”Recycling” and “mass transit” just makes politicians and environmentalists go giddy. I am however not convinced that they are efficient. Perhaps the analysis is withheld from the public.
Recycling — Does it make sense to have a dual system? Should half our recyclables be picked up at the curb while the other half are taken to recycling depots for spare change? Certainly any system requiring individuals to transport their containers to an out of the way place is suspect. St. Albert's approach is aggressive but it should be all or none. The provincial and municipal governments must work together. Why are we required to pay milk carton deposits? Surely we would put most of these cartons in the blue bag.
Mass transit — I am wholly convinced that if we could eliminate the automobile we would have an economical and efficient system. This is unlikely at present. Does our current system work? We know it is not cost-efficient, as it requires subsidy. I often see buses (sometimes doubles) with little or no passengers. Has a proper environmental analysis been done?
I challenge the environmentalists to do a scientific analysis of what is the best system.
Wayne Richardson, St. Albert
