Valentine's Bouquets -- Bad for the Environment
Moderator: Priests of Syrinx
Valentine's Bouquets -- Bad for the Environment
From the Telegraph:
By Nicole Martin
Last Updated: 1:53am GMT 10/02/2007
The Valentine's Day bouquet ? the gift that every woman in Britain will be waiting for next week ? has become the latest b?te noire among environmental campaigners.
Latest Government figures show that the flowers that make up the average bunch have flown 33,800 miles to reach Britain.
In the past three years, the amount of flowers imported from the Netherlands has fallen by 47 per cent to 94,000 tons, while those from Africa have risen 39 per cent to 17,000 tons.
Environmentalists warned that "flower miles" could have serious implications on climate change in terms of carbon dioxide emissions from aeroplanes.
Andrew Sims, the policy director of the New Economics Foundation, said: "There are plenty of flowers that grow in Britain in the winter and don't need to be hothoused.
"Air freighting flowers half way round the world contributes to global warming.
"You can argue the planes would be flying anyway but the amount of greenhouse gases pumped out depends on the weight of the cargo."
Vicky Hird, of Friends of the Earth, said: "We don't want to be killjoys because receiving flowers can be lovely but why not grow your own gift?"
The figures also revealed that imports of roses from Ethiopia have grown from zero to 130 tons a year since 2003.
Kenya is the second biggest exporter of flowers after the Netherlands, followed by Colombia and Spain.
In total, Britain imports more than ?315 million of flowers, with the typical Briton spending ?39 a year on them.
"That's very little when you think what we spend on CDs, coffee and even lipstick," said a spokesman for the Flowers and Plants Association.
He said the boom in Third World flowers would help poorer countries to build schools and boost the economy.
By Nicole Martin
Last Updated: 1:53am GMT 10/02/2007
The Valentine's Day bouquet ? the gift that every woman in Britain will be waiting for next week ? has become the latest b?te noire among environmental campaigners.
Latest Government figures show that the flowers that make up the average bunch have flown 33,800 miles to reach Britain.
In the past three years, the amount of flowers imported from the Netherlands has fallen by 47 per cent to 94,000 tons, while those from Africa have risen 39 per cent to 17,000 tons.
Environmentalists warned that "flower miles" could have serious implications on climate change in terms of carbon dioxide emissions from aeroplanes.
Andrew Sims, the policy director of the New Economics Foundation, said: "There are plenty of flowers that grow in Britain in the winter and don't need to be hothoused.
"Air freighting flowers half way round the world contributes to global warming.
"You can argue the planes would be flying anyway but the amount of greenhouse gases pumped out depends on the weight of the cargo."
Vicky Hird, of Friends of the Earth, said: "We don't want to be killjoys because receiving flowers can be lovely but why not grow your own gift?"
The figures also revealed that imports of roses from Ethiopia have grown from zero to 130 tons a year since 2003.
Kenya is the second biggest exporter of flowers after the Netherlands, followed by Colombia and Spain.
In total, Britain imports more than ?315 million of flowers, with the typical Briton spending ?39 a year on them.
"That's very little when you think what we spend on CDs, coffee and even lipstick," said a spokesman for the Flowers and Plants Association.
He said the boom in Third World flowers would help poorer countries to build schools and boost the economy.
Onward and Upward!
There are those who think the one thing that would be best for the environment is the death of all humans. For example, one group attempting to get people to cause the extinction of their kind is The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement. A quote from their homepage:
Phasing out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to breed will allow Earth's biosphere to return to good health. Crowded conditions and resource shortages will improve as we become less dense.
Phasing out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to breed will allow Earth's biosphere to return to good health. Crowded conditions and resource shortages will improve as we become less dense.
Onward and Upward!
- Kares4Rush
- Posts: 3191
- Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2003 9:31 am
- Location: New York
awip2062 wrote:There are those who think the one thing that would be best for the environment is the death of all humans. For example, one group attempting to get people to cause the extinction of their kind is The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement. A quote from their homepage:
Phasing out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to breed will allow Earth's biosphere to return to good health. Crowded conditions and resource shortages will improve as we become less dense.
I remember when I was a kid the big talk was of the "population explosion" and people where limiting their families for the good of the planet and all but that's just rediculous!!!
Freeze this moment a little bit longer...
'cuz it's not a pretty place to be. I can tell ya all about it.ElfDude wrote:Hey, Obama's a chain-smoker, why shouldn't you be?
glad I'm NOT one anymore, but not gonna grandstand about it.
it's the toughest thing I've ever had to do....
besides backyard-wrestle Sigette's brother.
He gigged me and I tapped out. I was ROBBED and I want a rematch.
Don't start none...won't be none.
- Big Blue Owl
- Posts: 7457
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:31 am
- Location: Somewhere between the darkness and the light
- Big Blue Owl
- Posts: 7457
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:31 am
- Location: Somewhere between the darkness and the light
They're even going after people smoking in their CARS now.awip2062 wrote:I'm with ya! Smokers are second-class citizens now.
And now they are starting in on the fats...
They can impede traffic talking on a cell phone, but don't even THINK about lighting up....
What a joke.
Don't start none...won't be none.