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Looking for simple ways to help the planet? Have we got one for you...
By Megan Park
As our corner of the planet turns to mud, it is inevitable that we begin our Spring Dreaming.
While some dream of gardens and others of outdoor activities, my daydream is the return of sun-dried clothes. I pine for my backyard clothesline all winter long. There is a zen to hanging my laundry out to dry: a quiet rhythm--bend, stretch, clip, clip, pull--bend, stretch, clip, clip, pull.
And there is a different energy that comes from having my clothing infused with sunlight rather than forced hot air. It is difficult to describe, but I know I am not alone in my zeal.Not only is hauling laundry from the dank recesses of the cellar into glorious sunshine good for the soul, it’s good for the earth, too. While Energy Star ratings are the norm for household appliances, dryers do not carry them because all models of dryer work in the same way and use about the same amount of energy. Depending on where you live, drying 6 loads of laundry per week in an electric dryer can cost as much as $200/year. But maybe that is a reasonable price to pay for convenience. So let’s instead consider the greater picture: our collective carbon footprint.
One average household washes and dries 6 loads per week which can emit as much as 1 ton of CO2 into the environment per year. Living in the northeast as I do, perhaps I am only able to dry 50% of my laundry on a clothes line. Already I’ve saved the planet 1000 lbs of carbon. Imagine
if every house on my block, in my town or in the entire country hung a clothesline. That’s a lot of CO2.
As energy costs mount and the greenhouse gases have become personal, it’s nice to know we can all make a measurable difference--and save money--right in our own back yard.
**Update: Megan is trying to get funding to turn this story into a documentary film. Vote for her here and American Express will foot the bill!**
Megan Park is a writer and producer living in Albany, New York.