HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1978-02-02, Page 4Page 4 Citizens News, January 26, 1978
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7.
Compromise
One of the major consumer groups
that came into existence in this country
was Pollution Probe, an organization
whose primary interest is the preser-
vation of the environment.
Consumer groups that have a sense
of humour are usually hard to find but
Probe is one organization that takes
refreshingly an irreverent view
towards corporate environmental
blunders.
A few weeks ago, Pollution Probe
proclaimed three more
"Disposamaniac Award" winners in its
campaign against wasteful over -
packaging. In order to protest the
energy, materials and dollars wasted
in the "prize winning" packages, the
environmental group delivered inscrib-
ed boomerangs to the corporate exec-
tives. These boomerangs symbolize the
mass action Probe started last fall in
asking consumers to send packages
back to company presidents to promote
a conserver society.
J.S.' Dewar, president of Union Car-
bide of Canada was the first prize
winner for his company's retail sales of
batteries in approximately 13,750,000
blister packages. It was estimated that
104 tons of garbage was created from
the sale of these blister packages and
that the energy used in the production
of these packages could keep over 4300
60 watt light bulbs burning constantly
for one year.
Mr. R.O. Goldman, president of the
Clairol division of Bristol-Myers
Canada Limited was first runner-up for
the product "Tickle", a deodorant in
which the bottle is covered by a
removable plastic sleeve. 27 tons of
polystyrene was used in the production
of the sleeve, all of which will end up in
the garbage can at one time or the
other.
One is constantly bombarded with
Loblaws' president David Nicholl
maintaining how his company will
strive to keep your grocery bill low.
While this may be true, Nicholl doesn't
bother telling us about the use of a
clear plastic wrapping to "protect"
coconuts during shipping. As Probe
spokesman JoAnn Opperman stated
"its absurd to package a produce item
with a built-in package that travels
thousands of miles bare, then gets
strangled with pvc film by the
retailer." In this case only about one
ton of garbage would be created but its
the stupidity of this action which is so
repulsive.
It is obvious that in these times of
energy shortages that conservation
practises make good sense but it also
must be remembered that this is a time
of econimic troubles and that any
sudden urge to recyclable or reusable
containers could cause massive layoffs
in the container industry.
If there is one thing that this coun-
try does not need it is more workers un-
employed. Consumer habits are hard to
change and in this case this country
could be thankful for this resistance to
change.
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FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS
Published Each Wedne;ay By J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd.
Member:
Canadian. Weekly Newspapers Association
Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association
News Editor - Tom Creech
Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385
Subscription Rates: $7.00 per year in advance in Canada
$18.00 per year outside Canada Single copies 20a
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Rumblings
By
TOM CREECH
A trip
The house was quiet, a north-westerly wind caress-
ed the branches of the maple tree and my alarm clock
burst into action at 4:45 a.m.
My immediate reaction was to turn the stupid thing
off, but realizing that 15 more minutes of rest could
turn into two hours, I somewhat reluctantly removed
my body from the warm confines of bed and began the
task of preparing myself for the ski -slopes of
Talisman which lies six hours in the distance.
After the regular morning duties and a trip upstairs
to pick up the goggles, a half asleep voice from my
mother's bedroom said "is it raining out?" Without
fully realizing the consequences of my statement, I
answered "no."
Upon reaching Dashwood Industries, it became ap-
parent that the answer was not "holding water."
When the Rabbit began to assume characteristics that
fish are famous for, on Wharncliffe Road in London,
images of two fools skiing on grass and mud came to
mind.
The apartment building was reached with a massive
pool of water on the main floor indicating what was
happening on the outside.
As the Rabbit, the author and one David Hicks head-
ed north, hopes for some decent skiing were increased
as the rain stopped and a light snow began.
For once we were hoping, pleading, that the trip up
to the Collingwood area would be uneventful, but
shortly after passing through Clinton, this hope went
out the window.
Just as Mr. Hicks was drifting off into slumberland
outside of Clinton, this writer thought one of .two
things: either he was going somewhat "whammy"
from a lack of sleep or that a hydro wire on the right-
hand side of road was awfully close and low to the
highway.
"What in blazes is going on?" the writer said to no
one in particular.
Soon the wire was beneath us, lout it was also true
that the thing was still connected to the next post,
therefore meaning that if we continued on our present
course, a view of this section of Huron county from 10
feet in the air might become a reality.
Cranking the Rabbit to the left, a fully awake author
and passenger continued their north-easterly sojourn.
Beaver Valley appeared on the horizon two hours
later with few skiers on the hills. Entering the parking
lot at Talisman, the reasons for this unusual event
were evident; high winds had forced the shut -down of
all the chair -lifts. The only lift operating was the "T -
bar" a device used to transport skiers up to the top of
the beginner's hill.
After using this conveyance for one hour, it too was
forced to shut down due to a malfunction caused by the
winds.
After an hour and half wait, we said, "to heck with
it" and went to the main office to secure a refund.
Upon our arrival, we overheard a member of, the
resort staff say to one of the customers "Well good
bye or maybe that should be good -luck."
On our way back, a Toronto radio station indicated
that Toronto was in a real mess as gale force winds
and snow ground the city to a halt.
"If Toronto starts crying about the weather, it must
mean that some typical winter weather has hit our
part of the country," this writer thought to himself.
You could say that I was wrong.
The approach to Clinton was getting to be "fun" as
six inch drifts littered the highway.
Kippen was in its typical disastrous state with its
high banks and one and half lanes but the front wheel
drive of the Rabbit kept us going.
Hensall was no better than Kippen with at least
eight inches of snow on the road surface.
Between Exeter and Hensall, we counted four cars
in the ditch as Rob Pryde attended to •the family auto
and a wrecker attempted to pull two other cars out of
the snow.
As the visibility worsened, Exeter was reached with
accompanying sighs of relief and thoughts of where
are we going to park the auto.
After getting stuck twice on the back streets, a
successful entrance into the Creech driveway was
finally made.
So ends the heart-warming saga of two fearless
souls who braved the elements incurred in 250 miles of
driving for one hours skiing. (The author is presently
in the midst of negotiations for the movie rights to this
epic.)
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