Does a clothesline really help the environment?

The scientific community tells us almost daily, how we are screwing up the planet. Of course the problem is that they are a bit vague on how to correct it. We routinely hear such comments as, "We need to reduce our carbon footprint, we need to put less CO2 into the air, or we need to lower greenhouse gases." The real problem has always been viable options. Let´s face it; we are not going to give up most of the luxuries many of us enjoy unless we have to. For that matter, most of us simply will not spend several thousand additional dollars on a vehicle that is more environmentally friendly. We all want to do the right thing, but our minds create this tug-of-war between doing what is right and doing what is easiest for ourselves.

Does something as simple and ageless as a clothesline really help? In a word, yes. Many people feel that hanging out laundry is an inconvenience, but perhaps the following points will help change a few minds. Here are a few advantages of using a clothesline.

1. They help clothes last longer by not getting beat up in the dryer. The long-term effect is that fewer clothes need to be manufactured, hence less pollution.

2. A well-used clothesline saves the typical household, (average of one load per day), at least a hundred bucks a year on energy. That´s over half a ton of CO2 emissions not being added to the atmosphere.

3. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, clothes dryers caused more than 15,000 fires in 1998. In addition to the obvious pain and suffering these fires caused families, they also resulted in countless tons of CO2 emissions hitting the air from burning buildings.

Despite the obvious signs of a warming planet, many housing communities still ban the use of an outdoor clothesline. Excuses range from lowering property values, to neighbors not wishing to see each other´s laundry floating in the breeze.

There are several positive personal aspects to using a clothesline, but first its time to applaud the countless people who already do. Here are a handful of their reasons.

1. Clothes smell better when air-dried.

2. It saves them hard-earned money.

3. Getting a few minutes of sun each day is good for the skin.

4. Using a clothesline is good exercise.

5. It gives urbanites a chance to lean on the fence and visit with their neighbor.

6. It can be a reoccurring positive family function.

7. It brings back great memories from our youth.

For those of you who do not necessarily think of yourselves as environmentalists, but love to hang out your laundry, we applaud you. While the use of a clothesline may be a no-brainer to some people, to others it may be something they had not considered. Several clothesline companies now offer dozens of types on the internet such as www.dayheat.com and www.clotheslineshop.com. They even have a model that puts the clothespins on for you. So if you want to help the environment, but prefer to start with little steps, give this ole fashioned idea a try. Who knew that helping the planet could be so easy?