At Concordia University, enviro-friendly appliances have been installed. But I wonder how environmentally friendly they really are. Sometimes, if you are sitting on the toilet, it self-flushes four or five times in the space of a couple of minutes. Surely that is wasteful of water? Also, almost every time I simply walk past the hand dryer, it switches itself on, even though I’m not using it. Surely that’s a waste of electricity?
Meanwhile, the shuttle bus sits on rue Sherbrooke for fifteen minutes, doors open to let in the cold, and keeps the engine running. Surely that’s a waste of gas?
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I have finished my book. After judicious editing and a proofread, it will be on its way… somewhere. Lord knows what will happen to it.
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I don’t have kids, but sometimes I think about how I’d raise them if I did. One thing I think is important is to let kids experience moments of utter boredom. They need to learn how to be politely bored. To listen without fidgeting or being rude. They also need to learn how to endure activities that they do not enjoy.
Some kids have grown up to become students and have clearly not learned these lessons. They are a pain in the ass sometimes. Students who surf the Internet while lectures and presentations are in progress, you know who you are!


2 comments
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January 23, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Tobi Elliott
Hey Laurence,
Tobi here from The Concordian. We’d talked about you contributing to the paper at one point but I never heard anything further from you.
Would you be interested in writing more about the contradiction of sustainability rhetoric and actual practices at Concordia?
Let me know if you have a story idea, or want to come to any of our staff meetings to pitch an idea.
Tobi
January 25, 2008 at 5:02 am
Michael
Congrats on the book Laurence.
M