April 6, 2007 Chautauqua

From the Editor's Computer

Did you hear...a community in Manitoba wants to do away with the plastic grocery bag. San Francisco apparently already has a bylaw in effect regarding the usage of plastic grocery bags. The city is issuing cloth/canvas bags to residents for their shopping needs.

I find it interesting how we seem to “go back in time” every so many years or decades. The disposable plastic grocery bag was once a marvel and a wonder, freeing people from the need to carry around their own cloth bags. Now the plastic grocery bag is something to be shunned in favour of the environmentally friendly alternative - cloth bags.

The same thing happened with flooring not that long ago. For years and years people had wood floors. The really lucky ones may have had a throw rug or two for warmth. Then wall-to-wall carpet came in and everyone jumped on the bandwagon. Carpet was warmer, allowed for greater creative expression and made a home more welcoming. Then we heard that carpet had harmful chemicals, trapped diseases and allergens, and was one of the reasons for so much sickness. Next thing you know everyone is going for wood or laminate flooring. Yes, we’ve come full circle yet again.

Everyone of us has the opportunity and the responsibility for making wiser, healthier choices in our lives that have the best (or least) impact on the environment in which we live. What are you doing today to make the world a better place?

Beth

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