Mike DeWolfe : The Daily Edition

We've all accomplished a great feat. We've made shopping bags as popular as swastikas. Why? Because of our love-hate with oil, we use it all the time and spout vitriol at anyone else who uses it. You've given up bags. Keep the momentum going and give up these other petroleum products: Chewing gum Hair dye Asphalt Crayons (the main ingredient is paraffin wax, a petroleum product also used in most candles) Candles (see above) The wax layer of the packaging your frozen food comes in. (And, of course, the fertilizers that farmers used to grow much of that food.) Ink Panty hose Heart Valves Pillows Aspirin Ammonia Toothpaste Toothbrushes Guitar strings Shoe polish Tape Rubbing Alcohol Vitamin capsules (think you're healthy when you're dosing yourself with a little bit of petroleum every day?) Solvents Caulking Insecticides Deodorant Ask your eco-conscious grocery store when they're going to stop selling the above items.

I hit the grocery store this afternoon. Many of the aisles had cooler chests: pop, deli meats, fresh pasta. The dairy cases are open but keep the milk a fraction above freezing. The meat packages are laid out in a flat open top case. Up front at the checkout, cashiers are asking "do you want a bag?" in the hopes that you will not take a plastic bag-- but carry out your arm-load of food; or use one the environmentally dubious re-useable bags. If we're worrying about the planet and demonizing plastic bags, why are we leaving the refrigerators open 24x7? Glass doors could keep the cold in, reduce power consumption and people can still see the milk. So I have to ask why in this environmentally spastic society: why are we not asking why grocers have door-less fridges for the purpose of marketing?