Once, being politically correct about the environment was simple. Newspapers were recycled, plastic bags were verboten, and no one in his right mind used Styrofoam cups. But knowledge and experience bring complexity. The good, the bad, and the ugly are not as obvious as the villains in a Clint Eastwood movie.
The Good: Spray cans and Styrofoam cups no longer contain ozone-damaging chlorofluorocarbons. Microwave ovens use a third as much energy as a conventional oven. But heating, air conditioning, and home appliances are responsible for 31 percent of greenhouse gases.
The Bad: Building a new house on undeveloped land fragments ecosystems. Already home construction accounts for a quarter of wildlife and ecosystem threats created by land use. Cotton clothes, despite their environmentally friendly image, aren't much better than polyester. Cotton-crops are sprayed with pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and herbicides, while synthetics come from petroleum.
The Ugly: A typical modern speedboat about ...
