Monthly Archives: November 2006

Thoughts on Making the Proper Disposal of Electronics Simpler for Consumers

One of the terrible things I see people doing these days is treating their electronics as disposable. They buy new computers often, just throwing the old in the trash. Same for televisions, cell phones and so forth. Recycling often isn’t on their minds and certainly isn’t all that convenient.

My mother and I had a discussion about this recently. We are much of the same mind on many environmental issues. On this topic, we agreed that the consumer level source of the problem could be a part of the solution.

Just imagine if there were a recycling surcharge on new electronics. Yes, it would raise the price, so maybe people will stop treating them as so disposable. That might just be a good thing.

If the customer brings in their old equipment for recycling, however, they could get a partial rebate. It then becomes the store’s problem to transport the old electronics for repair or recycling. Considering how empty the trucks leaving the stores after deliveries must be, it shouldn’t be all that impossible. Continue reading →

My Challenges with Going More Green

Kermit the Frog said it well. It’s not easy being green.

Not in how he meant it, of course. But trying to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle can be very challenging. And the challenges can be different for every person.

For me, one of the challenges is my father-in-law. He’s a wonderful grandfather to my kids but politically… well, I just can’t talk to him about that stuff. Not when he’s a party line Republican prone to calling Democrats traitors and other names, and sees nothing wrong with how we’re treating this planet. Environmentalists are “idiots” and worse to him.

It’s the people you just can’t argue with that make life more challenging. For my children’s sake, I don’t want to be constantly arguing with him, so I don’t get into my beliefs with him. Not that I’m a Democrat, but I’d sooner be that than a party line Republican… quite possibly any sort of Republican. I’m not really aligned with any of the political parties out there these days.

This also means my husband isn’t used to thinking of things in environmental terms. Gardening means using chemicals to him, not trying to make a compost heap. Recycling to him is a matter of indifference. But I’m working on those flaws gently. Continue reading →

Cutting Down on Junk Mail

We all loathe junk mail. It fills mailboxes with ads we don’t want and send straight to the recycle bin. It means we get credit card offers that put us just a little more at risk for identity theft. It’s just annoying.

Now, there’s only so much you can do about all the grocery store ads and so forth. Everyone gets them and there’s nothing you can really do to stop it. But some of that other junk you can get rid of.

You can ask that you not be sent those %$%**@ credit card offers. You can write to the credit bureaus and tell them not to share your information on the prescreened lists. You’ll want to contact Equifax, TransUnion, Experian and Innovis.

Equifax

Equifax Options
PO BOX 790123
Atlanta, GA 30374-0123

TransUnion

TransUnion LLC’s Name Removal Option
PO Box 97328
Jackson, MS 39288-7328 Continue reading →

Helping Young Children to Understand

Little kids are among the worst about throwing just about everything out without a thought. I can think of some adults I know who are probably worse, but that’s not the topic today.

My daughter is 4 and just lost her right to throw things out without checking with me first. Why? She’s been throwing out bowls and spoons, which certainly explains why I can’t find so many of them now. We had a talk with her about that.

Kids are just so casual about waste. My daughter wants to just throw out some “cards” she made by folding pink paper and cutting the edges. It wouldn’t bother me so much dropping them in the recycle bin if she had colored or painted them, but just folded with a few cuts along the edges… she can still reuse that so she can’t get rid of it yet.

My son is altogether too young, seeing as that he doesn’t talk yet. However, he does love to throw things away, and already understands when I tell him it goes to the recycle bin versus the trash can.

My kids have a ways to go before they’re going to be even remotely environmentally conscious. That’s okay. They’re learning and I hope to provide them with good examples and habits.

Global Warming Not a Hoax Anymore

Well, some still think so. Fortunately, the new head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee understands that global warming is not a hoax. Barbara Boxer, one of the Senators from California, is taking over that position.

I’m quite delighted, and not just because she’s my Senator. That does make it even better, of course.

It’s just so good to see a Senator who has the common sense to recognize the problems we are facing, rather than just turning around and calling it a hoax. So long, Jim Inhofe. Our environment won’t miss your policies and politics.

I know this isn’t likely to cause miraculous changes in overall environmental policies. But I’ll take every improvement I can get, just to get things moving in Washington.

I look forward to seeing how things develop. Convincing both individuals and big business that something has to be done isn’t going to be an easy job. It’s going to take a very long time, and there will no doubt always be those who are in denial. But we have to do something, to try. So very much depends on it.

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