A Disconnect Between What We Believe And What We Do

Stats Canada proves we don't walk the talk when it comes to recycling but this shouldn't be used as a battle cry to stop....what needs to stop is the bullshit we are fed by our municipal politicians and environuts and their Green Plans.

Meet the wigwam man
By VIVIAN SONG, NATIONAL BUREAU

You could call him the Wigwam Waste Warrior.

Or, his one-year stint of living off the land "Three Bears and a Teepee."

On a frigid -22 C Feb. 1, 2004, Paul Kelly of Calgary moved into a teepee on a local Native reserve to prove a point and realize a long-held dream.

"I wanted to reduce my environmental footprint to the smallest it could be while maintaining my livelihood," said Kelly, 30.

For heat, he padded his bed with hot water bottles and used a wood stove to stave off weeks of -33 C temperatures.

Once he made nice with his neighbours -- three bears and furry fearless rodents who would scurry in the night -- he developed a routine of waking and biking to the gym, where he would work out and shower, before going to work.

He shopped at bulk and natural food stores, and bought products in recyclable packaging. Kelly's entire landfill waste boiled down to one bag every two months, filled with non-recyclable items like foil, foam trays in meat packaging and twist ties.

"I wanted to live as close to the land as I could," said the director of marketing for a natural foods company.

Kelly's the notable exception to what Christina Seidel, executive director of the Recycling Council of Alberta, calls a "disconnect between what we believe and what we do."

"I think people philosophically buy into (environmentalism), but they're not changing their habits," she said, pointing to some surprising statistics.

According to the latest Statistics Canada numbers, less than a quarter of Canadians recycle, at 24%. In 2004, Canadians threw away 25 million tonnes of non-hazardous garbage -- an increase of 22 kg per Canadian from 2002.

And the highest disposal rate in the country? Albertans clocked in at 968 kg per capita, something Seidel attributes to the province's wealth.

"Generation is linked to consumption. Alberta has a higher consumption because we're the wealthiest," she said. Canadians are generating more waste, viewing recycling as an easy out, she added