Claeys: Of urinals, bus rides and saving the planet
Being kind to Mother Earth is kind to the wallet, too
By Jesse Claeys Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, April 18, 2008
April 22, 1970. The very first Earth Day.
Events across the nation that day, in the words of one New York Times reporter, "propelled what, until then, had been dismissed as utopian idealism into something tangible: a decade of unprecedented government action that would ban cancer-causing pesticides, clean up car emissions and scrub the smokestacks."
In short, it was the birth of the modern environmental movement.
While the actual legacy of Earth Day can be debated, one thing is clear: We as a nation are becoming increasingly Earth friendly. We're buying smarter, we're recycling, industries are evolving and changing in efforts to become green, and at least one Sioux City business owner is watching what his customers flush.
Better yet, watching them not flush at all.
"I'd say our water bill has gone down $30 or $40 a month," said Bob Roe, owner of Bob Roe's Point After. "The manufacturer claims over a year's time you'll save like 40,000 gallons of water. That's quite a bit of savings."
Four months ago, Roe took the green plunge by installing two Sloan water-free urinals in his Transit Avenue bar and restaurant. No water used, no flushing necessary, and a special cartridge installed in the porcelain base eliminates odor.
Roe said none of his male patrons has complained about his environmentalist efforts.
"When you got to go, you got to go. I don't think people really care about what they are going in."
Roe's simple action, something he said cost about the same as buying new flush urinals, made me realize how if each and every one of us did one little thing for Mother Earth, she'd be a much happier lady.
But what could I do? I decided to turn to public transportation and use the Sioux City Transit System. By opting to take the bus, I became part of a small demographic group.
According to the transit system, of the 26,751 individuals who ride the bus each year (amassing more than 900,000 rides annually), 80 percent of them do so because they can't drive, do not have a driver's license or have no other transportation option. I'm part of the other 20 percent, those who choose to take the bus for unknown reasons. A speedy commute is not one of those reasons.
The drive from my home to the Journal building is about 3.5 miles and lasts about 10 minutes in my gas-guzzling SUV. The bus ride to work takes me an average of 40 minutes (with a bus transfer), costing $1.50 per ride.
I wouldn't say the 40 minutes on the bus is time well spent, but it is entertaining. It's sort of a like an unofficial club. Riders know each other, and it's not uncommon for drivers to look forward to daily chats with regulars.
Discussion topics covered during the Thursday morning commute included, but were not limited to, weather (everyone agreed they dislike rain), wages (everyone would like to earn more), bottled beverages (the 20-ounce Minute Maid orange juice was proclaimed a good buy) and what constitutes a good bean soup (the conclusion was Great Northern beans are, in fact, great).
The point of the bus rides isn't my being entertained by random riders, it's trying to change my habits to lessen my impact on the planet. Does riding the bus actually make a difference? I turned to Jeff Harcum, planner and grant manager for the transit system, for help.
Plugging estimates and statistics provided by governmental entities into a somewhat complicated math equation that's easily open to debate, Harcum concluded that it is 86 percent cheaper each year for one adult to ride the bus to and from work than to drive alone in a vehicle. He claimed a person could save $2,984 per year, including what I consider a conservative estimate of $707.50 in work commute gas costs.
I guess a person could help to save the environment one bus ride at a time. Roe hopes to save 40,000 gallons of water just by addressing his bar's No. 1 issue. What could you save?
Whichever way you look at it, reducing your carbon footprint and your impact on this planet is a good idea. In the end, you, the consumer, save money. Use less, spend less. It's as simple as that.
Jesse Claeys can be reached at jesseclaeys@siouxcityjournal.com or at (712) 293-4221.
Events across the nation that day, in the words of one New York Times reporter, "propelled what, until then, had been dismissed as utopian idealism into something tangible: a decade of unprecedented government action that would ban cancer-causing pesticides, clean up car emissions and scrub the smokestacks."
In short, it was the birth of the modern environmental movement.
While the actual legacy of Earth Day can be debated, one thing is clear: We as a nation are becoming increasingly Earth friendly. We're buying smarter, we're recycling, industries are evolving and changing in efforts to become green, and at least one Sioux City business owner is watching what his customers flush.
Better yet, watching them not flush at all.
"I'd say our water bill has gone down $30 or $40 a month," said Bob Roe, owner of Bob Roe's Point After. "The manufacturer claims over a year's time you'll save like 40,000 gallons of water. That's quite a bit of savings."
Four months ago, Roe took the green plunge by installing two Sloan water-free urinals in his Transit Avenue bar and restaurant. No water used, no flushing necessary, and a special cartridge installed in the porcelain base eliminates odor.
Roe said none of his male patrons has complained about his environmentalist efforts.
"When you got to go, you got to go. I don't think people really care about what they are going in."
Roe's simple action, something he said cost about the same as buying new flush urinals, made me realize how if each and every one of us did one little thing for Mother Earth, she'd be a much happier lady.
But what could I do? I decided to turn to public transportation and use the Sioux City Transit System. By opting to take the bus, I became part of a small demographic group.
According to the transit system, of the 26,751 individuals who ride the bus each year (amassing more than 900,000 rides annually), 80 percent of them do so because they can't drive, do not have a driver's license or have no other transportation option. I'm part of the other 20 percent, those who choose to take the bus for unknown reasons. A speedy commute is not one of those reasons.
The drive from my home to the Journal building is about 3.5 miles and lasts about 10 minutes in my gas-guzzling SUV. The bus ride to work takes me an average of 40 minutes (with a bus transfer), costing $1.50 per ride.
I wouldn't say the 40 minutes on the bus is time well spent, but it is entertaining. It's sort of a like an unofficial club. Riders know each other, and it's not uncommon for drivers to look forward to daily chats with regulars.
Discussion topics covered during the Thursday morning commute included, but were not limited to, weather (everyone agreed they dislike rain), wages (everyone would like to earn more), bottled beverages (the 20-ounce Minute Maid orange juice was proclaimed a good buy) and what constitutes a good bean soup (the conclusion was Great Northern beans are, in fact, great).
The point of the bus rides isn't my being entertained by random riders, it's trying to change my habits to lessen my impact on the planet. Does riding the bus actually make a difference? I turned to Jeff Harcum, planner and grant manager for the transit system, for help.
Plugging estimates and statistics provided by governmental entities into a somewhat complicated math equation that's easily open to debate, Harcum concluded that it is 86 percent cheaper each year for one adult to ride the bus to and from work than to drive alone in a vehicle. He claimed a person could save $2,984 per year, including what I consider a conservative estimate of $707.50 in work commute gas costs.
I guess a person could help to save the environment one bus ride at a time. Roe hopes to save 40,000 gallons of water just by addressing his bar's No. 1 issue. What could you save?
Whichever way you look at it, reducing your carbon footprint and your impact on this planet is a good idea. In the end, you, the consumer, save money. Use less, spend less. It's as simple as that.
Jesse Claeys can be reached at jesseclaeys@siouxcityjournal.com or at (712) 293-4221.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 5 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
Nico wrote on Apr 18, 2008 2:05 PM:
Thrash wrote on Apr 18, 2008 1:28 PM:
The Mayor of 4th Street wrote on Apr 18, 2008 9:31 AM:
ER wrote on Apr 18, 2008 8:48 AM:
Sudo wrote on Apr 18, 2008 8:36 AM: