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27 Dec 00 - SUVs; holiday spending; capitalism; greeting cards; Buy Nothing Day ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- From Dave Kunz, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Portland, OR, responding to the 12/15/00 posting by Bruce Nordman about sport utility vehicles (SUVs): RE: SUV excess: I have a V-6 engine in mine and only use it for sports and utilities because I walk to work (4 miles round trip). With a utility trailer, I don't need to rent trucks for yard and home stuff. The four-wheel drive (and mud/snow tires) allows me to not use those awful studded tires that rip up the pavement. It passes the emission controls for the Portland metropolitan area, and while it is a rather large vehicle (compared to say a GEO Metro), I'm a rather large individual and appreciate the elbow room - also I just don't feel safe in any vehicle so close to the ground. So, just like Republicans - not all SUVs are undesirable. E-mail: KUNZ (D O T) David (A T) deq (D O T) state (D O T) or (D O T) us -------------------- The next two postings are in response to the 12/21/00 posting from Karen May about holiday spending, capitalism and consumerism. -------------------- From Jerry Powell, Resource Recycling magazine, Portland, OR: Karen May's comments regarding holiday spending seem to suggest that less waste will be generated this holiday season because fewer dollars are being spent. This is not necessarily the case. Folks may be buying just as many useless, wasteful things, but just buying those that cost less. In fact, one might argue that if folks are set on giving gifts, a higher level of spending would be better, as many of the more expensive products are probably more durable, better built and more energy-efficient. That's often the case for appliances, clothing, tools, etc. E-mail: RESRECYCLE [AT] aol [DOT] com -------------------- From Alex Cuyler, Recycling and Solid Waste Program, City of Eugene Planning and Development Department, Eugene, OR: Regarding Karen May's query about capitalism and waste prevention going hand in hand, I have several thoughts. The first is that waste prevention is often couched in things that expand the economy but are not called waste prevention. I believe the entire issue of privacy will result in waste prevention, as an example. Lightweighting containers is another example. Lightweighting containers results in more containers per unit of the resource they are constructed from but also requires new technologies to produce those containers and means more product can be shipped. Where I hope we can ultimately focus is by discussing the potential that waste prevention and recovery play in expanding our economy. Think of the energy required to distribute "stuff" to the masses. The manufacturing, transporting, and marketing result in income to those involved in the effort. Now imagine instead of landfilling or incinerating the "stuff," it must be returned to the manufacturer or an agent of the manufacturer. Doesn't that essentially provide for the potential to double our economy? Somebody has to de-manufacture, return transport, and provide marketing (education) to get all that material back. I'll never forget hearing landfilling referred to as a fortune squandered. There isn't waste in nature, and in a natural economy there can be no waste either. E-mail: Alex ( DOT ) D ( DOT ) CUYLER ( AT ) ci ( DOT ) eugene ( DOT ) or ( DOT ) us ------------------- From the website of the Center for a New American Dream, Takoma Park, MD: Americans buy more than 6 billion paper greeting cards each year - about 60 cards per household. ------------------- Article about Buy Nothing Day by Jaime Ee in the 11/24/00 Singapore Business Times: GO ON, DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND SHOP A LITTLE Buy Nothing Day may promote good values and help save the earth a little, but it could also kill a few Singaporeans if it were religiously observed here. TODAY is Buy Nothing Day in North America. Tomorrow will be Buy Nothing Day in Britain and parts of Europe. I too, will observe Buy Nothing Day - but just as soon as I complete "Buy Enough to Make Up for Buy Nothing Day" week first. Let's see. I have lots of batteries and candles - those pretty block candles rather than those awful cheap skinny ones. I have them in different scents like citronella for mosquitoes and lavender, in case I can't sleep. I have a brand new portable stove, Eddie Bauer camping oil lamp, gourmet meals in cans, designer sleeping bag - oh, sorry. When they said Buy Nothing Day was meant to encourage people to live more simply, I thought it meant we were supposed to go camping. Oh well, guess I could always return the things I bought and exchange them for that new serving set I've been wanting to buy for Christmas dinner. Oh, alright already. Buy Nothing Day was apparently created by some environmentally conscious activists in the U.S. to remind consumers about excessive consumption and unnecessary spending. The idea being that the raw materials and production methods used to manufacture goods have harmful side effects like toxic waste, wildlife destruction and wasted energy. Which makes them just a little bit more credible than the activists who recently vandalised shops in Montreal for putting Christmas decorations up too early. Technically, Buy Nothing Day reflects a noble cause. Activists hand out flyers with information on consumer awareness, and in Korea, they'll be pushing empty shopping carts around to drive home the message that shopping can kill the earth. But not shopping can also kill some Singaporeans, notably me. Resolving not to buy anything for one day is like reading health tips on how to avoid overdosing on holiday treats, and ending up carting home containers of log cake after the office Christmas party. In other words - sorry, can't be done. Buy Nothing Day may be observed by over 40 countries but I'm not sure that something like that will fly here. But it's not to say that we've never practiced Buy Nothing Days in our own way. We have, but under a different name - Regional Financial Crisis. Yes, we should be more circumspect in our expenditure, and essentially, our consumption-driven lifestyle. We should also eat more healthily, exercise more, use our cars less, and use our handphones with courtesy. Which means - easier said than done. For example, it is one thing to give out gift exemption vouchers - where you and your friends agree not to give each other Christmas presents. But considering that you don't give away presents at any other time of the year, to continue to do that during Christmas has the same effect as getting a plain letter from some company saying that they are not sending out Christmas cards but donating the money saved to charity instead. Good for the charity, sure, but it's still one less card to brighten up your workspace. And have you ever tried giving a child a card that says he's not getting a present but instead a donation in his name to some well-deserving charity? If he is as happy as he would be if you'd given him his very own Playstation 2, he's either a potential Oscar-winner or the next Dalai Lama. Selfish? Oh yes. Self-serving? Aren't we all? Buying stuff, shallow as it may seem, does bring a certain amount of happiness, not only to ourselves, but to others. It's true, not everybody enjoys buying stuff, but come to think of it - I wouldn't be surprised if the inventors of Buy Nothing Day are just people who hate shopping and want others to stop so that they won't be made to feel like scrooges themselves. Guess what? The people behind Buy Nothing Day are - men. - end -