There was an interesting post a while ago about the havoc created by compressed air cans -- you know, the ones you use to dust off your keyboard. Who knew that they were full of intensely powerful greenhouse gases?
I sure didn't, but thanks to Eric de Place, now I do -- so I make myself insufferable whenever I see someone with one, and I point out how easy it is to just turn the keyboard over and knock the crumbs out. But whenever I see a pallet of those cans sitting in Costco or one of the office stores, or in the office supply catalogs, I know being insufferable is just not enough.
So I emailed Costco when I first read the post and, to my surprise, have received no response. I forgot all about it until the latest Costco promo mag came to my house -- with "Going Green" as the cover story (the feature story is about running a green business, with plugs for Costco's environmental sensitivity).
Uh, yeah, except for the part about selling a totally unnecessary product with extraordinarily bad consequences -- using these cans is the climate equivalent of giving kids a rock of crack when they ask for candy (a small convenience). It's clear now that it's going to be all we can do to keep the climate from spinning out of control, so I'm hoping that giving up totally unnecessary products seems easy and refreshingly simple. We just need to persuade the retailers not to sell the stuff.
That's where you come in. Costco's member service number is 1-800-774-2678. The email for David W. Fuller, editor of "The Costco Connection," is dfuller@costco.com. Let them know that you want the company to do more than just write about being green -- they need to stop stocking this climate crack.
Ask Umbra on ditching dirty things
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Comments
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sindark Posted 6:56 am
27 Jun 2008
Do these sprays do the same thing? If not, why not?
a sibilant intake of breath
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Tasermons Partner Posted 7:32 am
27 Jun 2008
Now I know not to...or at least look for a product that doesn't have the same negative effects.
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Corey McKrill Posted 7:59 am
27 Jun 2008
ReAir Mini AC Compressor & Duster Combo
Why do the sustainable versions of products always sell out fast and then get discontinued? It's a conspiracy, I tell you...
Frequently asked technical questions about Grist's newsletters and website.
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guade00 Posted 1:52 am
28 Jun 2008
Still, these substances are a tiny fraction of the GHG puzzle, despite their shared immense "radiative forcing" qualities. (See IPCC reports.) Eliminate them entirely, and we still have an intractable problem. Stay focused, not every molecule of GHG has to be eliminated. We are much better off tackling the big issues of fossil fuel dependence, sprawl development models, and personal and commercial energy efficiency.
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racc Posted 3:08 am
28 Jun 2008
Get a keyboard protector. I have one and it works great. Just google "keyboard protector" and you will find tons.
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racc Posted 3:10 am
28 Jun 2008
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Wolverine Posted 4:22 am
28 Jun 2008
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JMG Posted 4:45 am
28 Jun 2008
Still, these substances are a tiny fraction of the GHG puzzle, despite their shared immense "radiative forcing" qualities. (See IPCC reports.) Eliminate them entirely, and we still have an intractable problem. Stay focused, not every molecule of GHG has to be eliminated. We are much better off tackling the big issues of fossil fuel dependence, sprawl development models, and personal and commercial energy efficiency.
I am having very hard time following this logic. People here have spent hundreds of thousands of words and countless hours talking about how to respond to the climate crisis and perhaps the one thing that everyone agrees on is that activities and products that are needlessly destructive of climate need to go --- they are the "low hanging fruit" that everyone's talking about.
EVERY activity, viewed in isolation, is small potatoes. For example, here's a link to story about doctors flying to conferences where, predictably, some idiot dismisses the concern because, hey, it's just a drop in the bucket:
http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/given_a_c ...
That's just one example of millions that could be considered. The bottom line is that with CO2e screaming up towards 400 ppm and a need to get it back down to 350 ppm, EVERY greenhouse gas emitting product and activity has to be scrutinized closely and eliminated if the climate cost is too high for the benefit.
In fact, rescuing ourselves means we're going to have to stop doing/buying lots of things we would very much prefer to keep buying/doing. In other words, this isn't necessarily going to be all easy, low-hanging fruit.
So, respectfully, suggesting that we ignore these products to focus on things like sprawl and consumption strikes me as bizarre. People are having to make difficult changes to reduce their climate footprint; products like these sprays undermine their efforts and their commitment.
We are social animals. People don't like feeling like the albino monkey in the troop. Products like this are essentially decadent --- like felling a cherry tree to pick one cherry off the top branches --- and people who are trying to do the right thing feel bruised by these products, because they think "Great, everything I've done to reduce my climate footprint just got canceled out by that pallet of spray."
You're right that every molecule of greenhouse gases have to be eliminated. But if we can't start by eliminating the stupid ones, it's difficult to see how we get at the hard ones.
The 5% Project
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JMG Posted 4:47 am
28 Jun 2008
The penultimate sentence needs a "not" (as in yes, not every molecule" ...)
The 5% Project
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Tasermons Partner Posted 4:25 am
29 Jun 2008
Get a keyboard protector. I have one and it works great. Just google "keyboard protector" and you will find tons.
Thanks! I've seen those before-don't know why that didn't occur to me.
Then again, aren't most of those plastic? Maybe I should just spend an hour and go at it with a toothpick...
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