Recycling some materials like plastics may serve to perpetuate industries that consume enormous amounts of petrochemicals.J.P. MOCZULSKI
Organic materials are best
Natural materials such as organic cotton, bamboo and hemp seem to be obvious alternatives to synthetic fabrics rich in chemicals, but not all of them have a small carbon footprint. Timberland, the environmentally minded footwear giant, tallied up the total carbon expended in the production of many of its models of shoes, with surprising results: plastic flip-flops ranked lowest, with hiking boots at the other end of the spectrum. The reason: The leather in the boots comes from cattle farms, which are massively energy-intensive.
Drive a bio-fuel car
It's a message that has been drilled into us: Gasoline is bad for the planet because extracting fossil fuels from the ground leads to carbon emissions. Enter the ethanol industry, which makes fuel substitutes from corn. Next year, all gas sold in Canada will contain 5 per cent ethanol; in the U.S., the figure is 10 per cent.
But biofuels can impose a steep environmental toll, notes Dominic Muren, author of Green's Not Black & White . Mr. Muren cites studies showing that corn ethanol production consumes 29 per cent more energy than it yields. Meanwhile, European drivers consume biodiesel made from palm and soy that was grown on land that used to be rain forest. The forests were burned, a destructive process that led to extensive carbon releases and habitat loss.
Better yet, buy a Prius
Hybrids do use less gas, and thus have lower lifetime emissions, than conventional cars. One assessment estimated that a Toyota Prius gives off about 44 tons of carbon dioxide over a typical lifespan, compared with 63 tons for the Toyota Corolla.
But if you want to invest in green technology cost-effectively, the hybrid may not be worth its premium price tag. For drivers who don't use their car a lot, there are better options: car sharing or buying a compact fuel-efficient vehicle with a lower price and investing the difference in home energy retrofits, such as a high-efficiency furnace.
Eat locally grown food
Many foodies now stress that it's far better for the environment to consume seasonal fruits and vegetables that don't have to be shipped enormous distances, with all the attendant combustion of jet and fuel.
But while local food minimizes the transportation energy embedded in what we eat, local food isn't necessarily light on the environment unless it is organic. Vegetables grown in industrial hydroponic greenhouses built near major urban centres require significant energy inputs.
A Japanese life-cycle analysis found the cultivation of greenhouse peppers to be eight to 10 times higher in enviromental impact than conventionally farmed produce.
Recycle, recycle, recycle
From an energy standpoint, it makes good sense to recycle newsprint, aluminum and building products. But recycling other materials, such as plastics, may serve to perpetuate industries that consume enormous amounts of petrochemicals. "Even if you are recycling, it doesn't absolve you," Mr. Muren says. "You need to think about reducing."
Recycling plastic only delays the consumption of more fossil fuel. And polyethylene used for pop bottles must be made with no more than 50 per cent post-consumer plastic. Want a healthier, greener alternative to the fizzy water sold in plastic bottles? Try making your own using old-fashioned seltzer siphons with steel carbon-dioxide cartridges and, of course, tap water.