Some green myths debunked (1)
Reality check
I leafed through my friend's copy of Fortune magazine when I was bored, and found it rather boring since I am not very much into business and finance. The Green section of the magazine however caught my attention. In an article a few months back, it debunks 25 green myths that people often have. I feature the myths that would be particularly applicable in the local context, splitting up this feature into several parts over several days. I have to deliver content that can sustain this place for days, now that I write most for Erpz.net given how busy Kevin has been.
Myth 1: Bottled water is safer than tap water
Reality: Tap water is subject to stricter government standards
(In the case of Singapore, the standards for tap water are especially high, so I have no qualms about drinking straight from the tap if I cannot find a water cooler)
Myth 2: Buying local food is better for the environment
Reality: It depends on how your food was produced and delivered
(It's not just about distance traveled, it is also about amount of energy needed in general to produce the food)
Myth 3: Organic foods are produced without pesticides
Reality: Organic guidelines need to be tightened up
(There is so far no set guideline to determine what constitutes organic, so consume with discretion)
Myth 4: Cars are one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases
Reality: Yes, but those hamburgers you gobble down are actually much worse
(Meat contributes 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 13% for vehicles. Time to cut down on your meat intake? Go vegetarian, as Supreme Master TV would like you to do to save the planet)
Myth 9: Paper grocery bags are better than plastic ones
Reality: Plastics, young man, plastics
(Paper bags require more energy to produce, and usually do not last as long as plastic. But it is precisely because plastics dont degrade which makes plastic bags a hazard, so... use cloth bags!)
Myth 11: I'll save energy if I keep my appliances turned off
Reality: Yes, but not as much as you think
(If you keep them plugged in, they will still suck energy)
Myth 13: We can meet our energy needs and global-warming targets with wind and solar power
Reality: Perhaps, but not for a very long time
(Solar is still expensive at this point in time, while wind is not very reliable. The best option is to gradually phase in alternative energy sources while phasing out the most pollutive energy sources such as coal)
I will cover more myths in another article next time. Some of these nuggets of information are encouraging, but others are a sobering reminder that we are still quite far away from a green revolution that will make our lifestyles much more environmentally-friendly.