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Mandate environment protection

The Editor, Re: Do away with blue boxes? Letters, Jan. 13. Mr. Hoeglers choice words reveal the inadequacy of how we as a society are dealing with environmental issues.

The Editor,

Re: Do away with blue boxes? Letters, Jan. 13.

Mr. Hoeglers choice words reveal the inadequacy of how we as a society are dealing with environmental issues.

By financially punishing our local successes in reducing landfill waste, Metro Vancouver, through raising fees to cover reduced waste revenue, is absolutely failing us. Similarly, by increasing hydro rates for users of electricity, the cleanest energy source we have, that agency is also failing us.

It is long past time when we need to start treating environment protection as an infrastructure cost.

As a society, because of 200 years of wanton consumerism, every single person is duty bound to reduce stresses on our environment by all means available. Like Mr. Hoegler, I now put out less than one third of a bag of landfill waste every week down from two very full bags.

I also now diligently select and dispose of compostable matter. I have taken my vehicle off the road to reduce emissions and I have taken advantage of the Federal Energy Audit program to implement a number of household energy savings.

We all have to do this and our levels of governance need to support us. Our municipalities need to deal with procrastinators like my neighbour who tells me many Sunday evenings, while I box and manage my garbage, I dont have time for this nonsense.

Right now, as individuals, we must do everything we can to reduce waste and reduce pollution. Equally, our local levels of government need to stop being timid and need to push and push to achieve 80 per cent landfill waste reduction. Our school system needs waste management to be taught and our regional bureaucracy needs urgently to reduce the major emitters.

I urge people of Metro Vancouver to not let up and become strong voices to clean up our environment and eliminate the need for another incinerator in our region, which will pump out another 300,000 tonnes of airborne pollution.

John McCrossan

Richmond