The Professor's Notes

For those that have been reading me carefully, you will note that, as a conservative, I believe in conservation. This certainly results in a political view of “fiscal conservatism” and that then spills over into a sense of environmental conservatism as well. For instance, I purchased a Honda Civic Hybrid with the intent of conserving all resources, natural, and fiscal. I have written recently concerning the use of bottled water, and (in case you missed it) essentially pointed out that reducing the weight of the bottles is just a drop in the bucket of savings, compared to what we could save if we just filtered our tap water.

I would like you all to think, just for a minute, about some of the other conveniences we enjoy. For instance, in State College, PA there is once again “to the door” delivery of milk. Yes, the milkman is back, at least in that town. I applaud the desire to purchase locally raised eggs and dairy products, perhaps even without the assistance of chemical hormone supplements. I just question whether the “to the door” delivery is actually, as their website insists, an “environmentally-sensible solution to your essential grocery needs.”

Now, before you go insisting that “there goes that prof again…” let me ask you to consider a few things:

• Do you go to the store more frequently simply to get milk, eggs, and other dairy products?
• Is your private automobile more, or less, fuel efficient than the truck used to deliver the dairy?
• Are you actually ordering the more natural, and organic, choices or are you simply buying the same Schneider milk from a different source?

I look forward to perhaps seeing some of your thoughts here, so please, share your answers to these questions with all of us!