanks. E-mail: SchneiderAnn (AT) juno (DOT) com --------------------- Excerpted from information on the International Society for Optical Engineering website (forwarded by Kinley Deller and Stephen Long from other listservs): Abstracts are being sought for a conference on Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing, which will be held Nov. 5-8, 2000, in Boston, MA. This conference will provide a forum for the latest developments in the field of environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM), such as product reuse, remanufacturing, disassembly and recycling strategies. Abstracts are due by April 10, 2000. For more information, see this website: http://www.spie.org/web/meetings/calls/pe00/confs/RB12.html - end -