Parker’s Pen

BY DAVID PARKER

City council’s deep concern on saving the planet is highly commendable but implementing an increase in the cost of a grocery bag will hardly make a huge difference.

Now, the TV images of plastic floating on seashores and amidst homes on rivers in parts of Southeast Asia are shocking. And I began to think, “how could that happen?”

Then I walked into my own bathroom and took note of the number of plastic bottles we were using. And that was hugely magnified waiting for my Starbucks latte in Safeway where my eye wandered along shelf after shelf of shampoo, body wash, men’s body wash, and – believe it or not – conditioners, etc. It went on and on. Add only just yogurt tubs, margarine and milk jugs and the enormity of the amount of plastic we use is very evident. Without a thought of where it goes.

Short of taking your own buckets and pails, I don’t see how it can be avoided.

The award for publishing and mailing out a waste of paper has to go to the Yellow Pages that was a surprise delivery this past month.

They must have been expensive (yet carried few advertisements), but why the need when I can look up contact information of any business on my phone?

As important though is the inaccuracy of the data provided.

I know a little about our architectural community and scanning the listing it didn’t record some of our leading firms such as Zeidler, Riddell Kurczaba and S2. One was mentioned twice and at least a couple were shown that have been out of business for some time.

Waste of paper.

One of the many memorable pictures of the Queen that were shown after her passing was the tea and marmalade sandwich she had with Paddington Bear. I hope it encourages a lot of parents to buy some of the 20 books written by author Michael Bond and read them to their children. And don’t stop there – all kids should read and enjoy Pinocchio, Treasure Island and Wind in the Willows for sure. Unless parents are really worried about their little darlings being subjected to a little violence, trickery and, for goodness’ sake, animals that are dressed in clothes and talk. How shocking.

On the subject of reading, when will magazines be allowed back into doctor’s and clinic waiting rooms? I worry about people sneezing on me but really have never been concerned about catching anything from an old copy of National Geographic or Canadian Living.

I’m all for buying local but have taken a decision due a deserving local charity printing on its return envelope: Your gift stays in your city.

That suggests that it is wrong to support so many others in need around this world. So, this month’s donation went to Calgary-based Operation Eyesight with its vision of eliminating avoidable blindness.

I applaud the federal NDP members in asking for an investigation into the cost of groceries.

I can understand why black currants from Peru or even California strawberries might be more expensive due to freight costs but have a hard time understanding why a small can of sardines went up a dollar.

We used to complain about being nickeled and dimed to death – now grocery chains are using dollar missiles.

Final Words

I never have enough – but always have enough.