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Hanging laundry outside is not just about the money

Hanging laundry outside is not just about the money
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Hanging laundry outside is not just about the money

Ms Hamilton:

Thank you for kindly pointing out to me that all the time and labour I spend hanging laundry out to dry outweigh the financial gain I receive from Hydro.

It is indeed small change. You asked how much my time is worth. Well, seeing that I retired 20 years ago from a very demanding job, I would say that I have all the time in the world. With only my husband at home, and some volunteer work to occupy me, I look forward to being outside and hanging out the laundry. And the exercise I get from doing so is free of charge.

When the days are warm and dry, I don’t turn on the heater in my house nor do I use A/C. I keep the door to my garden wide open, so it is no struggle for me to negotiate the doors. I also did the math, as you suggested, and concluded that replacing a dryer is definitely more expensive than replacing clothes lines.

When we moved into this strata community two years ago, I contacted the property management company to apply for a variance to the clothesline rule. The spokesperson felt that that was a reasonable request and promised to forward it to the strata council. I have yet to receive a reply from them.

Now that we have a new property management company and strata council, I feel hopeful that they are more receptive and responsive. I re-applied for a variance citing, among other reasons, my desire to decrease my carbon footprint. As you said “Little things can add up and make a difference…”.

As for the bigger picture; the mass pollution of our planet is a huge concern and each of us is responsible for reducing our individual mark on this, our only home. Climate change is part of the evolution of our planet; however, our industrial and population growth have exponentially expedited this current climate change cycle.

I would like to slow this down, taking a wee step for mankind by hanging my laundry out to dry, using the free solar and wind power. In so doing, I can demonstrate to our children and their children that I care about their futures and that they are not alone in their dreams for a cleaner planet and their commitment to identifying and utilizing renewable resources.

Judy van der Boom

Mill Bay