Neighbor Guy

City People. Urban Living. Other Stuff.

Recycle This!

In honor of Earth Day, Neighbor Guy would like to reflect for a moment on the increasingly common practice of recycling.

We recycle paper, plastic, and aluminum. We recycle glass, steel, and rubber. We recycle our cars, our furniture, and our personal computers.

I know somebody who even tried to recycle his mother-in-law, but to no avail.

Still, it all begs the question, which Neighbor Guy is more than happy to ask, what if we could recycle an entire neighborhood?

New research by a pair of economics professors from Harvard suggests that Americans who live in the suburbs run the risk of leaving a larger carbon footprint than their urban dwelling counterparts.

The study makes two points abundantly clear.

First, the surest way to turn something inherently self-evident into something decidedly newsworthy is to have it researched and reported on by a pair of pointy-headed Ivy League professors.

Second, it makes good environmental sense to follow in the footsteps of our urban dwelling forebears and choose high-density urban centers when choosing where to live.

Living where others have lived before? Sounds like recycling to me.

Recycling where we live brings new energy and resources into existing communities. It’s like applying a fresh coat of paint to an old house. Suddenly, it’s like you have a new house!

(Alas, it’s the spouse, children, and dog that remain the same.)

Further, you have to admit there is a certain unmistakable logic to recycling that holds true regardless of the subject matter.

Why manufacture a thousand paper cups to hold your decaf double tall non-fat cappuccino when you can reuse the same stainless steel travel mug a thousand times – or, at least, until your coffee begins to taste like a stainless steel travel mug.

Similarly, why build a thousand new homes on a pristine tract of grassland when you can take up residence in a thousand homes currently sitting vacant in the city?

Neighbor Guy would argue that the lived-in feel of a century-old neighborhood is part of its inexorable charm. And if century-old homes aren’t your thing, plenty of modern-looking homes abide peacefully in quaint, historic neighborhoods.

Our friends at Harvard put it this way: “If you want to be good to the environment, you stay away from it.”

I’ll be even more precise: Adopt an urban lifestyle. Recycle where you live!

The views expressed by Neighbor Guy are not necessarily those expressed by Unsung Indy or its supporters.