Author: Suzanne Elston

Now that spring is finally here, it’s easy to forget the long,
cold winter that we’ve only recently survived. Great Lakes Radio
Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says maybe we should
hang onto those chilling thoughts just a little while longer:

The barricades are going up and the police are being called
out as the Canadian government prepares for a major gathering of
world leaders later this month in Quebec. Heads of state from 34
countries are attending the Summit of the Americas. While there,
they hope to negotiate a free trade agreement that could effectively
expand NAFTA to cover the rest of the western hemisphere. The
police and barriers will be used to keep protesters far away from all
the
activity. But representatives of major international companies will be
able to walk right in – that is, if they have paid the right admission
price.
Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston wonders
exactly whose interests are being protected:

President George Bush recently broke a campaign pledge when
he announced that his administration would not regulate carbon dioxide
emissions – the primary cause of global warming. In response, a
bipartisan group of congressmen has introduced The Clean Power Act
of 2001. If passed, this legislation will dramatically cut carbon
dioxide and three other emissions from U.S. power plants. Great Lakes
Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says that although this
new legislation sends a clear message to President Bush, she doubts
if he’s even listening:

For more than a decade the city of Toronto has been searching for a suitable
long-term location for its garbage. Now, Canada’s largest city, has decided
that rather than finding places to bury its garbage, it will simply stop
producing trash. Toronto’s government has declared it will become a zero
waste city by the year 2010. Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator
Suzanne Elston says that for a city with Toronto’s reputation, reaching a
zero waste goal would be nothing short of a miracle:

The production of toxic waste has been an unwanted by-product ofthe Industrial Revolution. In the Great Lakes region, a number offacilities have become disposal sites for this waste. One such proposedfacility, in Romulus, Michigan, and the method of disposalthey want to use, has attracted the attention of local environmentalistswho say that it is neither needed nor wanted. Great Lakes RadioConsortium commentator Suzanne Elston says nobody’slistening to their voices of discontent:

Transcript

The production of toxic waste has been an unwanted by-product of the
Industrial Revolution. In the Great Lakes Region, a number of
facilities have become disposal sites for this waste. One such
proposed facility, in Romulus, Michigan, and the method of disposal
they want to use, has attracted the attention of local
environmentalists who say that it is neither needed nor wanted. Great
Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says nobody’s
listening to their voices of discontent.

The disposal method is called deep well injection. Dig a well, 4,000
feet below the surface, far below any aquifers, and fill it hazardous
waste. It seems like a simple way to get rid of a whole bunch of
stuff that nobody wants. The problem is that similar facilities in
other parts of the country have had problems – big problems. So many
folks in Romulus have decided that they don’t want this kind of
facility opening up in their community.

In light of this very vocal opposition, I was surprised to hear that
the facility was going to go ahead anyway. So I called the press
secretary for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. He
said that I hadn’t heard wrong. The DEQ had already given its draft
approval. Barring any meaningful objections, the plan would go ahead.

But he and his department seem to be missing something here. There
have been meaningful objections, and not just from the residents.
Some state officials aren’t too happy either. Last year, the State
Review Board cited a whole pile of reasons that the facility
shouldn’t be approved. Apparently the well would be located just
1,500 feet from Detroit Metropolitan airport, and only 15 feet from
interstate 94 – one the busiest highways in Michigan. The site is
expected to receive 400,000 gallons of chemicals and hazardous waste
every day that will be trucked off I-94 and driven through the second
busiest intersection in Wayne County. Those concerns didn’t stop the
Department of Environmental Quality.

The official that I spoke to said that they had already made their
decision to approve the well, but to follow the law, they had to go
ahead with public hearings. I was told quite frankly that this is not
an issue of public opinion. If an application meets all the statutory
and technical requirements, then it will be allowed. The policy is
the applicant has rights, too and that an angry public doesn’t matter.

The people who are fighting the dump have a very different take on
things. The problem, they will tell you, isn’t when everything goes
according to the state-approved diagrams. It’s when some goes wrong –
like it did in Winona, Texas. People there have been getting sick and
dying for years. Some of them are convinced that their health
problems can be blamed on an injection well facility very similar to
the one proposed for Romulus. They don’t think that it’s worth the
risk to build another facility like the one in Winona. So despite
their pain and suffering, they’ve been trying to help the people of
Romulus stop the Michigan facility from being built.

While it’s unlikely that the state will withdraw its approval at this
point, the good people of Romulus have one last hope. The federal EPA
still has to approve the application to inject. But activists say
that the EPA was one the company’s biggest customers in Winona.
Apparently the EPA was using the facility to dispose of toxic waste
from other government agencies. The activists say it’s unlikely that
the EPA won’t approve the Romulus site.

The irony of all this is that the site isn’t even needed. Activists
say existing hazardous waste sites in Michigan are only operating at
about 25 percent of their capacity. They’re concerned that in order
to make up the difference, Michigan will be importing toxic waste
from Canada and other parts of the United States. Why the state would
go ahead and approve it anyway makes no sense whatsoever. But this
apparently isn’t about common sense. Nor is it about the will of the
people, or the democratic process. It’s about greed. Plain and simple.

Hybrid gas vehicles like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight nowprovide car buyers with an environmentally responsible alternative. Theseunique gas-electric hybrids couple the benefits of an electric motorwith the freedom of a gas engine. They don’t have to be plugged inand they run on regular gasoline. Despite the benefits, Great LakesRadio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says she’s isn’t readyto buy quite yet:

Transcript

Hybrid gas vehicles like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight now
provide car buyers an environmentally responsible alternative. These
unique gas-electric hybrids couple the benefits of an electric motor
with the freedom of a gas engine. They don’t have to be plugged in
and they run on regular gasoline. Despite the benefits, Great Lakes
Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says, she’s isn’t ready
to buy quite yet.

I want to buy a car. Not just any car – but an environmentally
responsible vehicle – one that preferably runs on nothing but good
will and sunshine. It also has to be big enough to sit two large
teenage boys, a seven-year old girl, 15 Barbie dolls, my husband –
from time to time – and a dog. A large dog.

My old station wagon should’ve been replaced years ago, but there
wasn’t anything out there that I wanted to replace it with. Sure,
there were minivans, but after test driving General Motors
experimental EV1 electric car a few years ago, everything else seemed
environmentally obsolete. The EV1 was perfect. It ran on nothing but
electricity and looked and handled like a sports car. It even had a
great stereo. Unfortunately, it only had two seats. And even if I
could have traded my kids in on one, it was only available in
California. Figures.

So ever since that first taste of automotive nirvana, I’ve been
waiting for something to help resolve my ecological conscience. When
Toyota and Honda announced their hybrid gas vehicles late last year,
I was cautiously optimistic. Both vehicles are combination gas and
electric, although their designs are very different. After subsidies,
they both sell for around twenty thousand dollars. I figure that’s a
reasonable price to pay to resolve a little environmental guilt.

The Honda Insight is the most fuel efficient of the two. It’s rated
at 68 miles to the gallon on the highway. Not exactly a zero
emissions vehicle, but a great start. Unfortunately, it’s only a
two-seater. Toyota’s Prius gets about 15 miles less to the gallon,
but it is a family sedan and it does have five seats. And while the
front ones are roomy enough, the back seats would hardly provide a
comfortable place for my two teenage boys. Their large gangly limbs
extend into the front seat and beyond when they so much as sneeze. I
could probably squeeze them into the back seat of the Prius for short
trips to the mall, but that doesn’t resolve the dog problem. Our
pup’s such an autohound that she lies down in front of my car in the
driveway so we can’t leave home without her.

I thought about trading one of the boys in on a Prius. I figured that
this would solve the problem of space and financing in one fell
swoop. But apparently teenage boys consume even more fuel than my old
station wagon. The dealer said no way.

Now some people would say that having a large dog and three kids
isn’t the most environmentally responsible thing to do in the first
place. And there are days when I agree. But I’m stuck with them for
now, so in the end it looks like we’re going to have to buy a van –
the most fuel efficient floating living room type-van you can buy.

At least the dog will be happy, and next time, I promise, I’ll buy a
Chihuahua.

After almost a decade of negotiations, the international communitystill hasn’t reached an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says it’s timewe looked someplace else for leadership:

Transcript

After almost a decade of negotiations, the international community
still hasn’t reached an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says it’s
time we looked someplace else for leadership.

Let’s face it – if talking could solve the global warming problem, it
would have been taken care of a long time ago.

There is scientific consensus that human activity is altering the
planet’s climate. Nine years ago, world officials meeting at the
Earth Summit in Rio began to try and do something about it. So they
talked without much success. So four years later, in Kyoto Japan,
they talked some more, and came up with something called the Kyoto
protocol. This agreement requires developed nations to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions – the primary cause of climate change. A
few countries have ratified the protocol, but the U.S. and Canada
have not. So everybody’s decided to do some more talking.

In November 7,000 representatives from 182 countries gathered in The
Hague to talk about greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a lot of hot air
and a lot of jet fuel. But after two weeks of debate they failed to
reach an agreement. A subsequent meeting in Ottawa was also a
failure. So now the pressure’s on the next international meeting
scheduled for October in Marrakesh. But President George Bush doesn’t
support the Kyoto protocol, so this meeting may be doomed to fail
before it starts.

While the leaders of the world are racking up air miles flogging a
toothless international treaty, corporations are beginning to view
climate change as a business opportunity. Increasing energy prices
are forcing companies to look at ways to cut consumption. And new
energy technologies are promising to open up business markets for
innovative companies.

What’s interesting about all this is that the companies traditionally
viewed as the bad guys of climate change are the ones making some
small steps in the right direction. Car giants Toyota and Honda have
invested heavily in producing hybrid cars that will significantly
reduce greenhouse gas emissions – if enough consumers buy them. And
at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the
president of Toyota Motor Corporation said that the auto industry
must limit the car’s impact on the earth. Impressive talk from the
head of the world’s third largest car manufacturer.

Oil companies are starting to get the message, too. BP has become the
world’s largest manufacturer of solar electric panels and systems.
Suncor, another major oil company, has invested $ 100 million in
renewable energy technologies. Other business giants like IBM,
Johnson & Johnson and DuPont have all pledged to voluntarily reduce
their greenhouse gas emissions.

Granted these are small steps – but even these small steps represent
a lot more than our collective governments are doing. They’re
continuing to bicker over last century’s failures, while the
corporate world is beginning – ever so slowly – to get the message.

Americans recycle about 30 percent of their household waste. Despite this, the amount of trash going to the dump increases every year. Butthanks to a new way of looking at manufacturing goods, Great LakesRadio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says that garbage dumpsmay soon become a dying industry:

Transcript

Americans recycle about 30% of their household waste. Despite this,
the amount of trash going to the dump increases every year. But
thanks to a new way of looking at manufacturing goods, Great Lakes
Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says that garbage dumps
may soon become a dying industry.

It’s called Zero Waste and it’s gaining momentum around the world.
Countries such as the United States, England, Australia and even
Brazil are embracing it. And now Earth Day Canada has launched its
own Zero Waste program called Target Zero.

The idea behind Zero Waste is simple. Right now, garbage is designed
into our production cycle. A certain amount of waste is expected. But
Zero Waste advocates will tell you that what we need is a new design
principle – a system that’s geared towards eliminating waste – not
managing it once it’s been created.

It may sound impossible, but it can be done. To begin with, we have
to start thinking of garbage not as waste but as a valuable resource.
Interface Flooring for example, recycles old carpet fibers into new
ones. This cuts down on waste. And since the old carpet provides
feeder material for the company’s plants, it also reduces the amount
of virgin resources needed to make new carpets. In the process, its
Canadian operation has cut energy consumption by 70% and reduced the
amount of garbage it sends to the dump by 90%. In total, these and
other environmental initiatives have saved the company $ 90 million
worldwide.

Xerox is another company that has embraced the zero waste philosophy.
Since the company adopted its Waste-Free Factory policy, solid waste
recycling rates at Xerox factories have reached 87% worldwide. Last
year alone improvements in product design saved 387 million kilowatt
hours of electricity. That’s enough to light 290,000 homes for a year.

But this kind of product innovation isn’t just good for the customer
or the landfill. In 1999, Xerox pocketed $ 47 million in reduction,
reuse and recycling savings.

In Ontario, provincially owned Beer Stores have a closed-loop system
based on refillable bottles. The system recovers and reuses 98% of
its bottles and prevents a half-a-million tons of garbage from
reaching the dumps in the process. Once again, it all comes back
round to design. The Beer Store system was designed to eliminate
garbage.

Another corporate Zero hero is Husky Injection Molding Systems. In
1999, Husky diverted more than 5,000 tons of material from the
landfill. This saved the company more than $ 350,000 in disposal
costs. This year, Husky diverted 95% of all the waste material that
it generated.

This kind of closed loop is what the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle
– are supposed to be about. It preserves precious resources and
energy while dramatically reducing the need for garbage dumps. It
encourages economic development and creates employment.

About the only thing I can see wrong with the whole idea of Zero
Waste is that everybody isn’t doing it.

The season of frenzied buying has begun. Retailers will ring in thebulk of their annual sales during the next few weeks from shopperswanting to purchase that perfect gift. But Great Lakes Radio Consortiumcommentator Suzanne Elston says sometimes the perfect gift is no gift atall:

Transcript

The season of frenzied buying has begun. Retailers will ring in the bulk of their annual sales during the next few weeks from shoppers wanting to purchase that perfect gift. But Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says sometimes the perfect gift is no gift at all.

As a self-confessed Christmas junkie, I want the holidays to be perfect. Especially for my kids. When the boys were little we did everything to preserve the magical myth of Santa Claus. Right after Labor Day, we’d start wondering out loud what the boys wanted Santa to bring them that year. This strategy worked pretty well until the year our son Peter turned five.

Try as we might, he simply wouldn’t tell us. Peter’s always believed absolutely in the magic of things. We assumed he’d figured that if Santa knew if he’d been bad or good, then knowing what he wanted was a cinch. With only ten days to go before Christmas, the store shelves were looking pretty bare. I was getting desperate, so I finally had to tell him the facts. Santa couldn’t read his mind. He was just going to have to write his list that very afternoon.

It was clear that the news was not received well. I left him alone in his room to think about it for a little while and told him I’d be back with pen and paper in hand. He’d better be ready.

When I returned a few minutes later, I could hear his little voice out in the hall. He was singing. “I hope Christmas doesn’t get here, I hope Christmas doesn’t get here.” When I opened his door he was sitting on his bed, looking around his room in complete dismay and crying his heart out.

When I asked him what on earth could be wrong he said he didn’t need any more toys. He didn’t have time to play with the toys that he had.

I couldn’t believe it. In trying to give our children so much, we had failed to see that they already had more than they could possibly want. I held him on my knee and gently rocked him until he stopped crying. And then I asked Peter if he’d like to pack up some of his old toys and donate them to the local homeless shelter. He thought about it for a while, and then he told me that he finally knew what he wanted to say to Santa.

He wrote,” Please don’t bring me any toys for Christmas. I have lots of toys. Please give my toys to the poor kids. Have a Merry Christmas. Your friend, Peter.”

Honoring his request was one of the hardest things my husband and I have ever done. Peter’s older brother had already ordered half the Sears catalogue. We were concerned what would happen Christmas morning. But we had faith that our son knew what was best for him. We did get him a few things: some art supplies and stuff, nothing that could be classified as a toy, and he was perfectly happy Christmas
morning.

I got some special gifts that year too. I learned to not only trust what’s in my heart, but in my children’s hearts as well. I also realized that I already had more than anyone could possibly want. It was a great Christmas.

While international debate continues on how to limit the release ofgreenhouse gases, global warming is becoming a reality in the HighArctic. A new report by the International Institute for SustainableDevelopment is perhaps the first to document the observations of nativepeoples living in the region. Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentatorSuzanne Elston says that the evidence is a frightening taste of thingsto come:

Transcript

While international debate continues on how to limit the release of
greenhouse gases, global warming is becoming a reality in the High
Arctic. A new report by the International Institute for Sustainable
Development is perhaps the first to document the observations of
native peoples living in the region. Great Lakes Radio Consortium
commentator Suzanne Elston says that the evidence is a frightening
taste of things to come.

I was sorting out some family papers not too long ago when I came
across a very old magazine. It was a 1959 edition of the Illustrated
London News and in it was an advertisement for Shell Oil. The ad
pictured an Inuit woman, with a small child snuggled behind her in
the hood of her traditional native parka. They both appeared to be
warming their hands on something. The ad was to promote the many uses
of kerosene and the caption read, “The North Pole is getting warmer.”

I don’t think anyone could have imagined just how prophetic that
advertisement would turn out to be. The widespread use of fossil
fuels has brought warmth to the north – but in ways that no one could
have predicted.

And now this new study paints a disturbing picture of how seriously
climate change is affecting the Arctic. This study documents native
knowledge about changes to the northern environment. And after
spending a year with the Inuit people of Sachs Harbour, in Canada’s
Northwest Territories, scientists report dramatic changes.

For the first time in their oral history, the Inuit people are seeing
thunder and lightning. Species of birds like robins and barn swallows
have been observed and strange new insects are becoming part of the
landscape.

But these observations are just warning signs of more severe changes.
Changes that are threatening the very existence of a culture that has
spanned thousands of years. Thinner ice has made it dangerous for
native hunters to pursue polar bears and seals. Warmer temperatures
are making it difficult for polar bears to hunt as well. Seals used
to bask on ice floes in the harbour, but in recent years those floes
no longer appear. In one case, an entire lake disappeared when its
frozen shores gave way. As a result, all of the fish that lived in
the lake were killed when it drained into the ocean.

Even the permafrost is starting to melt. As the land thaws and
shifts, roads are being destroyed and buildings are tilting off their
foundations. What’s frightening is that these changes are just the
beginning. If the polar ice caps melt – as some scientists are
predicting – then the entire Inuit way of life will be wiped out.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles to the south, our governments still
aren’t able to confront the issue of climate change. The plight of
the Inuit is so distant that it’s hard for any of us to imagine these
kinds of dramatic changes here in the Great Lakes Basin. But change
is definitely happening. Given the failure of our leaders to move on
this critical issue, it would be better if we found ourselves in a
similar plight to the Inuit. Maybe then our leaders would find the
will to act.

Related Links

• </a>To learn more about Inuit observations of climate change, visit <a href=’http://www.iisd.org’>www.iisd.org</a>