Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Oppurtunity Cost of Convenience

Often the concept of convenience comes with a huge opportunity cost of waste. Whether the product is individually wrapped in extra non-biodegradable materials or the service is advantageous to a busy schedule only. There are little out of sight - out of mind features that add up negatively in most cases.

Often these products and services cannot be avoided in our culture, but there are ways to help eliminate additional unnecessary convenience waste. For instance, here in the States you can hardly turn around without seeing a Drive-Thru restaurant or business. By simply parking your vehicle, turning off the engine, getting out and walking inside saves several minutes of wasted carbon emissions.

People are catching on though; many communities are banning Drive-Thru businesses for due to carbon emissions and aesthetic reasons. Do not wait for your community to create a regulation, be aware and make a choice for yourself.

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