Suburbanites Notice Their Footprint

An article in the New York Times suggests that suburbanites and their townships are beginning to notice the disproportional impact they’re living is having on the environment and the changes they’re making.

The problem with suburbs, many environmentalists say, is not an issue of light bulbs. In the end, the very things that make suburban life attractive — the lush lawns, spacious houses and three-car garages — also disproportionally contribute to global warming. Suburban life, these environmentalists argue, is simply not sustainable.

Aileen Eilert, an accountant who in lives Lisle, Ill., about 30 miles west of Chicago, recently bought a 70-foot wind turbine to install in her family’s backyard… Alexander Lee, the 33-year-old founder of Project Laundry List, which tries to revive the use of clotheslines to save energy… Children in many schools are also being encouraged to walk or bike to school through the federal program Safe Routes to School, which has helped build bike paths, train crossing guards, and improve roadway safety in towns and suburbs around the country.

…Despite the efforts of individuals and whole communities to reduce the carbon cost of suburban life, the broad trends in American life have been moving in the opposite direction for decades. The average single-family home nearly doubled in size from 1970 to 2005, to 2,434 square feet. Americans commuting to work by car travel farther as suburbs sprawl (an average 12.1 miles in 2001, up from 8.9 miles in 1983), in vehicles whose average fuel efficiency has improved little.

The article also says that over 750 local governments in the US have pledged to meet the Kyoto standards for carbon emissions by 2012.

NY Times: Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You