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The choice in green leaves something to be desired Women's Post Published: January 19, 2007 ELIZABETH NICKSON The season of Peace is behind us and we can all get back to the workplace wars of late-stage capitalism. Relief or what? How much more seasonal cant from the pulpits of the elites can you stand? Well, get prepared for more. Only 37% of Canadians believe in the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, so for the next six, eight, 10 months, political hay will be made over our participation until our minds are tied up in knots. South of us, bigger war, same stats, same outrage. Post-modernists hate war, we prefer shopping and nesting, and badly wish it would all go away. It won’t. So squabble, squabble, squabble — the white noise will continue until we all buy some of those Bose silencing headphones that cost $50,000. Allow me to simplify. I think it all boils down to the astounding fact that I can’t buy a hybrid car. Or rather I can, but my choice is severely limited to three, count them, three options. I drive on dirt roads, bad ones, so an SUV in my case really is necessary. Right in the middle of the long war, which is largely fought over what we put in our gas tanks, late stage capitalism has only come up with one alternative. (Toyota just announced two more, but for the past three years? One.) Get this. Put aside global warming, of which our auto emissions cause 30%; with every gas dollar you and I spend, we are funding Islamic terrorism, and I have one choice of a car that runs on another fuel source. So much for “choice” in the marketplace. I’m building a green house this year. And when it’s finished, it will draw almost no power from the grid. Because of its materials and sourcing it will almost be LEED platinum, zero footprint. Further-more, I’m using no building materials that contain any of the ten thousand chemicals from late–stage capitalism in the paint, wood, glues, cabinets, roofing that cause cancer in adults, asthma in children, and which have triggered the alarming rise in allergies in both adults and children. And this is the kicker: it will cost the same as any similar conventional dwelling. New house construction causes 45% of all greenhouse gas emissions every single year. Not only that, because green construction uses renewable resources in materials and energy, It will very shortly cost LESS than traditional construction. Is there any acknowledgement of that fact from Ottawa? Any grants, any tax breaks, any systematic help or guidance? No, there is not. With two practical initiatives, just two, a strong directive to build green or face punishing tax consequences, and strong directive to make clean cars or else, global warming, the long war, and Islamic terrorism could be dealt a blow that would change our world within a few years, and then forever, for the very much better. See? Simple, easy, domestic solutions. Women really should run the world.

© 2006 Elizabeth Nickson The material at this website is available only for personal non-commercial purposes, and it may not be reproduced without permission.